Now be patient, ‘cause here’s the scoop:

In 2007, the Method Civic League voted to partner with the J.T. Locke Resource Center. That September, the Method Civic League petitioned the Raleigh City Council on behalf of the Center for two things: 1) Free space to temporarily house the tutorial program; and, 2) funds to purchase a permanent facility. I understand from inside sources that the process to get the space was like pulling hen’s teeth! But by April 2008, the City awarded the Center a contract for the use of free space at the Method Recreation Park. You know how the Parks and Recreation (P&R) folks are about their “Country Clubs”. Needless to say, they were none too happy about it! Truth be told, they’re still trying to get the metallic taste of their blood out of their mouths!!!

For those of you who don’t know, the JT Locke Resource Center is a non-profit that is designed to help build and support the whole family. Its flagship program is the tutorial program that’s offered free of charge to children from economically challenged homes.

Well, an interesting thing happened while they were trying to get the free space: Lawrence Wray, Deputy City Manager (a.k.a. “The Keeper of the Purse”) and Diane Sauer, P&R Supervisor (a.k.a. “Manager of the city’s Country Clubs”) made a site visit to the program November 2007. Mr. Wray was so impressed with the program and that is when he wrote a check with his mouth that the city knows they are obligated to honor. Mind you, neither he nor Ms. Sauer (the Country Clubs Manager) has ever denied that he promised to roll money over from one of P&Rs programs (uh, that’d be the T.O.P.S. program) into the tutorial after the 6-month evaluation of the Center’s program. If they found the tutorial was growing they would get the money from T.O.P.S. Well, it grew and the city has tried to renege on Wray’s promise.

They say you can’t fight city hall. Fact is, you can but when they know they have to do something like part with money and they don’t want to they will go to Plan B – bludgeon you with unproductive meetings and nonsensical babblings. This is what the Founder of J.T. Locke Resource Center and the Method Civic League (MCL) President has discovered. But LOOK OUT! Now the college mentor/tutors with the tutorial program have had ENOUGH! Catherine Gaskins, a Political Science major at Shaw U. is going to be their spokesperson and confront the City Council about the “The Keeper of the Purse’s” verbal promissory note. (By the way, the tutorial program actually has embodied participants!) A word of caution to Catherine: Your illustrious mayor can display the temperament of a camel when annoyed! Oooo! (Ha! Ha!) But Ms. Hazel says, “Don’t be scarred, young lady!”

In case any of you don’t want to the “wait-to-view version” of the meeting, c’mon down to City Hall on Tuesday, February 3rd at 7:00p for the meeting. But get there at 6:30p to get a good seat! Oh yeah, leave your popcorn and drinks at home. No snacking in the City Council Chambers! Gum is optional.

Your roving reporter,
Hazel Lee