Meeting Report from January 19, 1999

Meeting

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Report

January 19, 1999
By JACK SMYLIE

     President Ronnie Pruett presided, with Tommy Thompson introducing visitors and guests, some from as far as Voronezh, Russia; Guetersloh, Germany; and Ulan Batar, Mongolia. But the club had little success learning to greet each guest with a vigorous "HI!" Chuck Lineberry's Health and Happiness shared red-neck wisdom: definitions, song titles, and advice. "Never miss a good chance to shut up."
     Sadly, Fred West's long battle with cancer ended with his death on January 15. He will be remembered with affection, and respect for his brave struggle.
     Happily, Ken Harris was recognized for good news about Harmony High School's Class Reunion of '53.
     Harold Hoak, Archives Committee Chairman, proudly unveiled five huge wall banners displaying hundreds of Rotary club flags from around the world. Great work by the seamstress, the committee, and particularly Jan Thompson who started the project!
     After the pledge of allegiance Ray Brietz and Cecelia Boyer led singing of "God Bless America," Howard Chadwick offered a prayer of thanks, Jeff Brown introduced the guest speaker.
     Also sitting at the head table were Jim Kizer, Teebee Hawkins, Ed White, and Jim Boniface.
    Roy Johnson, guest speaker, wants Charlotte Rotarians to realize we all have a stake in the way this community manages growth.
     He should know. As President of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and an officer of North Carolina's AIA; and as an architect and engineer for twenty-seven years at Odell Associates where he was President from 1988 to 1998, Johnson struggled with Charlotte's response to growth by planning office buildings, schools and universities, airport facilities and land use.
     Is growth positive or negative? We all benefit from growth, Johnson says. Doubters should consider the experience of communities which are shrinking, especially smaller towns, like Johnson's native Hazelton in the anthracite coal region of northeast Pennsylvania. Since the '50s it has invested development dollars in schools, roads, water and sewer projects just to maintain its 32,000 population. By comparison, Charlotte is fortunate to have the challenge of growth.
     The key is how we handle growth. That determines everything: quality of air, water and life; transportation, home building, places to shop, work, play, entertain; how we preserve the past and renew for the future. Three key factors.
     TRANSPORTATION controls growth. Decisions about the first determine the second. For example: 19th century Lincolnton rejected railroads, while the then smaller Charlotte welcomed them. Charlotte invested heavily in the 1940s and '70s in air transportation. Growth has followed because movement of people and goods is essential for community health. Remember the quip: Whether you're going to heaven or hell from Charlotte, you've got to go through Atlanta. Today, with more than 500 commercial flights per day from Charlotte/Douglas lnternational that one-liner is happily out of date, in spite of our whining about air fares.
     That history should be remembered as planning progresses for state-wide "multi-model" mass transportation between and within cities. Being the good roads state may not be enough. The good road and rail state may be better.
     DEVELOPMENT POLICIES can lead to positive results, like North Tryon (where new neighborhoods, shopping, dining and entertainment have emerged), or to negative results like urban sprawl. To avoid the negative we may have to control and "limit new development," especially as we come to terms with the outer belt. Land use and mass transit must be coordinated. That will require hard-fought battles!
    INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT goes beyond road building and includes addition of water and sewer lines and waste treatment and landfill expansion. Although less visible than roads, they are essential to control the rate and quality of future growth. Their planning requires VISION, a rare gift. Jonathan Swift once noted "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible."
     Charlotte enjoys good things in 1999 because people with vision made wise decisions in '89 and '79, as well as in '69 and '59. Today, rather than wait and worry, Charlotte needs to make more good decisions about the always "unknown future." That's why Johnson supports Commissioner Helms' recently proposed "Smart Growth Initiative," which will convene a twenty-five member citizens committee to plan for the future. He also supports a National Smart Growth Initiative championed by Vice President Al Gore which anticipates federal funding.
     As these initiatives progress, Johnson believes all citizens should become involved, because all will be affected. In particular, he observed, the architectural community will have to shoulder responsibility not simply for their clients particular projects, but for enlightened input in long-term structural planning. We must all "step up to the plate."
     Q & A     In response to questions, Johnson observed that Boulder, Colorado and Houston, Texas represent extremes; with Boulder being highly controlled and Houston boasting little planning. As an "active tool" for coordinating growth, zoning always involves stepping on somebody's toes. Neighborhood organizations can frustrate good planning, and require much time. For example, one Boston hospital project required forty-five community meetings before agreements were reached. The best procedure is to involve community groups from the beginning in creating long-term plans, to avoid surprises related to particular projects. Johnson was unable to identify a no-growth or static city, which could also be described as "vibrant" and "dynamic." Mass transit is the only thing that permits some cities to function successfully, e.g. Washington, D.C., Toronto, and the northeast corridor from Philadelphia to Boston.

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In Memoriam

FRED E. WEST, JR.

FRED E. WEST, JR.

April 5, 1936 - January 15, 1999

Rotarian Fred E. West, Jr., died on Friday, January 15, 1999, after a long battle with cancer. He will be remembered with affection and respect for his brave struggle.

Fred joined our Club in 1982, having been a member, previously, of the Winston-Salem Rotary Club, 1973-80. Fred was a Paul Harris Fellow and a contributing member of our Glad to Be Alive club.

Fred grew up in Camden, S.C., where he met and married his childhood sweetheart and wife of 40 years, Jean Parker. The Wests had three sons; two are engineers and one a teacher at Myers Park High School.

Following graduation from Clemson University in 1958, Fred joined Duke Power Company (Duke Energy), retiring after 37 years in 1995 as regional vice president, responsible for 600,000 customers in Charlotte and surrounding areas.

A Civil War buff, Fred liked to read about the war and take trips to battlefields. He liked to play golf (handicap unknown) at Myers Park Country Club.

Fred embodied the object and spirit of Rotary, serving many community organizations: The Relatives (chairman). Goodwill Industries (chairman). Charlotte Chamber (director). United Way (vice chairman). He was an officer of Sharon Presbyterian Church.

We express our love and sympathy to Jean and sons. A memorial gift is being made in Fred's name to our student loan fund.

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ATTENDANCE AND ROTARY

A Rotarian benefits only if he attends.

T wice a month is not enough.

T hirty-two times a year just gets you under the wire.

E xtra dividends for the 100% 'ers.

N ever sit at the same table too many times.

D on't arrive late and leave early.

A ttend all committee meetings as called.

N ew members need your friendship.

C arefully weigh your Rotary responsibilities.

E ach of us could do a little better—don't you think?

—from Charlotte Rotary Reporter, March 26, 1946

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The annual budget for 1932-1933 totaled $3,000, including $700 for the Crippled Children's Clinic. Today, our budget is $295,170, including $12,000 for projects.

Our program feature "How I Got Where I'm At" originated in 1945 during the presidency of John Pender.

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