Another Local Author Rocks It

John Jeter has done a lot in this community.  He has been adamant in his desire to bring Greenville musical offerings that it does not get.  He has, over the years, continued to bring artists here that entertain, enlighten and inspire. The Handlebar has become and institution.  

Now, he has moved on to another artistic endeavor.  Author.  Tonight, from 6PM - 10PM, The Handlebar will host a book launch party for The Plunder Room.

So, come on by.  Buy a book. Get it signed.  Support another Greenville artist.  I hear that the book is very good.  I, personally, can't wait to read it.  

An Example From Florida...

So, my cousin, Melissa, got married this weekend in Pensacola, Florida. I left on Friday and drove through the night. When I got to the city, I was worn out.

The reception was held at the Pensacola Museum of Commerce. What a cool place this was. As I walked around, speaking to various family members, I began to look at the exhibits. The museum is set up with various displays that showcase the history of the area. But, these displays are rooms with specific items that highlight the history of the area. The cool thing about this place was the atmosphere it gave off during the reception. It was a great place to have a party.

Even beyond the cool venue was the fact that most of the people I talked to (outside of my family) were very familiar with Greenville and the work we’ve done as community to make Greenville a sustainable, cool community. Many comments were made about how Pensacola needs to follow our lead. Kinda fun, yeah?

A Day in History...

So I figured I would be one of the thirty-six million bloggers that posts something about our new President Barack Obama.  This is a new day.  A new time.  Regardless of your affiliations, no can can deny the historic significance of this day.  

If there was a Vision 2025 for the United States, I do not doubt that something like this would at the top of the project list.  

Enjoy this day and this era.  We are living, once again, in historical times.  

Join In...

So, I have finally figured out how we can track those of you who read this blog. Thanks to my good friend, Jay Coffman, I have learned of a "Follow This Blog" tool.

So, take a look to the right of this post and find the tool and click on it. I'd love to hear from you and see your feedback.

Also, you can subscribe to Forward Thinking. That should be right under the "Follow" tool.

Technology is so much fun.

Water Blog...

Sorry for that. But, I need to ask a question. Even though it's really a pain to walk to your car in the downpour we've been going through (especially when you don't have keyless entry), how many of you think this picture is a good sight?...

For those that don't think that all that green coming our way is a good thing...take a scenic drive toward Georgia and look at Lake Hartwell...

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

New Year. One Step Closer to 2025...

Happy New Year! Wow. It’s already 2009. It seems only like yesterday that I was talking to Russell about this venture of starting Greenville Forward. He had an idea a little over 3 years ago to start a non-profit, from scratch, to make sure that a dynamic plan like Vision 2025 didn’t sit on the shelf. To make sure that there was an organization dedicated to “waking up every morning thinking about the Vision.”

Without this dedicated organization, would the tasks of Vision 2025 become accomplishments for Greenville County? Yes. Many of them would. But, what about the truly challenging line items? Challenging items like, “Greenville County public and private sector leaders and residents welcome and integrate all its residents into a unified community whose diverse members and populations have full equality”, or “Our brightest and most talented young people choose to stay in Greenville, or return after spending time in other parts of the world.” This organizations mission is not to take credit for these successes, but to ensure that someone (or two someone’s) is striving to make sure these items are at the top of the list. That they are important to concentrate on when thinking about how Greenville will look in the future.

These examples encompass over 40 pages, ranging from Families and Social Services to Sense of Place. What if “the availability of safe housing affordability is directly tied to the demographics of Greenville, (for example, if 20% of the population is considered low income, then 20% of the housing stock is affordable to those people)? What if there was a consolidated or re-aligned government in Greenville County?

Greenville is a wonderful place to live, and it has many different organizations that strive, each day, to ensure that our community is taken care of. Greenville Forward is not around to duplicate those efforts, but rather help those organizations accomplish their goals by helping establish connections and being part of the conversation. Greenville Forward’s mission is to see Vision 2025 accomplished. The Vision can only be as successful as the individuals and organizations involved in the process. By conducting community-wide assessments, developing reports and maintaining its Task Forces, Greenville Forward has begun to solidify its place in the community.

In 3 years of Greenville Forward, and 4 years since Vision 2025 was presented, some of the items mentioned have already been completed. That does not mean they have been marked off the list, though.

• Public Arts Funded by 1% of Construction Costs. This was approved by the City of Greenville: pending introduction and approval in other municipalities and the County.
  
• Bob Jones Museum & Art Gallery at Heritage Green. Opened in April 2008.
  
• Upstate Shakespeare Festival is a Model for Outdoor Programming. 2009 will be its 15th year, and continually plays to crowds exceeding 1,000 people.
  
• International Arts Festival. Artisphere is going into its 4th year. After only 2 years, it earned a “winner” in Greg Lawler’s Art Fair Sourcebook and was ranked 37th out of 600 festivals.
  
• School Construction Plan. 70 Greenville County schools have been either rebuilt or renovated.
  
• Downtown Baseball Stadium. Over 1,000,000 people have attended games in the Drive’s 3 years.
  
• Funding for County Parks Plan. TRAC (Tourism Recreation Athletics Coalition) Plan passed County Council and is providing 2% hospitality tax. Funding is expected to exceed $6 million each year.
  
• Health Assessment. The third health assessment in ten years was released in October. Results show that although the number of facilities in Greenville has improved, 37% of Greenvillians are medically underserved.
  

So, where do we go from here? What are the accomplishments we want to write down in 2010? 2011? 2012? 2025? What about some of these?

• All gateways into the each city in the County feature significant arts features that clearly define who we are and what we value.
  
• An affordable insurance package is available for all professional artists.
  
• Greenville provides world-class education that includes comprehensive curricula on language, culture, gender equality, global awareness and international exchange programs.
  
• Students learn, via satellite, from professors in foreign counties in the areas of culture and the humanities.
  
• Greenville is the center of regional economy in the Upstate.
  
• Greenville ranks in the top ten regionally in the number or independent, high-growth companies.
  
• Greenville is a learning community.
  
• Every child has an excellent teacher supported by the community.
  
• Greenville is the State leader in environmental stewardship and recognized as a leading sustainable community, where people work and live in close harmony with a clean and healthy environment.
  
• Greenville is the “Greenest Greenville" in the Nation.
  
• There is a vibrant, 24-7 downtown culture, anchored by substantial residential options for people of every economic stratum, and supports local businesses throughout County.
  
• Everyone has a home.
  
• Obesity among all Greenvillians is reduced.
  
• 50% of Greenville County’s top 100 employers and 75% of Greenville County High Schools have smoking cessation programs on site.
  
• Greenville has implemented city and county efforts to project an image as an important international community welcoming international trade and investment and possessing a vibrant cultural life celebrating its international trade, investment and culture.
  
• Mill Villages serve as models of smart growth, with mixed use zoning, racially diverse residents and multiple housing options.
  
• Public transportation across the County is available to all citizens.

So, how do we get this done? Continue moving forward. Vision 2025 serves as a plan for the future. Is it set in stone? No. As we grow as a community, the Vision adapts to our needs and goals. It is the job of Greenville Forward to house the Vision and make sure Greenville is on the path toward accomplishment, but it’s the job of the Greenville Community to ensure that the Vision becomes a reality.

Here’s to 2009 and many more successes.

Be the Solution You Seek

Understanding the Practice of Poverty

The following is an article written by Greenville Forward's Furman intern, Kate Hofler, after participating in Beth Templeton's Poverty Simulation. I hope this will change the way some of us think as we ponder the impact the economic downturn is having on many Greenvillians.

"For an hour, I am an 85-year-old man with crippling arthritis, relying on a retirement check of no more than $550 a month to take care of my needs. I have to make difficult choices between paying for my rent and my prescriptions that are not covered by Medicare. I am forced to lean on my neighbors to help me get from place to place as I am too handicapped to transport myself.

This scenario was adapted from a poverty simulation kit developed by the Missouri Community Action Organization. With the aid of United Way, United Ministries purchased the kit under the leadership of its director Beth Templeton. The program is called “Our Eyes Were Opened” and I participated as part of my internship with Greenville Forward, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping make Greenville a better place through the implementation of Vision 2025.

While an hour spent taking on the persona of an impoverished individual is not sufficient to understand living in poverty, the circumstances emulated were factually based and aimed at stimulating thought and provoking action. The program provides a packet of materials with a background story, financial information, items to pawn, a fake social security number and any checks received during a month’s time. The hour program is broken up into four 15-minute segments representative of a week’s time. It is your responsibility to be sure you and/or your family is fed every week, that your bills are paid and that you deal with any unforeseen circumstances that may come your way.

For many middle to upper class citizens, the understanding of poverty is often limited to a negative view of individuals who should “get a job” and “stop being lazy.” They see the poor as loiterers that hang around the Salvation Army or the Triune Mercy Center’s sidewalks. They are afraid of the homeless and poor because they look dirty, unkempt, and not like them.

While this interpretation is harsh, it is more common than we all would like to think. The reality of poverty is that it can happen to anyone as a result of an event that takes away a foundation of financial security and many are born into their standing with no way out. With escalating gas and food costs, families are seeing the reality of poverty in ways they never expected.

As a community, it is important to be aware that poverty is not as distant as it may seem. These people are no different but have faced a certain hardship that brought them into a cycle that they cannot break.

Prior to the simulation, I sat in on a meeting with Greenville Forward’s Families and Social Services task force and became mildly aware of the complicated applications and approval process that families must endure to receive little help. However, this understanding became real during the last week of our simulated month.

I did not have enough money to buy my groceries and visited the social services vendor to apply for food stamps. After I spent a chunk of the 15-minute week filling out the complicated form, the vendor informed me that they were out of food stamps. Although I was not hungry in reality, the thought of not being able to afford groceries for an entire week was terrifying.

Though the simulation is not able to impart the feeling of such hunger, Templeton suggested that it is a hidden problem in our society. Poverty is a unique circumstance, as it is difficult to truly understand without experiencing it. And, once you are there, there is little hope for change without the help of others. That is why the poverty simulation and efforts of organizations like United Ministries and Greenville Forward are crucial. For participants in the simulation to gain a glimpse into the challenges and realities of poverty such that they may work to contribute to the aid of others is Templeton’s ultimate goal."

For more information on the “Our Eyes Were Opened” poverty simulation program, contact Beth Templeton at btempleton@united-ministries.org.