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 MARY HOPPER
View of the Planning Commission
By: Marilynn Bowler
With a diverse history in politics and public relations – battling
Dilworth’s short-lived FOXXX Adult Video store and serving eight
years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission (the last two
as Chair,) - it seemed perfect casting for Mary Hopper to be invited
to speak to Charlotte Rotary Club. The truth is that she was a
member of a Rotary International Group Study Exchange in Curitiba,
Brazil and is quick to attribute much of her business acumen and
community commitment to the boosting hand of Rotary.
Described quite accurately (her friends will affirm) by Katie Tyler
as a “born instigator” and a “born over-achiever,” Mary is noted for
her wit, her wisdom, her outspokenness, and her far-reaching circle
of friends. She is blessed with a wry sense of humor, a vast
vocabulary, a spectacular and savvy brain, as well as an imagination
that runs circles around the rest of us plebeians. Born in Georgia,
she holds a Ph.D in Romance Languages with a specialty in Mexican
Literature from the University of Missouri. Her own company – Hopper
Communications – specializes in grassroots outreach and public
involvement. The recipient of a long list of awards, she is the
recipient of the Public Relation Society’s Infinity Award, the Women
In Communication’s ACE award, and is a graduate of Leadership
Charlotte. She is currently running Charlotte’s only Municipal
Service District – the University City Partners. It could not be in
better hands.
Beginning her remarks with a cryptic, “Planning Charlotte’s future
is a contact sport,” Mary candidly described how the collective “we”
have divided the players in this game of politics into the “us” team
vs. the “them” team. She asked, “How many times have you heard the
City of Charlotte divided into those of us who voted for the arena
vs. those who voted against it?” and then “There are those who
aspire to higher office and those who promise never to run for
another thing.” … “Are you as tired of that as I am?” she pointedly
asked.
What happened to our “can do” attitude, she posed. Have we replaced
it with “can’t do?” She challenged us to take a good hard look at
how we think and how we view our own boundaries. We want our own
streets to be closed to traffic because, after all, it’s “our
street.” We oppose zoning if it infringes on something we consider
to be “ours.” We have a “rarified view of what compromise is. It
means we get everything ‘we’ want.”
With her acerbic wit and wisdom, Mary listed the qualifications
necessary for a planning commission member which include 1) Time
(she, herself, logged in 29 meetings in two years, many of which
last 3-5 hours;) 2)Ability to study site plans, technical sheets, et
al; 3)Capacity to absorb new disciplines (i.e.: land use, real
estate, housing and retail trends, roads, transit, water and air
quality, utility lines, big box retail … and more;) 4) “And next
year, the insight to select the right Planning Director!” and: 5)A
combination of thick skin, cast iron stomach, e-mail clutter, police
protection, and the ability to detect lies and false promises.
Quoting the spectrum from Peter Drucker to FDR to Yogi Berra, Mary
left us with these thought-provoking words noted at a desert
crossroads at Patagonia, Arizona, “Take care which rut you use.
You’ll be in it for the next twenty miles.” We’re fortunate to have
someone as astute, experienced and courageous as Mary Hopper riding
herd on our local neighborhoods and planning commission.
Head Table:
Tom Robertson, Jamie McLawhorn, Mike Parrott, Katie Tyler,
Skip Berry, Jerry Blanchard; Invocation: Ron Vinson
Visitors and
Guests:
Hope Lanier; Health & Happiness: Randall Groves; Song: David
Erdman
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PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT
NEW
ADDRESS FOR THE ROTARY CLUB:
841 BAXTER
STREET, SUITE 118, CHARLOTTE
28202
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WWII CENTENNIAL
PROJECT UPDATE |
The WWII Oral History Project has completed 100
hour-long video taped interviews and is working to raise funds
to add to that number. We now need to “target” certain
aspects of WWII participation and are specifically looking for
persons in these categories of service:
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- Pearl Habor survivors
- Coast Guard
- Underwater Demolition
- Merchant Marine
- Special Forces
- Intelligence: OSS
- Artillery Spotters
- POW's
- Machine Gunners (not aircraft)
- Torpedo Boat Crew
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- Survivor of Sinkings
- Armed Guards, Merchant Ships
- Airborne:
Parachuters, Gliders,
Military Govt, M.P.'s,
Snipers, BAR, Gunmen
- Home Front:
Ration Board, Selective Service, Defense Factories, Air Raid
Wardens
- Survivors of KIA: Widows, Recruiters
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Or any other “unusual” assignments or stories.
If you have relatives, neighbors or acquaintances that fit any
of these categories, open the door to tell them of our project
and give them the name, address and phone number for
Tom Burgess
or Richard Bailey. |
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2003-04
RI
Theme
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z Items needed at each meeting in
November to support Crisis Assistance Ministry: articles of
clothing, blankets or sheets (single or double beds), pots and
pans. Those wishing to have home pick-up should contact Jim Adams,
704-377-6567, or the Rotary office,
704-375-6816.
z
Sympathy is extended to the family of
Charlie Williams
in the death of Charlie’s daughter, Annette Williams Lamb.
z
George Thompson, District
Superintendent for Methodist churches, initiated a program
called “Pastor’s Servant Days,” in which he invites Methodist
ministers to join with him in community service. Ministers from
the Lincoln County area joined George last week where much
needed assistance was provided to the East Lincoln Christian
Ministry in Denver.
z
Claude Lilly,
dean of the Belk College of Business
Administration at UNC Charlotte, traveled to Italy in October to
be a keynote speaker at the opening convocation ceremony for the
Polytechnic of Torino’s Biella campus.
z
NEEDED – six volunteers to work at Classroom Central, 3:00 to
6:00 PM, November 20th. Contact John Johnson
at
jjohn60643@aol.com or 704-377-1740, ext. 14.
z
Suzanne Bledsoe
and
Joel Walters
contributed to an article dealing with wealth
management clients in this week’s Charlotte Observer.
z
Correction: Mike Whitehead
was omitted from the line up of Rotarians
featured in the opening video of Leadership Charlotte’s 25th
Anniversary celebration. The complete lists of participants from
the Club were Katie
Tyler, Mac McCarley, Tim Newman, Anthony Fox
and Mike
Whitehead. Again,
congratulations to Jim
Woodward upon receiving the Lifetime
Achievement Award and to
John Tabor upon receiving the Schley
R. Lyons Circle of Excellence Award.
z
Will Webb, Raycom
Sports provided a brief overview of the upcoming Continental
Tire Bowl, scheduled at Ericsson Stadium on December 27th.
z
Alan Barnhardt
gave an update on one of the environmental
projects supported by our Club, which is a collaborative project
between Carolina Raptor Center and Charlotte Museum of History,
focusing on Eagles and their inter-relationship with mankind.
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NEW MEMBER
BALLOT |
The Classification and
Membership Committee recommend and the Directors approve for
consideration for all members, the following NEW MEMBERS.
Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, please
call the Rotary Office by November 11th. You will be contacted
by a member of the Board. Otherwise, no reply is necessary and
election will proceed according to our
bylaws.
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Edward H. Lewis
Classification: Professional
Basketball
Company: Charlotte Bobcats
Recommended: Tim Newman
Endorsers: Marilynn Bowler & Mike Crum
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Joni M.
Davis
Classification:
Electric-Power-Community Relations
Company:
Duke Energy/Duke Power Co.
Recommended: Bill Hillhouse
Endorsers: Tom Robertson & Hope
Lanier |
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Attendance
Record |
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11/04/03 |
11/04/02 |
| visitors &
guests |
16 |
31 |
| club
members |
195 |
199 |
| total
attendance |
211 |
230 | | |
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Wedding
Anniversaries |
13 Amy and Fred Parker
16 Janeen and Arnie Webb
16 Ruth and Jim Haney
17 Ann and Henry Bostic
17 Chris and Chip Scholz |
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New Members - November |
Mary Ciminelli
Michele Matthews
Ward Matthews |
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| Birthdays and
Birthplaces |
11 Robert Kirk, Maryland
12 Bob Boulware, Lakeland, FL
14 Frank Martin, Asheville, NC
14 Arnie Webb, New Rochelle, NY
16 Ed Pickard, Spencer, NC | |
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