Introducing Activate America®
Activate America® Background
Kickoff Rally
The Activate Gaston kickoff rally will be held at the Gaston Mall. Everyone is eligible to participate in this program. It is easy to register.
Just drop by the Gaston Mall between the hours of 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Monday, January 14, 2008 and you will be on your way to a healthier you!The kickoff will include:
- FREE T-shirts to the first 1,000 at Gaston Mall
- Registration for Activate Gaston
- First Official Weigh-In
- Activity Demonstrations (Zumba, Body Step, Jazzercise, Yoga, The World’s Strongest Man and more!)
- Free Health Screenings
- Sponsor Booths and much more!
Gaston County’s
Program Description
The Gaston County Family YMCA, CaroMont Health, Gaston County Health Department, Gaston College, Gaston County Schools, Fitness and Nutrition Council and Gaston County Healthcare Commission combined resources to continue their effort to address the growing obestiy epidemic in our area and make Gaston County healthier.
- is a FREE year-round healthy living awareness program that targets youth and adult obesity and related diseases
- encourages participants to accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days per week
- provides Healthy Living information about nutrition, exercise and health education weekly
- sponsors regular weigh-ins and counseling
- presents “Health Talks,” a series of lectures by wellness and medical experts
- challenges everyone, young and old, to begin healthy eating and regular moderate-intensity exercise.
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. It helps control weight and contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints. It helps relieve the pain of arthritis and reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. People of all ages who are generally inactive can impove their health and well being by becoming active at a moderate-intensity on a regular basis.
Group/Company Challenge:
TIF Turns Gaston Into River City
Tax Increment Financing has turned Gaston County cities and towns into the real life example of the movie version, “The Music Man”:
A con artist, “Professor” Harold Hill, comes to a small Iowa town in the early 1900s. He convinces the town that it needs a marching band, taking orders for the necessary instruments and uniforms. He also sells music lessons in advance, concealing the fact that he cannot read or play a note of music. In the process Professor Hill galvanizes the town out of its torpor and falls in love with the local librarian/music teacher. The movie is the original setting for “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Till There Was You.”
We’ve got Trouble… Right here in River City…
An article in the Charlotte Oberserver reports that County manager, Jan Winters has bought into “Big Plan” Jim Palenick’s endorsement of the Big League Dreams program. Where did $23,000 to “study” the project come from? Another tap into the Tourism funds from the hotel/motel tax?
Another trip down the route of issuing municipal bonds without voter approval.
Isn’t “Big Plan” the same guy who questioned the Whitewater Park investment by Gaston area communities? Didn’t Mr. Winters have a dickens of a time dealing with the fallout of the failed Equestrian Center and county finances.
So, what are the differences?
Big League Dreams is a for-profit development firm that primarily builds baseball fields with the target area’s local money, and takes 50% of the profits (if there are any). The project is being sold throughout the United States as a way for cash-strapped communities to have “world class” athletic facilities.
The “target communities” are generally areas that have small parks and recreation budgets — if any at all –, are in areas of unrealized potential — along major highways/transportation corridors, and have attention starved local politicos. Several communities that bought into this project have already had to raise entrance fees — yes, parking/viewing — to meet the for-profit operating budget. Captured events, such as Legion Baseball, the Grizzlies, and any planned event, will have to charge an arm-and-a-leg to meet breakeven points. What guarantees are made by Big League Dreams if the community couldn’t attract major regional or national events?
NONE —
This particular group is asking — demanding, actually (by the business model) — that the target community do the local site research, commit to the fund the construction, and guarantee the construction loan. Then they operate the facilities, and “split” the profits of the facility. The big kicker is that they MUST be able to sell alcohol in their parks. So in essence, the City (and County) in this scheme, want to get a piece of the alcohol sales and profit off of youth sports.
The passage of the Tax Increment Finance law in 2004, has allowed the traveling saleman to flood North Carolina communities with big visions and bigger ideas. Jim “Big Plan” Palenick and Big League Dreams blew in with this passage.
The US National Whitewater Center is a one-of-a-kind, locally volunteer-driven, non-profit organization. It is a planned out, unique destination place that has not yet been duplicated. Significant private investment was pledged and committed PRIOR to public investment.
The community investment in the USNWC is guaranteed by the public investment of tax dollars, which will be tapped this fiscal year, and probably for the next two consecutive years. Is it a lot of money?
In our opinion, sure, but at the same time it is less than the $18 million proposed for the Baseball fields. It is less than the proposed $12.5 million for downtown Gastonia’s “renovation”. For the USNWC, a total of $2.5 million was invested by the Gaston communities (Gastonia, Belmont, Mt. Holly) in the $35 million project.
Was there, or is there, a payback from the Whitewater Center? This past summer, the first year of operation, over 50% of the staff were from Gaston County. Primarly college students and young adults. Several events attracted a world-wide audience and visitors, many of whom stayed in the Holiday Inn Express at exit #27. The center attracted over 400,000 visitors — yes, free, mostly curiousity visitors, many more than the 300,000 anticipated.
So far, the “Big Plan” Jim Palenick public endorsement tally is over $30 million. We have to ask, what is next ?
This traveling salesman scores bigtime in Gaston County. “Big Plan” also scored in Bay City, Michigan and Rio Rancho, New Mexico prior to blowing into Gastonia.
Jim “Big Plan” Palenick At It Again (Updated)
The purpose of planning retreats by local government units, regardless of where they are held, are to express bold ideas and big visions. That purpose is OK with us, however, when those visions run over wonderful programs, spaces, or currently invested projects, it does stir the ire of our front porch visitors, neighbors, and friends.
Jim “Big Plan” Palenick is pot-stirring big time over there in Gastown. He got the golfers upset. Not the country club set, the regular daily joes, who can still find a public space to recreate in their chosen physical activity.
“Big Plan” Jim wants to sell off the 90-acre Gastonia Municipal Golf Course because it costs the city a quarter of a million dollars each year to maintain (and staff).
According to various reports, “it’s used only by people who have an interest in golf…”. ( Observer Article, Gazette commentary )
Duh —
And baseball fields only appeal to people who have interest in baseball. Horseshoe pits only appeal to people who have an interest in horseshoe.
We bet that it costs a pretty penny to operate the baseball fields at Martha Rivers Park (a Gastonia City facility). To be fair, the City of Gastonia DOES allow non-residents to rent the baseball fields for fundraising tournaments and for-profit tournaments. Those events bring money, but also take money out of the town.
What about all those underused recreation buildings? — the Adult Center on Franklin, Phillips Center, and Bradley Center. Is “Big Plan” going to review the viability and reuse options for this sites as well? Since he wants to demolish a relatively new privately financed community service structure in downtown — Salvation Army Shelter — to hid the homeless — the line can be drawn that maybe we should hide the poor kids too.
(Bradley Center, North Modena Street, Gastonia)
Our friends in Gastonia, bless their hearts, had better be watchful of the new city manager. He is getting ready to hang the “For Sale” sign on the City limits. What happened to the city’s comprehensive plan?
Of course, the Gazette agrees with Mr. Palenick’s viewpoint — their opinion being that ONLY THE RICH PEOPLE should be able to play golf on their dime… “…its not like the absence of a public golf course in Gastonia would leave the golfing community high and dry. Gaston County and the surrounding area offer many PRIVATE [emphasis added] courses…”.
Seems like the Gazette would like to make a case for the privatization of most recreational activities – yeah, let’s talk about what private citizen’s decide to do when they don’t have the money any longer in the family to sustain the lifestyle with which they have become accustomed…THEY SELL IT TO DEVELOPERS… great advocacy by the Libertarian Mouthpiece… take away a public amenity that contributes to the quality of life.
(sorry for the flag pole – we deleted it — it wa an overzealous sports editor who is a golf fanatic — Dilbert was chosen as a more appropriate comment)
The Belmont Front Porch 
