Gridiron Battle Kicks Off Second Year of Guilford Cup

"Employees and elected officials representing the City of Greensboro and Guilford County will meet at 11 am Sat., Oct. 17 at Jaycee Park, 3802 Jaycee Park Dr., for the second annual Guilford Cup football game. The gridiron meeting will be the first of multiple sporting events between the two government entities in the battle for the 2015-16 Guilford Cup.

During the inaugural year of competition between the City and County in 2014-15, the City scored victories in all three competitions – besting the County in football, 18-12, in basketball, 72-58, and in softball, 19-11. This year’s football game will also serve as a collection point for food to be distributed through the United Way. In lieu of paid admission, spectators are asked to bring two nonperishable or canned food items.

Greensboro City Councilman Jamal Fox and Guilford County Commissioner Ray Trapp developed the idea of bringing representatives from the two organizations together on the athletic field. “This is a way of breaking down the walls and barriers, perceived or real, that exist between the two governments,” says Fox. “It’s also a fun way to network, provide some excitement for employees, and gives residents a chance to cheer on their governmental leaders.”

“Sports have a way of bringing people together and that’s what the Guilford Cup idea is really about, finding some common ground and spending time with one another,” says Trapp. “I believe that the fellowship we have on the playing field will translate into the workplace. A good-natured rivalry may lead to stronger working ties which will benefit our community in numerous ways.”

More information about the Guilford Cup is online at www.greensboro-nc.gov/guilfordcup."

- A Press Release

VIDEO: Jay Z brings 12-year old fan on stage to rap during Greensboro concert

Jay Z was in town this weekend (and our own Ryan Snyder was there and took some beautiful photos — read about it in tomorrow's paper) but here's the most important thing from that evening. It speaks for itself.


Oh yeah, and this:

Newly minted #gso city councilman Jamal Fox turned up two seats down from me at Jay Z. We're in good hands, y'all.
— Ryan Snyder (@YESRyan) January 6, 2014

PHOTOS: New Greensboro City Council sworn in

Outgoing mayor Robbie Perkins listing the council's accomplishments since 2011

Council and the audience gave him a standing ovation

Outgoing councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small and Perkins hugging

Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson talking with new Councilman Jamal Fox

Left: New Councilman Mike Barber. Background: Fox.

District 2 Councilman Jamal Fox poses for a picture

NC Rep. Marcus Brandon photo-bombs new Councilwoman Sharon Hightower before she is sworn in

Tony Wilkins takes a picture of Nancy Vaughan in the mayor's seat. Marikay Abuzuaiter did next.

Greensboro's new Mayor Nancy Vaughan being sworn in, surrounded by her family
(Read more about her and her family in this week's cover story, SLAP SHOT).

Young Democrats celebrate election wins across North Carolina

It's hard to say what the big takeaway might be from municipal elections across the state yesterday. The larger part of the outcome was surely determined by local issues.

In Greensboro's nonpartisan election, Nancy Vaughan easily ousted one-term mayor Robbie Perkins thanks to higher turnout on the west side of the city and voters' preference for a more deliberative approach to transformative undertakings such as the proposed downtown performing arts center.

In Winston-Salem's partisan election, voters ratified efforts to sustain fragile downtown development under the Democratic majority by reelecting incumbents by wide margins, including Mayor Allen Joines, whose Republican challenger was considered an embarrassment to his party. Durham voters also reelected a veteran Democrat, Bill Bell, as mayor.

In the state's largest city, Charlotte — whose mayoral stock has produced both Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and Democratic US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx — voters chose Democrat Patrick Cannon for the top slot on council. In Fayetteville, Republican Nat Robertson eked out a narrow victory to become the city's next mayor.

If there's one storyline, it would be that it was a good night for Young Democrats of North Carolina, a party organization whose members are under the age of 36.

The organization is celebrating the election of Andy Ball as the next mayor of Boone, with second billing for Jamal Fox's upset win over Jim Kee for the District 2 city council seat in Greensboro. A Young Democrats press release states that "Jim Kee used deplorable tactics to try and push Jamal Fox" out of the race.

Perhaps more remarkable, Montravius King, a university student whose residency was challenged by a local Republican board of elections member, won election to the Elizabeth City City Council, along with fellow Young Democrat Darius Horton.

The press release also noted that Winston-Salem voters returned Derwin Montgomery and James Taylor to city council. Other Young Democrats who celebrated victories last night include Zeb Smathers in Canton, Chris Rey in Spring Lake, Calvin J. Harris Jr. in Oxford, Kady Ann Davy in Fayetteville, Ryan Stone in Black Mountain, and Jennifer Pena and Quint David in Boone.

Jamal Fox, Andy Ball and Zeb Smathers have all previously served as officers of Young Democrats.

"Republican efforts to disenfranchise young voters in Boone, Elizabeth City and across North Carolina backfired," Young Democrats President Sam Spencer said in a prepared statement. "Instead, Republicans have conceded millennial voters in this and future elections while inspiring a wave of Young Democrats to take office."

Fox holds press conference, Kee contradicts himself

 

District 2 city council candidate Jamal Fox held a press conference yesterday to rally his supporters and emphasize that he will push forward despite recent developments related to his campaign.

NC A&T University suspended Fox, a political science professor, with pay on Tuesday for violating the UNC system's political activity policy. Fox opened the press conference by saying that his lawyer would need to answer any questions regarding his relationship with A&T.

Greensboro City Councilman Jim Kee — Fox's opponent — said multiple sources told him that one of Fox's students made a comment on Oct. 18 about receiving an "A" for voting. Kee reported what he heard to the board of elections, later raising the concern with university officials after hearing from someone that a similar comment was made to Fox by a student on Oct. 21. In the meeting, Kee said administrators told him Fox's candidacy itself presented a conflict with A&T's rules.

Read more about what happened and the context in our full article here.

Fox said at the press conference that he would not let recent events derail his campaign or the political aspirations of his community. He made a vague reference to the fact that he has made mistakes like everyone has, but focused on the message that he is standing up for what he believes in.

"I refuse to be bullied or silenced for doing what is best for our community," he said. Though he avoided mentioning his opponent, who Fox previously blamed for recent events, he responded to press questions about Kee.

"I blame my opponent for running a smear campaign," Fox said, adding that he was "disappointed" by Kee's tactics and "surprised" by his suspension from A&T.

Lewis Beveridge, a community activist who acted as a press liaison during the meeting, said the legal process will sort out Fox's employment and that he is confident Fox upheld the spirit and the letter of the law.

Fox stood in front of supporters, including former District 2 Councilwoman Goldie Wells, Renaissance Community Cooperative President Leo Steward and other community activists.

Councilman Kee released a statement later that evening reiterating that he "never accused anyone of committing any crime" and that he learned that Fox broke A&T's political activity policy when he met with university administrators.

Yet Kee's press release contradicted statements he made in an interview with YES! Weekly on Monday. Kee said in the interview that he didn't contact A&T until Oct. 21 after hearing that students made comments to Fox about grades-for-voting on Oct. 18 and again on the 21. Kee said he didn't contact university officials until after the second incident.

In his press release, Kee only makes reference to one incident and states that he contacted A&T on Oct. 18. The release says Kee met with university officials on the morning of Oct. 21.

Fox initially announced that his press conference would be held at the Renaissance Shopping Center but moved to a nearby church parking lot when the city informed him the shopping center is city property and not a space for a public forum. Fox's campaign said in an e-mail that Kee complained to the city, but later sent out a correction that it was due to an unnamed council member.

City Attorney Mujeeb Shah-Khan declined to comment if a council member contacted his office, only saying that a citizen of Greensboro reached out with concerns. Shah-Khan emphasized that he was already aware of the planned press conference and that it potentially conflicted with city rules, including one that requires a permit for public addresses on city property or the street. Kee couldn't immediately be reached for comment about whether he played a role in the situation.

NC Young Democrats denounce Councilman Jim Kee

BREAKING: The executive board of the Young Democrats of North Carolina issued the following statement in a press release this afternoon.

“We condemn Councilman Jim Kee's tactics in his Greensboro City Council race against Jamal Fox. Attempting to discredit someone based on their age is a tactic we strongly oppose, and Kee's desperate tactics are a disservice to the people of Greensboro. Fox’s students have made it clear Kee's attacks are untrue. 

 No candidate should allow their campaign to become more important than setting an example of integrity in public service. Individual board and executive committee members of the Guilford County Democratic Party have publicly endorsed Fox since Kee’s original allegations were reported because Democrats stand behind the right of all registered voters to exercise their right to vote and stand as candidates for public office if they so choose - regardless of their age.”

Read more about the entire situation in tomorrow's issue of YES! Weekly.

Greensboro City Council filings: Trouble!

Among the 11th-hour filings for the Greensboro City Council race, some surprises surface.

The marquee story is in the at-large race, where among the usual gang — incumbents Yvonne Johnson and Marikay Abuzuaiter; old hands like Mike Barber, Jean Brown and Chris Lawyer; and "Who Dat?" candidates like Marlando Pridgen and Joseph Landis — are a couple of familiar names. My old friend Ben Holder, AKA the Troublemaker, has thrown his hat into the ring. I hear he's getting an "S" tattooed on his chest to get properly fired up for the race. And young activist/journalist/scenester Katei Cranford has decided to get into the game, too. Just one of the fascinating things about her is that she's the niece of Billy "Crash" Craddock. 

There are no surprises in districts 1 and 2. In D-1, incumbents Dianne Bellamy-Small has jazz singer and activist Tigress McDaniel and city insider Sharon Hightower looking to take the throne. In D-2 no one has challenged Jamal Fox's move for Jim Kee's seat.In District 3, Zack Matheny will defend his seat against Corey Pisher and Wendell Roth. John Underwood has joined the fray between D-4 incumbent Nancy Hoffmann and former mayor Bill Knight.

And in District 5, Tony Wilkins, who was appointed to his seat after Sen. Trudy Wade took statewide office, faces shapeshifter Sal Leone and another  new name, my old friend Alex Seymour.

I worked with Alex at Bert's Seafood Grille years ago, and we remain friends. He's become active in city government on a grassroots level, and is a fixture (or, at least, he was) in the beard and bluegrass scenes.

Consider this a disclosure. Of course, I've known Wilkins (and most of the other people running) for years, as well.

Filing for Greensboro City Council election begins

Filing began today at noon for the upcoming Greensboro City Council election, and already several candidates have filed to run.

Sal Leone, a perennial candidate in past elections who has alternated his party affiliation, and former councilman Mike Barber filed to run at large (meaning citywide, for those of you who don't follow local politics).

District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny filed to run for reelection, the first sitting council member to file this time around. Matheny represents part of downtown and northern Greensboro and is a strong proponent of the teen curfew.

District 2 challenger Jamal Fox and mayoral candidate George Hartzman filed today as well. Both attended the council's emergency meeting about the teen curfew on Wednesday morning and have been at numerous other council meetings, particularly Hartzman who has become a well-known and regular critic of council's decisions and what he says is a lack of transparency.

Other candidates, like Tony Wilkins who was appointed to serve as Trudy Wade's fill in for District 5, have announced their intention to run, but this is the complete list of those who have filed (as of 5 p.m. on Friday). We'll have in depth coverage of the election races coming soon. Until then, you can read more about Mike Barber here and Sal Leone here.

UPDATE (July 9, 5 p.m.): Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson, Chris Lawyer and Jean Brown also filed to run at large. Tigress McDaniel filed in District 1 and Wendell Roth is challenging Matheny in District 3. Nancy Hoffmann, incumbent, and former Mayor Bill Knight are both running for District 4. Nobody has signed up for District 5 yet.