This past Saturday The News & Record reported (but of course didn't post) that a new newspaper is starting up in Greensboro.  The yet-unnamed weekly has ESP's former editor Ogi Overman as publisher, former head of the Rhino's advertising sales team as... uh... head of the new sales team and County Commissioner Mike Barber as investor-laborer-without-portfolio.

Shooting for a first publication date of March 10th, the new weekly expects "to take the best of the Rhino, ESP, Go Triad and embellish that - put our vision on it", according to Overman in the article.

In an unprecedented turn of events perhaps foreshadowing a circling of the wagons to stave off an impending assault on both of their readerships, the N&R actually acknowledged the existence of Rhino publisher Willie Hammer.  Moreover, they quoted Willie about the expense of starting a new paper, "It's extremely expensive to start up a weekly newspaper.  Your going to lose money for the first, sometimes, three years.  Where's that money coming from?"  Where indeed?

I was puzzled when I first read the article as to why reporter Alex Wayne kept harping on the venture's financing.  He got a not-a-problem-this-time-around quote from Overman, "I've been in undercapitalized ventures and nine times out of ten they don't last."...   in retrospect, I figure that Alex had already heard about a rumoured source of the paper's capital and was pressing for information to confirm.

The article goes on to point out that Barber doesn't seem too worried about finances either and has assured Overman that "the new venture had enough money" to make a go of it.  Please know that Barber has been out of a steady job for some time, and Ogi is no venture capitalist, so where is "enough money" coming from?

Jim Melvin has "enough money", wouldn't you say?

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Also from the sports desk.  I was told last night that Dr.Donald Linder's Pyramids Village (and here) plans for the old Carolina Circle Mall are kaput.  I did know that the soccer fields are being taken up but never questioned the reason.  I hear that Wal-Mart has bought the property and is going to have their way with the place.

Did I miss something or is this a new development?  I am checking.

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I told you this was going to get contentious.  I just received this petition from "Friends of the Greensboro Sportsplex/ Citizens For Fair Play in Youth Basketball"  The document hints at most of the issues that are involved but doesn't touch on the racial aspects of the situation.   That part will come out later... I am convinced of it.

We are expecting an overflow crowd at the monthly Parks & Rec Commission meeting this Wednesday @ 6:00p in the City Council chambers.  You can catch it on GCTV channel 13, it might be interesting.

I updated my initial post on the subject after finding out that the reviewing of "Service Contracts" has never been under the pervue of the Commission on which I serve.  There are dozens of such contracts issued every year and they have always been handled by the staff with hardly any dissention. 

The P&R contract with ex-Wake Forest/pro basketball player Delaney Rudd was just another contract until some influential feathers got ruffled.  The Dreams in Motion contract is being contested by Vic Sapp and the powerful Greensboro Gators AAU organization.  What is at stake is the money and prestige involved with controlling Central NC's wealth of amatuer basketball talent.  For years the Gators were the only game in the region, Rudd apparently is challenging the old guard.

It is interesting that Councilman Don Vaughan is told the N&R that contractural review is our charge I have heard that the comment was one of the reasons this whole Sportsplex basketball contract review has taken on a life of its own.  The folks involved with Rudd are convinced that they can come to the Commission to get the matter resolved, but it isn't our responsibility.  Don served on the P&R Commission for several years and has been the Council's liason to the Department since he was first elected many years ago.  He should probably be the expert on the question.

Also reported in the article was this quote by Councilman and former Gators Board Member Robbie Perkins, "It would seem to me to be good policy that if you're going to initiate a contract like this you should talk to more than one vendor," From what I am hearing, the P&R staff interviewed three potential vendors for the program before deciding on Rudd's Dreams in Motion.  From the loyalty demonstrated by the families involved with Rudd's organization, the selection has been vindicated.

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