ChosenFast.com

UPDATE: Photos from this event are here.

Update #2: I hear that race results will be posted here.

Run for Shelter, 8K Run/Walk
to benefit Partnering to End Chronic Homelessness in Guilford County
Sunday, September 14, 2008

Time:
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Registration and packet pickup
3:00 p.m.: Start time
5:00 p.m.: Awards

Read more on Run for Shelter…

I talked to a friend about his thoughts on the structure for the proposed day center for homeless people in Greensboro.  My friend suggests that for every day center task force member who is “paid to care,” that there be a member who is not paid to care, to balance it out.  He suggested using the same approach for other committees working on the day center concept.  He commented that he, for example, would have no interest in serving on a funding committee, but that we could find someone else who is not paid to care who would want to serve in that way.  I agree with his ideas.

Read more on Not paid to care…

The free fireworks show at the baseball stadium:

Note:  The fireworks look a lot better in real life than they do in my camera-phone photos.  But still, you get the general idea…

Read more on The best part about downtown Greensboro at night…

We’re doing a DayWatch on Saturday, August 30th at 4:00 p.m., outside at the YWCA, behind the downtown library. We expect to feed between 150-200 currently and formerly homeless friends, and whomever else shows up hungry! We’re having beef stew with rice and green beans, biscuits, watermelon and cookies for dessert. We’ll also distribute snack bags and hygiene kits, and we’re planning to do bingo with prizes. There will be a message from a Mosaic Church pastor and a prayer tent.

Read more on DayWatch…

Picked up the donated coffee from Port City Java (thank you!) and juice from our supplies at Salvation Army and then got to the HIVE. Lenslinger from Fox8 was there and Amanda Lehmert from News & Record. But not many homeless folks. So Tim and I went and got Grace’s van and headed to the library to pick up some folks. We got back with a vanful and Marsha was pulling up with some recently housed friends. Pastor Willis Johnson (Shiloh Baptist) was providing an update on the day center committee’s progress when we came in. Dianne Bellamy-Small is here. Ed Whitfield is going to facilitate the discussion.

Q. “Is the voice of the [currently/formerly] people… going to be heard?”

Pastor Johnson gave a very long answer that started with acknowledging that homeless people will not have a vote on everything and won’t like every decision. Pastor Johnson used the phrase, “going from a movement to an institution,” which, quite frankly, sounds my alarm bells, and “those who are our neighbors, those who are indigenous to this reality,” which I think means, “homeless people.” Referring to the structure committee’s suggestions for the make-up of the board, and having a certain number of homeless people on the board, he said, “Those are all things that we’re going to have to have real conversations about.”

Read more on Liveblog: Day center meeting at the HIVE…

This year’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will be Nov. 16-22, 2008. It’s co-sponsored annually by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, and is observed one week before Thanksgiving. The week is intended to bring awareness and promote efforts to end homelessness and hunger in communities across the nation.

Read more on National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2008…

About an hour after this, police downtown stopped a car on Elm Street for an open container violation. Somebody in the car had an open bottle of liquor. That led to powder and crack cocaine charges. Other officers stopped the next car in line, also for open container. That led to a gun charge, for carrying a concealed weapon. This was in addition to the guy with the knife earlier. (And whatever else happened. I didn’t get a play-by-play of the whole night.)

Read more on Cops: More downtown good problems…

On Thursday, August 28 the committee working on plans for a day center for homeless people will have an opportunity to report to the homeless community on their progress. The August 28 meeting will be an opportunity for homeless people to hear a progress report and offer their feedback.

Read more on Day Center Reportback…

Paul’s wife Leslie speaks out about the “stripper in church” at Friday night’s Food Not Bombs Farewell to St. Mary’s. I knew about the burlesque show ahead of time and had already planned to leave before it started, but I didn’t make it past the opening act.

Read more on Awkward exit…

Driving a friend home from church:

Me: “Is that dude really flying a sign right there?”

Her: “Yep.”

Me: “He ain’t gonna make any money at that intersection.”

Her: “Nope.”

Me: “I don’t even panhandle and I know that.”

Read more on Panhandling: Location, location, location…

A cop’s take on Greensboro’s “good problem to have” — our partylicious downtown on a weekend night, shortly before midnight:

“We’re charging people with smoking marijuana. We got a line of traffic that’s not moving. We’ve got clubs that have radios louder than the cars that are driving past. We were trying to talk to the guy who was smoking weed, but we couldn’t hear him because the outdoor club music was so loud. We’re charging open containers like crazy. I could stand in one place and write citations all night long. We don’t even have to move. But this is ‘a good problem to have.’ It’s ‘a win-win situation’… [pauses to listen to radio] … Now we got someone pulling a knife on somebody, so I have to go. But this a good problem to have, yeah, this is a good problem…”

Robbie Perkins at the August 19, 2008 City Council meeting (comments begin at 03:25:50):

Read more on The popo reports on the good problem we have downtown…

Phone call from a cop:

“Explain to me why I can get on The Troublemaker from a City computer, but Chosen Fast is blocked?”

Dude, good question. Anybody?

Update:

Earlier today, I spoke with Ben Holder, heavyweight champion of the world and author of “The Troublemaker.” Here’s his explanation of why my site is blocked by the City, while his is not:

Read more on City loves Trouble?…