The inaugural Rhino Times Schmoozefest of 2017 will be held at World of Beer at 1310 Westover Terrace on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. It may a little late to celebrate the presidential inauguration but it won’t be too late to talk about it. As always beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served gratis to those who sign in and where a name tag.
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Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan went to Austin, Texas, last weekend to lobby against a proposed Texas law much like North Carolina’s House Bill 2 (HB2). Vaughan’s trip was paid for by the Human Rights Campaign, not the City of Greensboro.
The Human Rights Campaign is the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lobbying organization. Vaughan, along with being mayor, is executive director of the Guilford Green Foundation, which raises money for LGBT causes. So while lobbying against a bill in Texas may not fit in with her job as mayor of Greensboro, it fits right in with her day job with the Guilford Green Foundation.
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I know the first month of the year officially ends on Monday, but since this is our last issue of the month and we put it to bed on Wednesday, for me January ends on Wednesday and I can’t believe that one-twelfth of 2017 has come and gone. Fortunately for me I have already long forgotten my new year’s resolutions. There are some good parts about getting older – not having the memory you once did is one, but I can’t remember any others.
But the snowdrops in our yard have been blooming for weeks now and the daffodils are about 6 inches tall. The sweet breath of spring bushes are blooming, so its other name, winter honeysuckle, seems more appropriate this year. Lonicera fragrantissima, to use its official name, is not a particularly pretty bush but it can put out some fragrance.
The late Jim Garrison, also known as Squirrel, who worked for The Rhinoceros Times for years, could always tell you exactly how many days until spring. So, in honor of Squirrel, it’s only 53 days until spring.
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The Greensboro Police Department is holding a Safer Community Summit to address the increase in violent crime in the city from 6 to 8 pm Monday, Jan. 31 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.
Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott spoke to the City Council last week about the meeting, which is being held because murders and violent crime in general increased in 2016 and, according to Scott, it is an increase that has been seen across the country.
He said that in the past violent crime statistics had been higher in Greensboro but that was largely attributable to the influx of crack cocaine. He said this current increase in violent crime didn’t have a single source you could point to but was being caused by a variety of factors.
The purpose of the summit is to start the process of getting the community involved in helping the Police Department with the underlying issues that have caused this spike in violent crime.
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I was told that I had to stop hiding under a hat in my photo in the paper, so this week I have a new one. Special thanks to Sam Froelich for allowing me to use the photo he took.
