"...Most of us who go to the games at Memorial Stadium just do not feel safe in the neighborhoods that surround the stadium. Don't get me wrong. It was a nice place probably 20 years ago, but times have changed..."
This sentiment, written by William Parson in a letter to the editor in today's N&R, openly reveals one of the chief reasons that many Greensboro residents supported moving minor league baseball away from Memorial Stadium. This same perception was whispered many times during the recent stadium location debate by a surprising number of people.
One of the most unsettling of these whispers came from one of the principal new stadium supporters when he was justifying why the powers-that-be were refusing to explore renovating the old stadium. "We would need Tommy guns in the ticket booths", said this community leader.
Unfounded perceptions are hard to overcome, but we here in Aycock keep trying. Last week the City Council approved funding out of next year's budget for the first step towards implementation of the Aycock Neighborhood Strategic Plan. That vote, and many more like it in the coming years, will cause Aycock's public personae to match how we, the residents, see ourselves: an extraordinary and all-too-rare "true neighborhood".
Hopefully Mr. Parson will feel adventurous in later years and re-visit Aycock from time to time to see our progress. Perhaps when things are spiffed up around here he will feel as safe on our streets as we do already.
7:50:11 AM 
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