Fisher Park Neighborhood Association
Minutes of 2012 Annual Meeting
November 17, 2013
FPNA President Don Smith welcomed neighbors in attendance and thanked all the
committee members for their volunteer time. He added a special thanks to Ann Stringfield
for her many efforts to enrich the neighborhood. He reported that the Board reviewed 20
COA applications over the year. A concerted attempt was made to be helpful to applicants
rather than adversarial and judgmental.
Guest Speakers: Don introduced Walker and Dabney Sanders. Dabney spoke about the
Downtown Greenway as a capital investment for the city. With 6.5 million spent to date,
Greensboro is enjoying over $200 million in completed and planned investment. The
Greenway will feature four cornerstones, all with a theme important to Greensboro. Themes
are tradition, innovation, motion, and freedom. Walker Sanders talked about the reasons
behind the building of the Performing Arts Center. After two failed attempts to raise funds
for the War Memorial, another solution to Greensboro performance space was needed. A
group of citizens came up with a plan for a flexible 3000 seat venue that can accommodate
symphonic performances, Broadway shows, and rock concerts. The private sector has
stepped up to help pay for the 50/50 partnership with the City of Greensboro. In addition to
the indoor venue, there will be a large screen in LeBauer Park that can stream concerts live
in the park. This option will be attractive and affordable for families. In March a full
rendering of the building will be unveiled. Construction begins next fall and is estimated to
be completed by March 2016.
Treasurer’s Report: Laura Way reported that there is $17,036 in the checking account.
The annual budget is $3,761. She is projecting that the Association will come in under
budget. She urged everyone to make a donation and buy luminaries, as they are the main
source of income for the Association.
Park Committee: Bill Sutton ran though the major accomplishments of the committee
including four successful workdays, the park azalea project and numerous walk-throughs
with the City.
Programming: Nancy Doll reviewed the events of the year-to-date including the Easter Egg
Hunt, June Social, and Halloween Parade and Party. She urged everyone to attend the kit
building party on December 4. The goal is to have every block lit up. She thanked the Iron
Hen and the Corner Slice for the refreshments.
Communications: Adeline Talbot announced that Walker and Dabney Sanders will host the
Luminaria Open House. Ann Stringfield reported that 875 Fisher Park Newsletters are
delivered quarterly to residents of the neighborhood. She thanked the 36 Block Captains
who make this possible. The Fisher Park Neighborhood archives have been donated to the
UNCG Archives and will be accessible during all of UNCG Jackson Library hours. The
Communications Committee also manages the listserv and the Facebook page.
Survey Results: Laura Way and Adeline Talbot talked about the need to have a long-term
vision to grow the FPNA endowment housed at the Community Foundation. Laura gave a
summary of the results of the survey that include the four most important things people
value about the neighborhood. They include 1) the Park, 2) sense of community 3) lighting,
traffic, safety, 4) housing value. The full survey results are available on the Fisher Park
website.
Governance Report: Raymond Large said that he is in the process of reviewing the by-laws
of the Association.
Incoming President’s Remarks: Raymond Large said he has grown to love Fisher Park
over the last five years he has lived in the neighborhood and is looking forward to serving
the neighborhood as President. He thanked Don Smith for his leadership over the previous
year.
Election of New Board Members: The following three persons were elected for a threeyear term beginning January 2014 and expiring at end the 2016; Cynthia Holzheimer, Ann
Bowers, and Ellen Sheridad.
Laura Way conducted a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses. The businesses
included Deep Roots, Zeto’s, CafeAgency, and the Greenhill and Greensboro Children’s
Museum.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:13 pm. Refreshments and
social time followed.