HDR Editorial - Give young people a chance to thrive

My editorial published in the Hickory Daily Record on 9/27/2009 and Context Below

Changing our Culture is as important as Education

In reading Lamar Mitchell’s contribution from September 22, 2009, I would like to provide a different perspective. Mr. Mitchell is preaching to the choir when he goes down the laundry list of reasons why kids should stay in school. But, I am here to bring you a truly teachable moment.

Our area has suffered economically for years and it cannot all be blamed on uneducated people. These people, who are already suffering, should not be treated like villains. They worked hard and played by the rules that our area lived by for generations. Local leaders did not stress education years ago. Cheap labor was the desire of Old Hickory ’s Culture and now we are paying the price for that Monoculture of Manufacturing Industries.

Who could not agree that having a 17%+ dropout rate in our community is disastrous, but what is even worse is the loss of the younger demographic in this area. Population numbers show that since 2000, the O-44 age bracket grew by a measly .38%, while the 45+ age bracket grew by 14.34%. The older generation grew 23 times faster than the younger generation. Does that seem healthy to you?

"Educational Attainment" statistics count people who have obtained a degree of higher education and are age 25 or older. If a young person goes to college, but does not stay in our area, then it hurts our Attainment statistics. Looking at results from ncreportcards.org show that area High School students are actually fairing quite well compared to NC averages. The question should be asked, what are we going to do to retain our best and brightest and entice the educated class to move to the Hickory area?

It is obvious to me that there is a lack of opportunity in this area for people with higher education. We have a real problem with job quality. Many people with Bachelor’s degrees (or higher) are vastly overqualified for what they do. Young graduates can wait tables, perform other menial labor, or leave town.

We have seen the Brain Drain in this community that is associated with a lack of understanding and compassion for what the citizens of this community have truly endured. If we are going to turn our plight around, then we are going to have to reconnect with the younger generations who can reinvigorate this community. We need to present college graduates with possibilities for internships, apprenticeships, and other specific opportunities to rebuild Hickory and start a Cultural Renaissance in this area.

Mr. Mitchell’s commentary once again has an area leader focusing on the negative. What does our plight have to do with Obama, Bush, or Perdue? Local leaders need to focus on transforming our area into a Cultural Bastion of Excellence, where young educated people can thrive. If this happens, I truly believe the drop-out rate, which has a lot to do with depression and despair, will soon begin to recede.


My Editorial was in Response to Lamar Mitchell's editorial, which is provided below:


The Hound believes in Knowledge and in what I wrote I am not arguing against people obtaining any form or level of Educational Attainment. What I am saying is that we need to look at what has led to the problem we see today. Furniture and Textile owners didn't care if people had diplomas. They wanted to teach people specific task oriented skills and then have them do it for the rest of their lives. In my opinion, they also didn't want people asking questions and daddburnit that is exactly what educated people do.

Today we live in a highly competitive global world that demands people who can think outside of the box, who are innovative, and can constantly figure out new ways to do things better. Old Hickory's culture did not want this. The ideal was to have an employee not think. Just work like a machine and don't ask questions. Now you have automated machines or cheap foreign labor to do those menial tasks. So the people brought up in that culture are now lost.

That being said we need to change the culture around here. Steve Ivester, who comes from a completely polar-opposite philosophy than myself on most issues, was the person who spoke of the Monoculture of Furniture, Textiles, and Cabling that did not demand education (Ivester audio link). Many of these people, who expected lesser educational attainment from the workforce, passed this philosophy down from generation to generation. How many of the business owners that are now fussing about our community's lack of educational attainment are the same people who had no problem hiring people with less than a high school education in the past. Where does such self-righteous indignation come from?

Let's face it, the people who are older than 50 are not going to go get their GED and is it realistic to expect them to do so at this point? Are those people not a major demographic in this community? Yes, we have to change our local culture and instill in our youngsters that they need their education, but we also need to find out why they would want to quit school, why they think they don't need their diploma, and figure out how we are going to address such a sad situation. I addressed this at the last city Council meeting, when Alder Jill Patton mentioned that she and the Mayor were at the Champions of Education meeting and it was a kickoff for 2012 that made a statement that businesses would not hire anyone without a High School Diploma or GED. Newsletter about the City Council meeting of September 15, 2009 (The whole summary is at the bottom of the article).

The bigger issue is the demographic issue shown in the chart below. I mentioned it in the article. The stats were extrapolated from this chart (Link stats below):


This is the article where I sum up this issue - The Younger Generation is the Key!!!

The Graphic below shows that our High School Educational rankings aren't that bad compared to North Carolina State averages (Link stats below):


This is the article where I sum up this issue - Our High Schools versus the State of North Carolina Averages.

The Hound believes we deserve more than canned answers and philosophies on the issues we face. I have faith that we can turn this area around, if everyone does their part. I have heard a lot of great things about the Champions of Education and what I wrote is not meant in any way to dismiss or slight their mission. I think we need to worry about the real issues we face and not waste an opportunity to address the true issues that our area faces in trying to right our Economic Ship.

I also encourage you to read - Hickory, Time to Put the Puzzle Together

The Most And Least Educated Cities In America -- Hickory Metro 135 out of 150

The Most And Least Educated Cities In America - Forbes - September 16, 2014

Hound Notes: The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Area ranks number 135 out of 150 in this study on education. When one looks into the numbers cited, they see that we are number 143 out of 150 in educational attainment, but number 65 out of 150 in quality of education. It's the same story I have been pointing to since 2008. I have seen many times where people want to throw our school system under the bus, but we are actually a bit better than average when one looks at the numbers cited. Also think about those numbers being skewed down, because the parents of the children that populate our local school system are some of the least educated people in America.

2014’s Most and Least Educated Cities - Wallet Hub - Richie Bernardo 
 An explanation for the study:

A little more than a year ago, the Economic Policy Institute also released its report on the effects of education on state finances. The EPI’s findings suggested that college degrees are supremely important in helping to resuscitate weak economies. One way to strengthen states is to attract well-paying employers “by investing in education and increasing the number of well-educated workers.”

As the fall semester commences, WalletHub analyzed the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States to determine where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle. We examined each city across nine key metrics. Among the set are educational attainment, the percentage of workers with jobs in computer, engineering and science fields as well as the quality and size of each metro area’s universities.

What we are seeing is the Brain Drain. We educate the young people fairly well in this community, but our best and brightest leave because they don't see the opportunity to progress in this community. When we look at the numbers provided in this survey, what we see in our State, is that other cities fared very well in this study - Raleigh ranks number 2, Durham ranks number 3, Wilmington ranks number 37, Asheville ranks 40, Winston-Salem ranks 55, Charlotte ranks 73. On the lower end - Greensboro ranks 115, Fayetteville ranks 116, and we rank the lowest in North Carolina at 135.

Only 2 metro areas within 500 miles of Hickory (other than Hickory) rank in the bottom 20% of the 150 metros, when it comes to educational attainment. Those Metros are Greensboro, NC ranked at 122 (Overall rank 115) and Chattanooga, TN at  128 (Overall rank 140). Our Educational Quality is better than Charlotte's ranked at 89, Greensboro's at 88, and Fayetteville's at 95.


Hound Notes: Make of it what you will. This study lays out a case that I made several years ago. The problem is not that we don't educate our young people properly. We are educating our young people just fine. The problem is that they can't wait to get the hell out of here and go to Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, or Asheville... and once they leave they aren't coming back. This community needs to learn how to think younger.

HDR Editorial - Give young people a chance to thrive - September 27, 2009 <<< Right at 5 years ago

Taylor Dellinger Presents Hickory Metro Census to the Future Economy Council of Catawba County

The following presentation is from August 11, 2011. The Catawba County Chamber’s Future Economy Council invited the public to attend the meeting to hear about the “Economic Impact of the 2010 Census Data on the Hickory Metro Region.” The meeting was held at the CVCC auditorium; Taylor Dellinger with Western Piedmont Council of Governments presented the program.

2010 Census topics that were included: population trends; race and Hispanic origin; age group demographics; household composition; housing data; poverty and educational attainment among others. Questions to be answered include: What does Census 2010 tell us about the Hickory Metro? How did the region’s economy impact the Census 2010 results? How can business and industry use the results of the 2010 Census for their benefit?




Taylor Dellinger of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments gives a presentation of the 2010 United States Census as it pertains to the Hickory Metro Area and Catawba County.

This first video includes the introduction of Taylor by Future Economy Council President Terry Bledsoe. Why Does the Census matter? Taylor displays Hickory Metro Growth and the growth in the Individual counties (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba) and discusses the dynamics of this growth.

Taylor then goes on to compare Hickory's growth with that of other Metropolitan communities in North Carolina and gets into specifics related to the growth of specific geographic locales in the Hickory Metro Area.

The second video delves further into the growth of specific geographic locales in the Hickory Metro before discussing the cultural growth and makeup of the area and thoughts about future population growth in the area. The growth of the Hispanic Demographic in the area. Taylor also compares these numbers to those in the other Metro areas in the State of North Carolina.

The third video in this series breaks down the Population Age Distribution in the area. This subject matter is related to the Brain Drain and the loss of the younger generations versus the aging population and influx of Seniors into the area. Information shows that Hickory ranks dead last in the Metro areas of North Carolina in growth of the 25 to 34 age bracket with a 18.6% loss of citizens in this category. The Statistics also show that the 60-64 age bracket is not keeping pace with most of the rest of the State, but still far outpaces the growth of the younger generations.

Taylor then begins to present the individual population numbers of Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell counties and the effects of these numbers.

The fourth video of this series begins with the discussion of the effects of the population numbers on Catawba County and how this will effect the local social infrastructure. He then answers some question pertaining to the poor population growth numbers in Burke County.

The next subject involved the makeup of households in the area. This involved a discussions of numbers of individuals per household and gets into the categories of types of houses listed by the census.

In the fifth video in this series, Taylor further explores the Household makeup in the area and more specifically Catawba County. He then goes into the progression of build out of homes in the metro and Catawba County. He goes into the issue of Vacant units of Housing in the area. He shows the loss of the Homebuilding Industry in the area over the last decade, which saw 995 permits for homes to be built at the beginning of the decade and has subsequently seen that number decrease to 152 in 2010.

The sixth video is this series exhibits the issues we see in the area pertaining to foreclosures. Annual foreclosures have more than tripled in the area over the past decade. The WPCOG initially attributed most of the foreclosures to complex and possibly predatory lending habits, but what they are now seeing is that people who have lost the jobs are having a tough time making mortgage payments.

There were several questions and comments related to this subject matter. People wanted to understand the effects on the tax base and the breakdown of how the numbers were defined. There were also comments related to the National Policy of housing.

Taylor then talked about the dynamics of Rental versus Owned Housing in the area. Next, he once again compares our area's housing vacancy to other areas in the State and displays how we aren't in that bad of a position related to this matter.

Taylor then discusses the American Community Survey and defines the parameters of that survey. What he relates in that this survey is showing an epidemic of increased poverty in our area and how this is probably hand-in-hand related to the emigration of the young people in our area. It is completely related to the jobs issue. He displays maps that show where this emigration is specifically happening and it is in the industrial corridors of Hickory (Highway 70), Morganton, and Lenoir where furniture and textiles were King not that long ago.

This is the seventh and final video in this series. Taylor speaks about the issue of educational attainment and how we rank dead last in the State of North Carolina.

The IHS Global Insight report for the US Conference of Mayors summarized that it will take over a decade to get back the jobs that we have lost in our area. The trends mesh perfectly with the data. These numbers show the poverty located along the former industrial areas in Hickory, Lenoir, and Morganton where Furniture and Textiles were our cornerstone industries.

What are we doing to bring about a recovery and restoration of our job market? You gotta think something new! Look at that Southeast corner of Catawba County. There is something to be learned there. they are focused on Charlotte.

Hickory - Time to put the Puzzle together

I began studying Hickory’s economic viability by looking at what I have heard experts state is needed to bring our economy forward in an era of exponential change. We must move forward and embrace this new economic era or we will continue to deteriorate. Other communities throughout the U.S. have successfully made this transition. It is our turn to do the same. If we continue to fail to act, then the consequences for our future will only become graver. One of the keys to solving our dilemma is to embrace a new paradigm of ideals and collaboration. We have to work together in a positive manner and become more tolerant of the cultural and attitudinal differences amongst us.

Many of the investments that our community must make in the near term come with no guarantee, but we know that we must do something. The future is ambiguous and therefore it is incomprehensible to many, but most everything that we have today was thought to be impossible at a point in the past. We cannot turn the clock back and trying to do so leads to a fruitless effort. Furniture and textiles built this community and those industries created a dependable economy that the people of this area trusted and relied on for nearly a century. But those industries are gone and they aren’t coming back.

Looking at other communities who have been successful, or even those that have been where we are now and improved drastically, lays out a road map that we can learn from. There will be risks involved and we can’t copy what these communities have done, but we can certainly learn a lot from what they have done. There are forward thinking, innovative, investment ideas amongst our community that are constantly shot down , because of the way our community has adapted down and become accepting of mediocrity and unwilling to take any risks.

Hickory can no longer afford to give business "the business." We are moving into an age of connections and our government must become more adaptive and friendly to the needs of all business. If we want to grow this city, we must make sure that we have growing commercial enterprises. Lay out the ground rules, be consistent in the implementation, know what you are talking about, know the answers, and help entrepreneurs do their thing. It is not the government’s job to micromanage other people’s property.

If this community is to move forward, then we are going to have to get community leaders to step out of their day-tight compartments, reach outside of their comfort zone, and try to embrace the new paradigm. Dale Carnegie taught people to live day-to-day (in day-tight compartments) and he believed that constantly dwelling on the future, that is susceptible to constant change, is useless. But, in a world of constant change, we can’t afford to not constantly contemplate the future, because the future is now.

Looking at Richard Florida’s philosophy got me to thinking about Hickory’s plight. Hickory must figure out a way to retain its best and brightest citizens, especially the twenty and thirty somethings. These are the generations that help a community constantly renew and revitalize itself. These are the people who have children and spend money on commodities that help a city to grow and prosper. The way to retain these people is to encourage industries that they will be more willing to participate in; High Tech industries such as robotics, energy, health care, engineering, and biomedical technology.

A key to creativity is understanding and accepting the needs and differences of individuals. In my opinion, many creative people don’t want to live in this area, because we make them feel uncomfortable or even unaccepted. We hear a lot about like-mindedness, but what about diversity? We need people coming at local issues from all angles, conforming to one way of thinking reeks of authoritarianism. Creativity never thrives under such conditions.

Hickory has the resources to compete with any area in the country and at one time we did just that, but now we are at the bottom of the barrel. The Milken Institute numbers show that Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has seen terrible job growth (193 out of 200), abysmal wage growth (195 out of 200), and below average development of High Tech Industry (High Tech GDP is 130 out of 200). We have been ranked #187 or lower in these statistics since 2003. Our current ranking #191 out of 200 MSAs overall is deplorable.

What is even more troubling is the way that our city has languished at the very bottom of this statistical analysis since the beginning of the decade. If you think that Milken's statistical review is off, then look at a second source. Forbes magazine ranks us as #130 out of the largest 150 MSAs, as far as "the Best places to do Business."

Statistics show that most areas the size of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton MSA have a principal city that is the central focus of that area. Hickory’s location and history make it the proper candidate to take on this role. The City of Hickory must start moving towards growth again by becoming proactive in developing our resources.

Forbes numbers show that our community is ranked #146 out of 150, when it comes to educational attainment. That statistic is representative of the number of people over 25 years old with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. In comparing other areas of the country to our own, we see that some have more educational opportunities than us, but by no means do we appear to be lacking. While having educational capacities available is important, it is only one ingredient needed to develop a sustainable and resilient economy. The key is to focus people towards fruitful educational endeavors that lead to tangible job opportunity. In other words there has to be something at the end of the rainbow.

When it comes to building industry in our area, it’s not about College. It’s about knowledge. Do we have the types of Knowledge Industries available that will interest and retain the educated class? Are the people who grow up here and go away to college coming back after they obtain their degree? Are the young adults that we educate in our local Institutions of Higher Education staying here after they graduate? The key to prosperity is developing employment opportunities for the educated (and trained) at a living and sustainable wage. Our area’s wage growth proves that this is not happening. Without good jobs, we cannot have a prosperous and vibrant community. We cannot have the cultural amenities so many desire, because our tax base and marketplace will not support it.

I do believe that opportunities brought forth by Google and Apple will bring positive momentum towards the Technology sector in our community. Tech is the easy way to get involved in the Creative Economy. We must expand our Broadband and Information Technology capacities to create the favorable conditions necessary to achieve a High-Tech corridor. That will entice techies to move to the area and set up shop.

I truly believe that this is a significant part of our "Field of Dreams." If we build it, they will come. All of the successful cities have made relevant contributions to the New World's Creative Economy. These cities have chosen to get out front and lead the way, and as a result they are reaping huge rewards because of the development of their technological sector. I truly believe that the World is still in the beginning stages of the process of creating a technical society and there is plenty of room to get on board, but Hickory needs to get on board sooner rather than later, or once again we are going to be on the short end of the stick. I truly believe that this will lead to good, productive, high paying jobs.

We cannot continue to blame all of our problems on Raleigh and Washington, when our local government is not doing all that it can to take care of our own business. As far as the areas in North Carolina go, we are surrounded by Economic excellence. Raleigh-Durham, Wilmington, Charlotte, Asheville, and Greenville, NC are all doing really well. We should expect these areas to get more attention than us, when they are contributing more to the treasury and dynamics of growth in our state.

Raleigh and Wilmington are cities within our state that are models of how creativity and growth go hand-in-hand. Hickory has to get on board and invest in its future. The numbers clearly show that in relation to the rest of North Carolina, we haven’t been growing jobs, we haven’t been paying people anything, and we haven’t been moving toward a High-Tech economy.

We do deserve our fair share of the money we have put into the treasury, but playing follow the leader and complaining about not receiving charity will not solve this city’s problems.. We're going to have to take some chances, think outside of the box, and initiate some action to kickstart our economy. If we don't soon start growing our economy then raising taxes, fees, and/or cutting services will be inevitable. This all will lead to a further degradation of the general welfare of this community.

There really isn’t a geographical correlation relative to Hickory and the other economies at the bottom of Milken’s rankings. The only correlation I see between the Midwestern cities and Hickory is that their economies were centered on a form of manufacturing that became obsolete, because it was not rooted in the fundamentals needed to survive the movement towards a global economy.

The automobile crisis is the result of years of corporate-controlled government manipulation. Some people believe that the same mindset occurred in Hickory from the late 1990s until 2008. You cannot turn growth on or off like it is a faucet. Certain people, in this community aspired to the ideal of the yesteryear they remember, when Hickory was a quaint little village. In my opinion, the people who attempted to lead us down that misbegotten path of limited growth are at the root of our community’s problems. By the time our local officials reluctantly admitted we were going down the wrong path, it was too late to stop the train wreck of consequences we are now facing.

It is clear to me that our city's statistics show very little relation to what has happened in the rest of the Southeast. Only two other Southeastern cities are in the bottom 50 of Milken’s rankings, Spartanburg, South Carolina (#183) and Columbus, Georgia (#166). What is perplexing is that a few years ago our city seemed enchanted by the model of Roanoke, Virginia whose rank is currently #168. Roanoke’s economic rankings going back to 2002 have been 2008 - #168. 2007 - #138, 2005 - #179, 2004 - #181, 2003 - #166, and 2002 - #139. It is nonsensical to think we have anything to learn from Roanoke, Virginia other than what not to do.

Every community faces challenges unique to a combination of, but not necessarily limited to, Geography and Environment, Culture and Diversity, and Economics and Governance. In my opinion, we are fortunate that we don’t face as many obstacles as other communities do. I just feel that local officials need to realize that America’s foundation was rooted in the philosophy of openness and embrace that principle. Our representatives need to collaborate with people from every background. Common Sense, fairness, and consistency should be Hickory’s hallmark.

Small business will be where the majority of our area's jobs are going to come from in the future and small business is most vulnerable when it comes to the dictates of government. It is imperative that there be cooperation between these businesses and local government. We cannot afford to have business and government look at one another as adversaries. Prosperity for the entire community is at stake.

I believe that businesses should be personally responsible towards setting a positive image for our community. If our local officials are fair and consistent when setting and administrating policy then businesses should adhere to guidelines. Together everyone has a role to play in the collaborative process.

Successful Metro Areas are spread throughout the United States. Unemployment rates seem to have a strong correlation with Milken’s rankings, which include factors of job growth, wage growth, and overall revenues produced from High-Tech Industry. The Best Performing Cities seem to be keeping up with the demand for employment better than the nation as a whole. The Economic Resiliency they are showing must be learned from.

What I believe we should study is the Commercial characteristics and Cultural Amenities of these cities and how they are addressing needs that are relevant to the 21st century. Every one of these cities is addressing their Public Transportation needs and I think that it is imperative that we also do just that. Our Public Transportation system is extremely inadequate for an area of our size. Population growth has been shown to be a key to a successful economy. If we move towards a structure that encourages growth, then we must develop a public transportation central nervous system to ensure that the growth is systematic and sustainable and doesn’t have a negative impact on our ability to travel to different destinations in the area.

Hickory sits at several important geographical and transportational crossroads and should be a vital central location for Western North Carolina. In my opinion that is what caused this city to develop in the first place. Why we lost the meaning and significance of this part of our city's Mission of Existence is beyond me.

Forbes ranks Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton as #147 area out of 150 when it comes to Culture and Leisure. This Index is based on museums, theaters, golf courses, sports teams, and other activities. I think the SALT Block is an excellent public cultural facility, we have the Crawdads, and we have a ton of golf courses (and a golf tournament) around here. So by process of elimination, I believe that this tells us that we need to improve upon our entertainment business sector. There really isn’t much to do around here other than go to bars.

Developing an entertainment complex would go hand-in hand with our restaurant and retail business sectors and it would appeal to a younger demographic. I have heard the possibilities of a mid-sized concert venue being developed and I think a nice Amphitheater in the area would have a lot to offer. Just think of people around the region converging on Hickory and spending money in our stores. That seems like a lot better scenario than always having our citizens go to concerts in Charlotte, Asheville, Greensboro, or Greenville, SC and spend money there.

Many people believe me to be eternally pessimistic when it comes to my hometown. I honestly don’t believe that I am. Some don’t like the message and others don’t like the way I have delivered it. But, would they have listened if I had softballed it up to them. Empirical evidence points to the fact that they wouldn’t have. I think the issues that we have faced and continue to face are solvable. But, we need to quit wasting time and get on with solving these issues that have plagued this area for years.

Let’s look at the Hound’s track record. I told you that there were problems two years ago and the status quo continued on - An All-American City deserves first-class leadership. Remember the headline article from the Hickory Daily Record entitled “35,133 jobs lost since the year 2000,” Where was that issue first addressed? 24,493 Jobs Lost in the Unifour since June 2000 was published on December 8, 2008 or The Relevant Issue: 34,294 JOBS lost since July 2000 in the Unifour from July 6, 2009. Oh, if you really want your mind blown check this one out – Conversation with the Mayor on Hal Row about our area’s aging population and the need to retain our best and brightest from February 2009.

People will choose the direction that they want the area to head in, but it is more than obvious that Hickory and the Unifour have been heading in the wrong direction for years. We understand most of the issues we face on the surface, but I truly don’t think people have looked under the surface to see what is really going on. I think that is how we have gotten so far off track.

I have laid it all out here in this series of articles. How we face these issues, and the honesty with which we deal with them, will determine how efficiently and expediently we can bring this community back towards positive economic momentum. Let's just look at the facts and the statistics and leave personal feelings and attachments out of this process. I honestly believe that if we do that, then we will be able to revolutionize Hickory into something bigger, better, and brighter.

I believe that we have formed groups that can address the problems we face, but the key will be in the follow through. We need to facilitate a process that encourages economic centers of Technology, Energy, Modern Manufacturing, Centrally focused Retail Commerce, and Entertainment.

Other cities have been as low on the totem pole as we are, but they found a way to address their inadequacies. Some of these cities turned their fortunes around in only a couple of years. I think that our current Job situation might be just what we needed, because it brought our problems to the national forefront. The embarrassment has refocused our priorities on issues that should have been dealt with long ago. This gives me hope that we can turn our fortunes around.

I see hope in our future, if we work together on doing what is best for this city, and this area as a whole, and quit coming at these issues from an angle of our own self-interest. Hickory was successful in the 1980s and 1990s when it experienced population growth rates of 26% and 23% respectively. So far this decade we have barely grown over 5% and most of that growth has come from people over 45 years old. That seems to perfectly correlate with the lack of economic growth we have seen in the community.

We need to do everything in our power to encourage young people from here to come back after college and we need to encourage twenty and thirty year olds from elsewhere to move here. The younger generation is the key to growth and prosperity. Our energies need to focus on creating a market and atmosphere that will entice this younger demographic to make Hickory their home. I believe the future of this area depends on it. 
Hickory versus MSAs who have made the biggest Economic Comebacks
Hickory Metro's Economy and the 10 Best MSAs in the U.S.
Hickory vs the 10 worst MSAs in the U.S
Hickory Metro's Economy versus similar U.S. MSAs
Hickory Metro's Economy versus North Carolina MSAs 
Hickory -- A Lack of Creativity?

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of September 15, 2009

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.

At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 9/15/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.

Invocation by Rev. Deborah McEachran of First Presbyterian Church

Consent Agenda:
Resolutions - Discard Library Materials to the Friends of the Library for Their Annual Book Sale The Friends of the Library collect donated books and other materials throughout the year for their Annual Book Sale to be held October 8 – 11, 2009. The donated books and materials are out of date, in poor condition or are no longer needed to meet the collection development goals of the library. There are 2,869 discarded library materials to be donated. The proceeds ultimately benefit the library, which is an appropriate means of disposing of unneeded materials.

Resolution for Public Hearings - (Authorize Public Hearing for October 20, 2009) Consented to Catawba Valley Medical Center to Close a Portion of Old School Drive. (Authorize Public Hearing for October 6, 2009) - Consideration of an Ordinance Amendment to Revise Chapter 31, Section 13 “Location and Ownership of Water Meters” of the Hickory City Code

Proclamation - Declaring September 19, 2009 as “Centro Latino Day” in Celebration of their 10th Anniversary in the City of Hickory

Business - Award Bid to J. T. Russell & Sons, Inc. to Rehabilitate and Overlay Taxiway “A” at the Hickory Regional Airport in the Amount of $1,070,298.15 - this will increase the load carrying capacity comparable to Runway 6-24. The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the City Grant AIP #23 in the amount of $1,145,824, which is a 95% grant, with a State obligation of 2.5% and a 2.5% obligation by the City in the amount of $26,757.45 for rehabilitation of this taxiway. The contractor will be unable to start this project in 2009, but has agreed to honor their bid prices through Spring 2010. A total of three bids were received for this project and J. T. Russell & Sons, Inc. was the lowest responsible bidder.

Approve First Amendment to Lease Agreement With AGW Leasing Company, Inc. (Sprint) For Their Lease of Antenna Space on City’s Water Tower and Additional Ground - The initial lease will expire on November 1, 2009. The amendment extends the Lease Agreement for one additional five year term beginning on November 2, 2009, expiring on November 1, 2014. The agreement will automatically renew for one additional five year term on November 2, 2014. AGW will pay the City annual rent in the amount of $36,000 in equal monthly installments of $3,000. The lease fee is subject to an increase of 3% each successive year. Any improvements the lessee makes at the site are at the corporation’s expense and an experienced contractor must be used to install any new equipment. Regular inspections are to be performed of its antennae by the lessee.

Accept Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) in the Amount of $48,250 - The City of Hickory and Catawba County received approval of a combined allocation of $64,653 under the 2009 JAG Program. The award is based on the City and County’s Uniform Crime Reports. These funds can be spent on virtually any purpose that benefits law enforcement. The Hickory Police Department will use these funds to enhance current operations within the department, i.e. purchase of workout equipment, speed measuring devices, additional shotguns, tasers and tactical equipment. The City’s portion of the award is $48,250 with no match required.

Approval of Citizens’ Advisory Committee Recommendation for Assistance Through the City of Hickory’s Housing Programs

1. Applicant Alfreda Wingate of 943 4th Street Place, SE Hickory is being recommended for approval for assistance under the City of Hickory’s First-Time Homebuyers Assistance Loan Program in an amount up to $6,500.

2. Applicants Dirk & Carolyn Thompson of 146 3rd Avenue, SE Hickory are being
recommended to subordinate City’s 3rd mortgage to Peoples Bank due to refinancing of 2nd mortgage.

3. Applicant Delores Benge of 1710 2nd Avenue, SW Hickory is being recommended for approval for assistance under the City of Hickory’s 2009 Urgent Repair Program in an amount up to $5,000.

FY 2008 – 2009 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) - The US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development requires the City, as a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funding recipient, to report on CDBG monies spent within the previous fiscal year. This report evaluates the effectiveness of the use of resources in addressing identified goals and objectives cited in the Annual Action Plan, which is prepared before the fiscal year begins.

Budget Ordinances -
Appropriate $3,786 of Local Government Revenue and budget in the Police Department for overtime. This revenue is payment from Catawba County Mental Health for a portion of an Officers time spent when accompanying involuntary commitment patients during August, 2009.

Budget $391 insurance claim check from Progressive Premier Insurance Company in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of Vehicle line item for damage sustained to a Police vehicle on 08-13-09.

Budget $13,431 of Contingency as the City of Hickory contribution of a GCC Inter Agency Gang grant. This establishes the reimbursement to the General Fund for salary and benefits for the crime analyst and overtime, FICA and retirement for officer overtime reported and related to gang activity prevention in the amount of $67,640.

Accept $3,900 of Bulletproof Vest Program Federal Revenue and budget in the Police Department Uniform line item to pay for officers vests. This program is up to a 50% match from the Department of Justice. Purchases Twelve Vests at an estimated price of $650 each. The life expectancy of each vest is approximately five years.

Amendment to establish funding form GCC Inter Agency Gang grant as part of the American Recovery Act of 2009 - Budget a total of $135,630 of revenue in the Police Department operational line items. ($122,199 - Restricted Gov. Revenue and $13,431 Transfer from General Fund).

Appropriate $37,500 of Urgent Repair Program - Grant-Restricted State Revenue funds and budget in the Economic and Community Development Program Administration ($5,000) and Energy ($32,500) operational line items.

Informational Items:
A. Report of Alderwoman Hoyle’s Travel to the Fall PSCP Steering Committee Meeting in Thornton, CO From August 20 – 22, 2009; hotel - $205.82; airfare - $973.70; shuttle - $50; per diem - $29.25; airline baggage fees - $35 The NCLM is to reimburse the City $400 pursuant to the League’s adopted budget regarding NLC Committee Meetings

B. Report of Mayor Wright’s Travel to the NC Metropolitan Mayors Coalition Fall Retreat in Concord/Salisbury, NC From August 27 – 28, 2009; hotel - $109.37; registration fee - $125; mileage - $77. The Mayor stated Items B and C were not a retreat, but it was a work session.

C. Report of City Manager Berry’s Attendance of the NC Metropolitan Mayors Coalition Fall Retreat in Concord/Salisbury, NC From August 27 – 28, 2009; registration $125


New Business - Public Hearings:
1. Adopt Amended Ordinance to Revise Chapter 2, Article VIII, Youth Council of the Hickory City Code - Adoption of the amended Ordinance will assist the Youth Council to operate more smoothly by removing the requirement that members be appointed by their school principals, and the requirement that there be one member from each of the four classes at Hickory High School and St. Stephens High School which will allow member recruitment to be completed in the spring as opposed to the fall. Additionally, the requirement that two existing members of the City’s Community Relations Council serving as “at large” members of the Youth Council will be removed. These two members will be appointed directly to the Youth Council. A recruitment committee will be formed to review applications and make appointment recommendations to City Council. Finally, the amended ordinance will also reduce the quorum number from thirteen to ten. Youth Council at its August 20, 2009 meeting reviewed the proposed amendment and recommends adoption. Dave Leonetti made the Presentation. He stated that this will help maintain a quorum. In the past it has been hard to hold meetings until October. Eliminates the requirement that members be nominated by High School Principals. Instead two references will be required instead of one. One will come from a Principal, a school official, or teacher and the other can come from anyone. City staff will also have input. That makes it hard to get things done. Unanimous Consent of Council

2. Approve Claremont Historic District Expansion Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places - Consider the recommendation by the Hickory Historic Preservation Commission to accept the nomination of the Claremont Historic District Expansion to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008 Clay Griffith of Acme Preservation Services conducted research of the expansion areas in the three historic districts. On August 25, 2009 Ann Swallow the National Register Coordinator from the State Historic Preservation Office and Mr. Griffith attended a Hickory Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Through Mr. Griffith’s research, it clearly indicated that the period of significance has expanded through the 1950’s. A public hearing was held thereafter finding the expansion area met the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Should Council approve this nomination, Council’s recommendation will be presented to the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee on October 8, 2009. And once the expansion area is considered a National Register District, unless the City follows with an action to create a Historic Overlay on this property, the property owners will not be required to have renovations approved by the Hickory Historic Preservation Commission. Donna Cullum made the presentation. She stated that the district was approved in 1986. There were 62 properties listed on the National registry at that time. The period of significance was from 1870 to 1935. This expansion will include smaller houses, smaller lots, and structures closer to the street. This expansion includes buildings from after world war 1, as vacant lots were improved. 161 new structures will be added to the registry. Unanimous Consent of Council

Departmental Reports:
1. First Reading (From the Consent Agenda) and Second Reading - Accept Airport Improvement Program Grant From the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Grant AIP #23 in the Amount of $1,145,824 for Rehabilitation and Overlay of Taxiway “A” - Taxiway “A” is the primary taxiway at the Hickory Regional Airport and the only taxiway designated for use by an air carrier and larger charter aircraft. Charter traffic has increased in the last couple of years. This is a continuing maintenance program at the airport and is mandated by the FAA. Last year, this grant was awarded to the Hickory Regional Airport for the repaving of Taxiway “A”. Upon FAA’s approval, bidding was delayed due to high petroleum rates, which has saved approximately one hundred thousand dollars. It has been over 30 years since Taxiway “A” has been repaved. Repaving will enable the primary taxiway to handle larger aircraft and require less maintenance. Funding for this project includes 95% FAA share, 2.5% State and 2.5% local. The Mayor pointed out that Alders Lail and Patton, who were on the Airport Committee made motions to approve, so if they made motions... any discissions? Unanimous Consent of Council

2. First Reading (From the Consent Agenda) and Second Reading - Approve Contract With Ponder & Co., Inc. for Construction of Piedmont Wagon Transit Depot in Hickory in the Amount of $427,000 City owned property located at 285 1st Avenue, SW - will house the new Hickory Transit Station for the Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority. The City received a total of nine bids on the project with Ponder & Co., Inc. being the lowest bidder at $427,000. The low bid will be subject to review by NCDOT for compliance with minority business enterprise requirements. The depot will be a single story brick veneer building with a timber truss canopy with steel column supports and concrete sidewalk and loading area along with the construction of a roadway between 1st Ave. SW and 2nd Ave. SW. Paving of two associated parking areas is also included. Design of the depot was approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. Construction is a lump sum project including all applicable permits. Estimated construction time is 120 days and will be coordinated and overseen by the City’s Engineering staff. No budgetary action is required since funding has been previously arranged. Funding will consist of 80% Federal grant, 10% State and 10% Local.Award Bid to Ponder & Co., Inc. for Construction of Piedmont Wagon Transit Depot in the Amount of $427,000 Ponder & Co., Inc. is the lowest of nine other bids the City received on this project. If awarded the bid, the Contract will be subject to review by NCDOT for compliance with minority business enterprise requirements. The transit depot is to be constructed on City owned property located at 285 1st Avenue, SW along with the construction of a roadway between 1st Ave. SW and 2nd Ave. SW. Manager Berry pointed out that the Transit Authority is now going by the name Greenway. Unanimous Consent of Council

3. Designation of Voting Delegate and One Alternate Voting Delegate for 2009 Annual North Carolina Annual Business Meeting on October 27, 2009 in Greenville, NC. - Under the NCLM Constitution and the voting procedure established by the League Board of Directors, each member municipality sending delegates to the Annual Conference is required to designate one voting delegate and one alternate voting delegate. The vote of each municipality at the Annual Business Meeting on October 27, 2009 may be cast only by a designated voting delegate or alternate voting delegate. Mayor Wright, Alder Hoyle, and the City Manager Mick Berry will attend. Alder Hoyle was appointed as the voting delegate. Unanimous Consent of Council

4. Progress Report on Brownfield Assessment Grant - Brian Frazier made the presentation. In the Fall of 2007 the US EPA awarded Hickory two $200,000 Brownfield Grants. Brownfield Sites are usually abandoned, vacant, underutilized buildings or lots. Most likely in Hickory it is going to be an old Furniture Factory or Textile Mill. Staff and consultants have identified well over 100 sites in Hickory as well as the ETJ. They have fully prioritized those sites and gone out and hired Hart & Hickman out of Charlotte to be consultants of record. They are 75% of the way through the process and the grant must be completed by September 30, 2010.

Mr. Frazier showed the various buildings that the city is now focusing on. he stated staff has been 1) Meeting with the Owners 2) having discussions with The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR), the EPA, and the property owners 3)moving forward with Phase 1 and 2 assessments 4) Identifying new prospects.

Currently the city has completed five Phase 1 assessments, which is basically a paper trail. Phase 1 is fully funded and the vast majority, if not all, of phase 2 will be paid for by the grant. Where the site is, who owns the site, have there been any spills? The city has completed one Phase 2, which goes beyond the paper trail and includes air, water, and soil sampling.

Mr. Frazier mentioned the Regal Building in Viewmont (which has gone through Phase 1 and stated Phase 2 will be coming around shortly) , Hollar Hosiery (Ironically the building I filmed on Sunday, has gone through Phase 2), the Piedmont Wagon Building (Phase 2 planning is underway), S&W Chemical (He stated that this is a priority site), and Joan's Fabric (is another Priority site). He also mentioned the Lyerly Mill and Moretz Mill. Lyerly Mill has gone through Phase 1 and Moretz Mill has gone through Phase 1 and is being prepped for phase 2.

He showed some of the outreach and promotional materials and talked about how they are promoting the sites to developers throughout the Southeast. Mr. Frazier stated that it was his understanding that the Hollar Hosiery site is under contract with a local developer and they are trying to work out some agreements with the railroad. He stated the owners of Lyerly Mill have decided, because of the economy, not to proceed ahead with phase 2 assessment at this time. He stated that the owner has a year to change his mind and they hope he will (nothing is imminent or being planned with this site).

Once all of these sites are assessed, the city can apply for remediation Money through the EPA and the Federal grant would be 80%. To qualify for such a grant, the Municipality must fully own the property. Most of the sites the city are looking at are privately owned. He stated that the economy is putting a crimp in the city's plans. The property owners (of Moretz Mill) don't presently have any potential buyers on the hook.

The Hound believes that this is a very important issue. That is the reason why I have been documenting the blighted properties in this area. The biggest problems in our community lie on the south side of the railroad tracks. Here are the two articles so far where I have documented the blight: Houndvision: Let's take a Drive through Southwest Downtown and Houndvision: Let's Head on over toward Highway 70 West.

I have been wondering about that Hollar property and I have asked about it to people in the know, but I never knew that it was as far along as it seems to be. I have been impressed with the course that Brian Frazier and Dave Leonetti have been plotting. Many of the questions I have been interested in on this subject were answered tonight. I honestly believe that the city is headed in the right direction on this front. I hope that City Council will continue to let these guys maneuver in the manner they find necessary.

The one thing I desire is to see the City facilitate a means to move the properties towards a productive state, instead of allowing property owners to let properties deteriorate at the expense of the surrounding community. We must make this a priority. The Real Estate Market and this issue can't be allowed to fester and make a bad situation worse.

In General Comments (Very Important): Jill Patton talked about the Small Business Job Growth Team and stated that they need the support of the Council. She stated that something new must be done to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit in our city. The Mayor stated that the group has moved past the Pet Peeve stage and said he is proud of that. The Mayor said we can expand this group, if people want to participate.

The Mayor made a motion that was Unanimously consented to, to put a $6,100 sign up at the intersection of Tate Boulevard and Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard when it is opened in October. The sign will carry the City's new logo and the Mayor seemed excited about the prospects of having an unveiling ceremony when the road is opened.

Jill Patton mentioned that She and the Mayor were at the Champions of Education and it was a kickoff for 2012 that businesses not hire anyone without a High School Diploma or GED. There are different levels of signing on. The Gold Level will require a $2,500 support of the program. 20 different businesses in the area have signed on as Gold. She would like to see Hickory to sign on to do this. She stated that we are 606 out of 788 communities in our educational attainment.

Z. Anne Hoyle stated that it sounds real good, but what do we do with our citizens that don't have it? What do we do, push them out of town? Alder Patton stated that this would be for new hires starting in 2012. Alder Hoyle stated that there are people that don't have it, but they are adults... Alder Patton stated there is a GED. She stated that this tells High School Students and Population how important it is to have an education to succeed in the new business model out there. She stated that we are always talking about competing with India and China and no they are so far above us in educational attainment. If we are going to succeed, we have to put education number one.

The Mayor jumped in stating there will be four groups of employers. The gold category will state that you must have a High School Education or GED to be employed here. The second one was confusing. The third one states that you express a preference for a High School Education or a GED. The fourth one doesn't sign on for anything. He said it isn't like you would be closing out anyone for a chance at employment. He stated that Prestige employers will sign on for Gold. It was stated that staff will look at this. Alder Hoyle stated that she wasn't opposed to it, but since we are in a town that traditionally hired people if they didn't have... lots of people now won't hire you without this... but we've been in furniture since the beginning of time and we hired people because they were skilled enough to do the job and we can possibly elite ourselves out. She isn't against education, she insisted (her children) get an education, but at the same time unless you plan to run some people out of town...

The Mayor stated to be fair that he spoke to someone who is a leading employer here, who stated that he would not put himself in a position that I have to hire people who have a high school education or GED. If he finds the right person who is willing to work 40 hours a week, work hard, is versatile, and comes to work on time; he needs that kind of person more than he needs credentials. Alderman Meisner stated that there are a lot of businesses like that, like landscaping and such.

The Mayor stated that this won't banish someone to unemployment forever. It will encourage people to get their High School Diploma or GED. He would also like for staff to advise what a GED of today means. Alder Patton said that it encourages and sends a message to the community that an education is important. To stop at High School level and drop out is no longer acceptable as far as educational attainment. Alder Hoyle said that we do that any way with the Employment Commission. Alder Patton stated that this puts a little emphasis behind it, that we are interested in looking beyond what we have traditionally done in textiles and furniture. Alder Hoyle stated that is what she is looking for to, but she doesn't believe that is the council's job. Alderman Lail stated that it was a great policy discussion, but we ought to have it at another time. Mayor Wright stated that Alder Patton was asking the staff to look at what this would mean for us as a city employer and what are the pitfalls. The Mayor stated that they would grandfather anyone who is currently employed.

Manager Berry stated that this dovetails with what they already do. they already work with and encourage employees to get their GED. They are familiar with this.

The Hound was uncomfortable witnessing the contentiousness displayed over this subject. I understand Mrs. Patton's passion on this issue and I share much of her belief on this issue, but I believe she made a mistake in the way she introduced the topic and that is what drew the ire of Mrs. Hoyle. If the subject had been narrowed to "the City of Hickory" from the get-go and the topic would have originally included the discussion of Grandfathering by the Mayor and encouragement and facilitation by Manager Berry, then I don't think this discussion would have gone as awry as it did.

I would like to see companies move in this direction; but we must facilitate, not legislate, this goal for companies in our community. It is going to have to be phased in and 2012 is not enough time. And you need to talk with area companies, before pushing any agenda, not dictate what they do. We cannot afford to go negative in addressing this issue.

What we have to do is change our culture and that starts by facilitating and encouraging young people, on an individual level, to find a niche (a passion) that they are interested in and show them how education can help them gravitate towards their dreams. We also have to as a society help the children, who have home issues, because of abuse or neglect. At some point our society needs to deal with these sensitive issues. These children are lost through no fault of their own because of violence, chemical dependency, and/or mental instability in their homes.

I did not like primary education when I was growing up, because it was confining and restrictive, which makes it boring. And I think that we have to recreate the wheel when it comes to education. Kids say, "Why do I need to know this?" And the worst part is that adults never give them a decent answer. It is always the generic, brainless,"You need an education to succeed." Why not ask the kid about their dreams and then tangibly point out how education works to facilitate that dream. And if a kid says I don't know (about their dream or passion), then find out why they don't have a goal, what is inhibiting them, or find a way to encourage them to dream. Our area's worst problem is adult's negative attitudes that always look towards what we aren't and what we can't be, instead of losing the shackles of limiting ourselves and talking about what we can be.

The other problem with this discussion is always falling back on the sword of education, education, education. My formal education came from dictionaries and encyclopedias, not from teachers or family. Society (and our community) keep asking for quantitative measures without figuring out the functions and variables of the Equation. So we are in the bottom 25% of communities with Associate degrees and bottom 10% of communities with Bachelor degrees, do you even know what that means or the variables that may play a role in those numbers?

I have asked the question before and I guess they don't find it convenient to their paradigm, so they refuse to answer it. What employment capacity do we have to retain or attain educated people?

We have kids in this area who are smart, but they are leaving and they are leaving behind the people who are stuck here. I would bet that most of those youngsters (left behind) come from poverty, which statistics show to be expanding in our community. Look at and read this article, Our High Schools versus the State of North Carolina Averages, and then get back to me. We need to expand our job market. We've been hearing about education forever. If you get jobs worthy of the educated, creative class, then you will increase our educational attainment number; if you don't then we will still be hearing this same discussion 10 years from now. The only difference is that educated people like myself, who can't find jobs worthy of our educational attainment, will have long given up on this area and moved out of here. Then the numbers will be even worse and you will wondering why all of these initiatives haven't worked.

Town Hall meeting about Free Enterprise sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce - January 26, 2010

This meeting was held at the SALT Block auditorium on January 26, 2010. Approximately 350 people showed up to the Rally that lasted from 8:15am until 10:00am. Below are recording that I placed on Youtube that you can listen to by pressing the links. This was a very interesting meeting, in which many pertinent current topic were discussed.

This meeting was held at the SALT Block auditorium on January 26, 2010. Approximately 350 people showed up to the Rally that lasted from 8:15am until 10:00am. Below are recording that I placed on Youtube that you can listen to by pressing the links. This was a very interesting meeting, in which many pertinent current topic were discussed.

“Planning for Extraordinary Change”

Our economic stability has been challenged!

The Hickory Metro area had the 2nd largest unemployment increase in the country in 2009. We are the highest unemployed Metro area in North Carolina. 35,000 job losses, since 2000 in Hickory Metro, 18,000 in Catawba County alone.

Metro area manufacturing employment was 56% in 2000, now it’s 29% with projections to lose another 10% in the next 10 years.

$450 million dollar decrease in retail sales from 08’ – 09’

Educational attainment levels of our citizenry in the Hickory Metro area are some of the lowest in the country

Do we have a plan for economic stability again? Are you ready for change and what it might bring? Is there a collaborative effort in Catawba County that can make this happen?

The moment you hand power over to people… You get an explosion of curiosity, innovation and effort. You discover benefits that you couldn’t have imagined in advance…We must look deep, focus on things that move and change… And never ask the usual questions. We must transform this economy and society…

And develop suggested changes that will help the county prepare for a different kind of economic era. If we do not accept or embrace this new economy. We will continue to rearrange the deck chairs. And wonder why enough jobs are not being created

“A willingness to depart from the familiar has distinct survival value.”
Peter Drucker.

Then what is our Economic Stability Plan for Catawba County?
1. Jobs at all levels
2. “Greater Hickory Area” Branding and Marketing
3. Education and Workforce Preparedness

Our local economy will only get better based on our ability to attract, cultivate and retain “knowledge workers”

Are we preparing our students for 21st Century job skills? Is business sending a loud and clear message to our young people that dropping out of school is not an option in Catawba County if you want to find a quality job?

Are we creating a community mind set that life-long learning is a course of study in which we are always enrolled. Higher educational opportunities here in Catawba County are greater than most Metro areas our size in the country. How can we help Appalachian State University, Lenoir Rhyne University, CVCC and the NC Center for Engineering Technologies fill up their classrooms, by adding more non-degree, degree and graduate degree programs.

How do we connect and partner with the most envied and successful research campus in North America, the Centennial Campus at NC State University. What can we learn from putting world-class researchers and corporate and institutional partners together in close proximity? so we can prepare for our own Millennial Campus of ASU?

What connections/referrals can our new Manufacturing Solutions Center develop with the Centennial Campus in Raleigh? for new business growth and expansion of existing companies

How do we recruit, market and brand our area and its quality of life as a destination point for new residents, tourists, convention business, sporting events, furniture shopping, new businesses? How do we grow our population base?

How do we market and brand Highway 321 as North Carolina’s Data Center Corridor? Did you know that Catawba County received 42% of all the economic development investment announced in the state of North Carolina in 2009?

Do we have the investment dollars committed for new infrastructure to keep that momentum going? Small business will create more jobs than any other business sector in America. What are we doing to recruit and retain these entrepreneurs in Catawba County?

Are we ready for action?

It will require harder truth telling than our leaders are used to… And possible experimentation right up to the very edge of collapse. It will involve moments, even of useful panic! But it also means understanding that our policies, dreams and ideas
can be combined to release new and unexpected power.

It’s not unthinkable that we too can grasp, from what seems a very dangerous and unstable world around us, a more prosperous, stable and better future. With the understanding that to get things we’ve never had we’ve got to do things we’ve never done

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Drucker.

Danny Hearn opens the Town hall on Free Enterprise


David Chavern of the United States Chamber of Commerce (Part 1)


David Chavern of the United States Chamber of Commerce (Part 2)


Scott Millar of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (Part 1)


Scott Millar of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (Part 2)


Congressman Patrick McHenry presentation to the town hall(Part 1)


Congressman Patrick McHenry's presentation to the town hall (Part 2)


My (Thom Shell) question about conflicts of interest with Goldman Sachs
and JP Morgan-Chase

Steve Ivester and Jay Adams ask questions - Ivester is concerned about the fact that the Chamber of commerce aided the cause of Scott Brown in Massachusetts with commercials they ran on the weekend before the election. Adams posed a question about whether the Republicans had changed since 2005.


Question about the fact that we still need to see reform of healthcare - At the end of the day, this legislation that no one likes has not passed, but we still need to see healthcare reform of costs and coverage.

Catawba County’s Economic Stimulus Plan for 2010 – 2012

Today I received this document from the President of the Chamber of Commerce Danny Hearn. These are areas that the Chamber is focusing on to hopefully revitalize our community. As Danny has stated initiatives in the past have been too broad and it is hoped that by narrowing the scope of initiatives that leadership can be more effective moving forward.

Much of what you will read below was discussed during the Intra-City Visit from this past October. You can read about that event in what I labeled The Fixing Hickory Series.There is a permanent link at the top right of this page if you would like to reference this article in the future.

“Planning for Extraordinary Change”

1. Support the expansion of Appalachian State University and Lenoir-Rhyne University in the Greater Hickory area by supporting degree and non-degree programs needed and requested by regional businesses and learners of all ages
…Fully support the efforts of the newly created ASU Partnership Regional Advisory Council
…Tuition reimbursement from employers to attend ASU and LRU
…More flexible work schedules for employees enrolled at ASU and LRU
…ASU and LRU outreach to all businesses, especially the larger companies
…Internships for students in area businesses (clearinghouse to match students with businesses)
…ASU and LRU outreach to local professional organizations, veterans, etc.
…What new degree and non-degree programming not currently offered at ASU and LRU could we help develop here (example: research and development, technology studies, etc)
…Support ASU’s proposal to establish a Millennial Campus at NCCET and once the campus has been approved by the UNC System, begin community planning for expansion.
…The success of the NC Center for Engineering Technologies (ASU) here is critical to the future expansion efforts for ASU
…The continued expansion of ASU into Hickory will require this community to prepare for and invest in their enrollment growth and subsequent facility expansion needs, which will eventually lead to an ASU Branch Campus at Hickory


2. Workforce Development: Prepare, support and expand our area’s current and future workforce to be resilient which will increase value to our employers. Produce graduates with the technical, communications and problem solving skills needed in the twenty-first century workforce.

*Education Matters: Leverage the power of partnerships with businesses, education and government for the purpose of increasing the value of education in Catawba County and creating a culture in our community where dropping out of school is no longer an option.

...Emphasize the availability and importance of the Career Readiness Certification process which is the most efficient assessment tool available for companies to hire the most qualified labor pool in our area.
…The CRC/WorkKeys system of employability measures a candidate’s ability to use applied mathematics, locate, read and understand and use information to get the job done.
…Introduce this WorkKeys testing into the high schools beginning in 10th grade to assess if this is applicable to that age level student. If not, then the testing program would be adapted to not only a higher grade level but we could better understand the weaknesses in that student for future curriculum changes for workforce preparation skills. (Emphasis on math and science)
…Create a community of “business champions” to support the Education Matters Certification Program. (A commitment/company policy from local companies saying that they will not hire anyone without a high school diploma or GED equivalent.)
…Incorporate internships with the Education Matters program for current and graduating high school students
…All three school systems need to be more pro-active and reach out to the business community to support the EMCP
…Encourage more companies to implement the WorkKeys/Career Readiness Certification testing program into their hiring practices

*In Search of Technical Talent:
…Prepare high school graduates for high-skill, knowledge based and/or high tech jobs by encouraging them to advance to specialized post-secondary career education, two-year or four-year college degrees, one or two year college occupational certificates or a two to three year apprenticeship education.

3. “Greater Hickory” Brand Development Initiative…To develop a regional public-private entity to manage and build the “Greater Hickory” brand and continue/expand “Greater Hickory” recognition. Promote and manage the name “Greater Hickory,” to continue and enhance current activities/events using the “Greater Hickory” brand, and to develop new sporting, recreational, tourism, business and community related opportunities wherein the “Greater Hickory” name will be promoted.

*Strategies: Necessary tactics for generating and building the awareness of the “Greater Hickory” brand will include utilizing current and past “Greater Hickory” events such as the Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, the recent NC Association of County Commissioners and the NC League of Municipalities conferences, the state NAACP Annual Meeting, the former Greater Hickory Higher Education Center’s efforts, ASU’s expansion into the Greater Hickory area and, in the future, researching and developing new opportunities for building the “Greater Hickory” name utilization in and outside of the region.

The “Greater Hickory” brand has already been established as the regional replacement of the “Unifour” and “Catawba Valley” name. Strongly supported by national and international awareness generated by the former Greater Hickory Classic, the Golf Channel, Google, Apple, Target Distribution and augmented by positive association to the long-standing awareness of quality furniture craftsmanship tied to the Hickory name, the “Greater Hickory” brand must be continued, promoted, and properly managed. This group will be responsible for development of PR and advertising strategies specific to the “Greater Hickory” brand, and will own and manage the logo/use of the name.

The merger of the Tourism Development Authority and the Greater Hickory Metro Convention and Visitor Bureau needs to be addressed as to its new name, mission, the area that it serves and marketing the Hickory brand identify, especially in sports marketing, regional tourism and convention recruitment. This could also be the initial funding entity to begin the design and creation of this new relocation/visit greater Hickory web site/marketing initiative by utilizing their designated marketing dollars from the occupancy tax.

Promotion example: In the marketing materials for the Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, promote a Stay and Play Hot Line where Tournament fans can not only come to the Tournament but play golf at the different public golf courses in the Greater Hickory area while they are here.

*Relocation Marketing/Population Growth: Branding and marketing Catawba County to young professionals, senior active adults, retirees, unemployed, students, employed and/or underemployed, etc. which would be Web based with a portal that encompasses all businesses, government, public education, higher education, workforce availability, arts and cultural entities, geography, quality of life and sports/recreational opportunities, medical, etc that will help to sell this area to permanent new residents.
…Additional focus should be on attracting current higher educational students with the intent on keeping them here (ASU, LRU and CVCC)
…Retirees seem to be the highest growth potential to market to right now because of the economy and job availability issues
…Young entrepreneurs need to find a location that offers incentives for start-up companies, especially in the technology area. How can we make that happen?

4. Economic Development: Attract a variety of diverse businesses, economic growth and capital investment to the greater Hickory area that would both directly and indirectly benefit our residents and businesses for the purpose of building a stable economic environment.

*Economic Development Corporation Strategies:
...Traditional Recruitment Priorities: Lead Sources- NC Dept. of Commerce, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Consultants; Non-Targeted Manufacturing (Plastics, Machining/Metalworking, Composites, etc; Office/Back-office/Support; Existing Industry Expansion/Retention; Other: Workforce, Planning, Real Estate Management and Support
Data Center Initiative
Multi-jurisdictional Park Initiative
Renewable Energy Analysis
Additional Communications & Existing Industry Knowledge: HelpWeb, Industry Pulse E-Newsletter

…The EDC’s Multi-Pronged Data Center Initiative: Positioning, Targeting, Product Development, Lead Development and Prospect Servicing

…Current Initiatives:
Product Development: West Star Critical Business Park/East Star General Business Park at Startown; Eco-Complex; Spec Facilities/Pad Ready Sites
Green Supply Chain Opportunities: Power Generation; Transportation; Efficiency & Infrastructure; Energy Storage; Materials; Recycling & Waste; Water; Services
Green Energy Opportunities: Develop a strategy to target/recruit specific renewable energy subsectors specifically matching our strengths, compatible with our existing industry supply chain
Wind Potential Supply Chain

…Route 321: NC’s Data Center Corridor: The Apple-Google Data Center Corridor
…Examine Catawba County’s Economic Spectrum to see if we are missing
opportunities in any of the following business sectors:

EDC Focused:
General Manufacturing
Office/Back-0ffice/Professional
Service/Non-manufacturing
Targeted (MFB’s)
Advanced Manufacturing: Lean, clean and green
Traditional Manufacturing
Retention/Expansion of Existing Industries
Others:
Small Business/Entrepreneurship Education, Educational Facilities
Film/Advertising Recruitment of People
Retail/Commercial Living: Residential Development
Medical/Healthcare Living: Retirement
Workforce Development Training Recreational & Quality of Life
Education, Educational Facilities Procurement/Governmental & Public Investment

*Market and Support CVCC’s New Manufacturing Solutions Center… Keeping Manufacturing and Business Jobs in Catawba County… This new state of the art manufacturing center will help businesses with product testing and development; market innovations; guidance for international marketing and sales; lean manufacturing training; research and development; forums for new 21st century technologies; creating prototypes for new innovative offerings; etc. Market this new Center to every business in the Metro area.
…Use testimonials from customers around the world as to how the Center has helped their business
…Use the Center as a “networking hub” to foster dialogue, creativity, innovation and networking among a diverse business community
…Through he Center, encourage and educate customers on the importance about utilizing local businesses as potential new service/supplier providers
…Become the primary collaborative partner with the Centennial Campus at NC State University to discover ways to exchange and/or refer business leads, opportunities, research, testing, discoveries, product innovations, marketing, manufacturing capabilities, etc with Catawba County.
…Utilize the Small Business Technology Development Center as a resource for business development, counseling and referrals

Establish a “Stimulus” Partnership with the Chamber’s Future Economy Council as another set of eyes and ears that can provide valuable insight into the implementation of these important priority areas.

Future Economy Council: The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce established this Council to help Catawba County leaders think differently about the ongoing transformation in the economy and society and develop suggested actions that will help the county prepare for a different kind of economic era.
…Objectives:
…To develop new ways of thinking about the future
…To be able to identify future trends and weak signals
…To be able to ask appropriate questions
…To be able to listen for value and find new connections
…To be able to connect diverse ideas and people for continuous innovation
…To understand how to create “innovative networks”
…To design and evolve parallel processes
…To be able to identify and utilize new and emerging patterns
…To be able to think systemically at a higher level of complexity
…To be able to take appropriate individual and team risk’s to develop new ideas and methods

…Develop transformational leaders by coordinating and sponsoring a “Master Capacity Builder Training” series to train this new type leadership to better understand and utilize the skills needed to fulfill the objectives of the FEC and to build capacities for transformation in Catawba County.

Other strategies, ideas and questions the FEC has about our overall economic stimulus planning.
• We have a large population working from home and a huge potential is businesses located here while providing services all over the world. What are we doing to support those businesses, encourage new businesses of that type , and market to potential businesses
• We have a number of committees all looking at what to do about the economy. How do we focus their efforts?
• Part of the Educational Attainment dilemma is linked to a horrible “Brain Drain” in Catawba County. How do we encourage our youth to return here after college and develop new businesses?
• One goal of the Manufacturing Solutions Center is to help a small manufacturer move to a higher level. The FEC is trying to move an entire region to a higher level but the same principles that the MSC is using will work. They are Sharing, Partnerships, Connections, and Opportunities.
• For the first time in history, children are authorities on a central innovation, the new digital media. Add to this Universal connectivity, jobs that do not require proximity and ubiquitous, unprecedented access to information. Is Catawba County ready to deal with this? Do we have the broadband infrastructure to support our citizens? It was noted that Catawba County is one of the few underserved areas of North Carolina for broadband.
• Our background has been manufacturing, traditional Heat, Beat, and Treat processing. Are we addressing areas that move away from that like nanotechnology, manufacturing using natural principles, energy opportunities, and creative processes? We have to look at all opportunities to make us resilient in the future.
• The final point is that it is the responsibility of our community leadership to work together and make things happen.