This was a nice rally, which featured Mayor Wright of Hickory and Mayor David Barlow of Lenoir. Mayor Wright spoke of all that has happened and is happening to facilitate this process. He addressed the media and the positive publicity we are receiving from them. He spoke about the technical team working on facilitation of applications and about Think Tanks involving Medical Focus Groups. He talked about home based businesses and about the meeting of the Future Economy Council. He addressed about the Google Webinar that took place last Friday to explain what they are looking for. He also wanted everyone to know that there will be another Town Hall event in Lenoir tomorrow March 9, 2010 and he hopes that many people who were here tonight can attend. I was given an address for a live feed happening of that meeting happening Thursday night.
Mayor Wright spoke about the Catawba and Caldwell Chambers putting together a group of business leaders to discuss what we can do to make this happen and why this is so important to us. He also talked about the broad based, tremendous support this project has received and he stated that this could define our future for years to come.
Mayor Barlow next addressed the group and addressed his past experience in landing Google a few years years ago. He stated that he is delighted that Hickory and Lenoir have joined forces. He talked about the cooperation that is taking place now that would not have taken place a few years ago and spoke about how fast this initiative is moving along. He stated that he believes this project will improve scientific educational usage and residential usage. He stated that he is amazed how business and governments are working hard together and even if this doesn't work out there will be other projects where we will work together.
Mayor Barlow stated that they (Google) know what we are capable of, because of the Google and Apple projects that have already happened. They know that we will do everything we can to accommodate them and do it in a timely manner. Lenoir received the Google center, because of the site and the infrastructure, but the human factor did help. We need to make sure that Google understands how much we want them to bring this Fiber-optic line here.
Mayor Wright recognized Dee Blackwell from the WPCOG, Tim Markley - Catawba County School Superintendent, Debra Ashley and David Horne of the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce, and he also the Hickory City Council mebers who were present (Fox, Seaver, Patton, and Guess).
City Manager Mick Berry next addressed the group and mentioned why we stand a shot of landing this project. Only 19 other communities in the country have a Google facility, only 3 of those have a population base that Google specified they are looking for, and only one of those have 3 state of the art fiber manufacturers in their area and that is us.
We have people in the audience tonight that know more about bending light and using fiber than in most parts of the world. We have a heck of a story to tell that differentiates us from everyone else. Mick then announced Kim Hudson and she delivered her message that has been spelled out in the past threads involving this issue and linked below. She did request that educators help get the message out and become personal crusaders. Kim next introduced Ben Willis who is an instructor at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.
This is Ben's Video. It is awesome and hilarious. The dude's got talent.
The Hound's message - The Mayor has stated that we are all in it on this initiative and I personally have seen a lot of people who are devoting there lives (16+ hours a day) to this cause. This initiative is just what this community needs. I believe that 99% of us are totally in favor of making this thing happen. I doubt any community is working as hard as the interested parties in this community and I have never seen the camaraderie, amongst different entities, that this effort has caused to happen.
I saw two friends of mine who are playing a vital role in this process. Alan Jackson and Chris Frye of the Jackson Group were at this meeting. They are video and marketing consultants working on the Woogle effort. You can see the passion and enthusiasm that they are bringing to the table on this effort. Alan has recently been named the Chairman of the Small Business Job Growth Council that the city has formed to attract, retain, and facilitate the implementation of small business and commerce in the area.
I don't think Alan would mind me divulging a part of our conversation about the excitement that this process has brought forth. The excitement is in watching communities and groups come together. This is huge, because it is a rallying cry like we have never seen before. We can take this Google effort and implement it in other processes. Other companies are going to be doing what Google is attempting to do here and we need to utilize the data and information we attain in this effort towards possible future ventures. Alan and I are more excited about what is currently happening in our community than we have been in a long time.
Get excited folks!!! This community is positively transforming before your very eyes.
***Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright and Lenoir Mayor David Barlow will be on WJRI 1340-AM and on Kicks 103.3 Thursday morning to talk about the project.
BROAD BAND!!!
City of Hickory - Thinking Big with a Gig
I have a Dream - A 21st Century Hickory
Woogle - How You can Help Us Get Google Ultra High Speed Broadband
3,040 Facebook Fans of the Woogle Initiative - Team Woogle meets with FEC
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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