Macon County Commissioners Hold Mid-Year Work Session for 2014

The Macon County Commissioners met with selected staff members in the Cecil Groves Center at Southwestern Community College to take stock of where they are and look at options for what they want to accomplish in the coming year. It is the traditional kickoff of the annual budget cycle that will culminate in the approval of a new county budget in the weeks before July 1st.

---

Part One


This video includes the welcome by Chairman Kevin Corbin, a Year in Review by County Manager Derek Roland and EDC Director Tommy Jenkins.

Below is a scanned copy of a handout by Tommy Jenkins, the Director of the Macon County Economic Development Commission that highlights his presentation.

---

Part Two



This video includes the Mid-Year Financial Review by Macon County Finance Director Lori Hall.

Below are scanned copies of the handout that details the Amortization Schedules for two different loan scenarios for the Parker Meadows Recreation Facility, one being 2.48% for ten years and the other 3.19% for fifteen years.

Park1

Parker Meadows Loan Ver 2

---

Part Three

This video includes the introduction of the proposed budget calendar for the 2014-2015 FY by County Manager Derek Roland.

Below is a copy of the budget calendar as presented by Derek Roland.

Proposed FY 2014-2015 Budget Calendar

---

Part Four


This video includes an update on NCACC (North Carolina Association of County Commissioners) presented by County Commissioners Kevin Corbin and Ronnie Beale. There were no handouts with this segment of the meeting.

---

Part Five


This video includes a presentation on the 2015 Tax Revaluation and an update on Tax Collections by Richard Lightner, Director of the Macon County Tax Department.

Below is a copy of the handout he provided during the meeting.

Macon County Tax Collection and Revaluation

Part Six


This video includes a presentation by Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland. There were no handouts during this segment.

---

Part Seven


This video includes a presentation by Emergency Management Director David Key. There was a handout, but it was not made available to the media. I am pursuing getting a copy.

---

Part Eight


This video includes a presentation by Dr. Chris Baldwin, Superintendent of Macon County Schools. About the first ten minutes are missing because I forgot to press record when we came back from break. :(

Below is a scanned copy of his handout.

Capital Outlay Macon County Schools 2014

---

Part Nine


This video includes an update on the NC FAST Software implementation project by Jane Kimsey, Director of the Macon County Department of Social Services.

Below is a scanned copy of a handout she provided at the meeting.

NC FAST Implementation

---

Part Ten


This video includes an update on the IT SAN System upgrade by Macon County IT Director Andy Muncey.

There was a handout during this portion of the meeting, but I missed getting it and am working to obtain a copy.

---

Part Eleven


This video includes the meeting wrap up segment that ended the work session. There were no handouts.

---

The next meeting of the Macon County Commissioners will be on February 11, 2014 at the Macon County Courthouse.

Read More

Franklin Town Board Holds Annual Retreat

The Franklin Town Board held their annual retreat this past weekend to discuss several items of interest to the board and receive several updates from the town manager on some projects the town is working on. I posted a play by play on Facebook [LINK] and recorded video of the entire meeting. The video is posted below for your convenience.



A few photos from Saturday morning...

Read More

Franklin TDA 01-13-2013

The Franklin Tourism Development Authority met last night in the town hall and heard a presentation from Jessica Mason of PRemiere Marketing and Justin Belleme of J&B Media regarding the social media advertising campaign and website maintenance of the Franklin TDA website.

I posted a play by play of the meeting on the Macon Media Facebook page and you can see a video of the entire meeting below:




MEDIA ROLL CALL

Macon Media (me)

Macon County News

If you read about this meeting anywhere else, please note that media outlet has either asked a member of the board what happened or relied on the coverage that me or the reporter from the Macon County News provided.


Here is the press kit and agenda for the meeting that was distributed to members of the board and the media:

Franklin TDA January 2014 Press Kit by Thunder Pig

Read More

Macon County Board of Education 01-09-2014

The Macon County Board of Education had a special called meeting yesterday afternoon. They voted 5-0, after a lengthy discussion, to join the North Carolina School Board Association lawsuit against vouchers. Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin provided an update on Caital Outlay priorities for the coming budget discussion for the 2014-2015 budget.

There was a prolonged dicussion on "Flexibility of Testing" and ramifications of opting out on certain testing would have on future student performance on future tests and the potential imapct on the careers of teachers. The board also discussing the merit pay program for 25% of teachers. All of them are opposed to the idea and the board spent a good deal of time criticizing the NC Legislature.

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be at 6pm on Monday, January 27th at the same location. Dr Baldwin and the Finance Officer have been invited to the January 21st meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners.

Read More

Franklin Aldermen 01-06-201

The Franklin Town Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 7pm for their regular January meeting.

I will be posting a play by play of the meeting on Facebook and will upload the video sometime tomorrow (or the day after if I decide it is too cold to go into in town).

I have the agenda and press kit embedded below, for the purpose of transparency, along with a couple of attachments. Feel free to download them and add them to your records.

TOWN OF FRANKLIN BOARD OF ALDERMEN

AGENDA

JANUARY 6, 2014

7:00 PM

l. Call to order Mayor Bob Scott
2. Adoption of January 6, 20l4 proposed agenda
3. Approval of the December2, 2, 20l3 board minutes
4. Public session
5. New business
A.) Presentation of the 0rder of the Long Leaf Pine to Joe Collins- Mayor Bob Scott
B.) Presentation on Nikwasi Mound- Chief Michell Hicks. Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation
C.) Presentation by Venture Local of Franklin- Mayor Bob Scott
D.) Presentation on Fiscal Year 2012-2013 audit- Martin Starnes Associate
E.) Appointment to the Economic Development Commission- Town Manager Warren Cabe
F.) Appointment the Macon Program for Proposed Board- Town Manager Warren Cabe
G.) Liaisons/Committee Assignments- Mayor Bob Scott
H.) Mayors Town Hall Meetings- Mayor Bob Scott
I.) Road Name request for Technology Drive- Town Manager Warren Cabe
J.) Annexation Request For Macon Program for Progress- Town Manager Warren Cabe
K.) Fire Protection Contract between Macon County and the Town of Franklin- Town Manager Warren Cabe
6. Legal
A.) Application to Amend Text only of the Unified Development Ordinance to add additional permitted uses in Commercial (C-2) zones- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.
B.) Application to Amend Text only of the Uni?ed Development Ordinance for the Board of Adjustment- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.
C.) Closed Session "N.C.G.S. §l43~318.1l(a)(3): To consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged."- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.
7. Announcements
A.) Town Board Retreat will be Saturday January 18, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. in the Town Hall Board Room.
B.) Town Hall O?ces will be closed Monday January 20. 20l4 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
8. Adjourn




Press Kit Jan 6, 2014 Franklin Aldermen

Macon Program for Progress Attachment 1

Macon Program for Progress Attachment 2

Read More

2013 Meeting Index

2013 was quite a year. Here are links to my coverage of the meetings of various local governing boards I provided this past year, with few extra links to some of the other stuff I covered this past year.

I have plans to step up my coverage of local meetings this year and will be expanding to cover things that outside my normal bailiwick. I'm also hoping to launch a news website separate from this blog so I can restart my political blogging here because I really miss doing that everyday and haven't thought it appropriate to post that content here because of my concern that people couldn't tell when I was posting about my opinion or posting a recording of events. 

So, here goes...

2013 MEETING INDEX



FRANKLIN TOWN BOARD OF ALDERMEN

01-07-2013
02-04-2013
03-04-2013
04-01-2013 
04-13-2013 ANNUAL RETREAT
05-06-2013
05-14-2013 BUDGET WORK SESSION
06-01-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this one on the blog)
07-01-2013 
07-30-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH TOWN OF HIGHLANDS AND THE COUNTY
08-05-2013 
09-03-2013 
09-23-2013
10-07-2013 
11-04-2013 VIDEO ONLY  (I forgot to post this one on the blog)
12-02-2013 


MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

01-08-2013 
01-14-2013 
01-19-2013 ANNUAL RETREAT
02-12-2013
02-22-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH PLANNING BOARD
02-26-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION
03-12-2013
04-09-2013 
04-12-2013 
05-14-2013
05-20-2013 MEETING IN HIGHLANDS
05-28-2013 BUDGET SESSION I
05-30-2013 BUDGET SESSION II
06-04-2013 BUDGET SESSION III
07-09-2013
07-30-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH TOWNS OF FRANKLIN AND HIGHLANDS
08-13-2013
09-10-2013
10-08-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this on the blog)
11-12-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this on the blog)
11-26-2013
12-10-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this one on the blog, too)


2013 COUNTY BUDGET PROCESS

01-19-2013 ANNUAL RETREAT (the beginning of the budget process)
05-22-2013 BUDGET MESSAGE
05-28-2013 BUDGET WORK SESSION I
05-30-2013 BUDGET WORK SESSION II
06-04-2013 BUDGET WORK SESSION III

2013 COUNTY BUDGET PROCESS (All videos and documents in one post)


FRANKLIN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

01-14-2013
02-11-2014
03-11-2013
05-13-2013
06-10-2013
07-08-2013
09-16-2013
10-14-2013



MACON COUNTY PLANNING BOARD

02-13-2013 
02-18-2013 WORKSHOP
02-22-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
03-22-2013
05-13-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this on the blog)
05-30-2013
06-20-2013
07-18-2013
08-15-2013
12-12-2013



MACON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

02-25-2013
02-25-2013
02-26-2013 JOINT MEETING WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
03-20-2013 
04-13-2013 
04-21-2013 
05-13-2013
05-28-2013
06-04-2013 BUDGET WORK SESSION WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
07-01-2013 NEW SUPERINTENDENT SWORN IN
07-03-2013
09-23-2013
09-24-2013
10-28-2013 VIDEO ONLY (I forgot to post this on the blog)



OTHER COVERAGE

01-18-2013 COLD FOR A CAUSE
02-15-2013 SMALL ASTEROID EXPLODES OVER RUSSIA
04-16-2013 FLAG RAISING CEREMONY AT BOARD OF EDUCATION 
04-25-2013 BIZWEEK 2013 BANQUET
05-06-2013 LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL SERVICE 
05-21-2013 PUBLIC HEARING ON DUKE ENERGY RATE INCREASE
05-23-2013  USFS PLAN REVISION SESSION
05-27-2013 MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
05-30-2013 HALL MOUNTAIN CELEBRATION

2013 TASTE OF SCOTLAND

BRAVEHEART 5K
OPENING CEREMONY
PARADE OF TARTANS 

07-20-2013 10TH ANNUAL FOLK FESTIVAL
07-26-2013 BOB SCOTT FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN EVENT
08-02-2013 NORTON FARMS GAS LEAK
08-09-2013 LWV "THE SHERIFFS OF MACON COUNTY"
08-19-2013 MARK MEADOWS TOWN HALL
08-27-2013 RONNIE BEALE & JIM DAVIS RECOGNIZED
09-12-2013 GOVERNOR PAT McCRORY IN DILLSBORO
09-12-2013 DAVITA DIALYSIS CENTER RIBBON CUTTING
09-24-2013 LWV & VLF FRANKLIN CANDIDATE FORUM
09-28-2013 2013 TOUR DE FRANKLIN
10-01-2013 NCAE EDUCATION TOWN HALL
10-10-2013 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MAYORAL FORUM
11-05-2013 ELECTION DAY 2013 COVERAGE
11-05-2013 ELECTION RESULTS
11-11-2013 VETERANS DAY
11-22-2013 SECU AWARDS HOSPICE $1 MLN CHALLENGE GRANT

Read More

Weather Update for January 2, 2014

We have some wintry weather possible today and tonight, with more possible late Sunday/Monday and a brutally cold chill coming early next week, so make your preparations now people. Here is what I posted on the weather page I maintain on facebook

:

Post by Macon County Public Safety, Road Conditions and Weather Updates.

Read More

Melissa Faetz is Region 8 Teacher of the Year

Melissa Faetz of South Macon Elementary has been named Teacher of the Year in Region 8 of the North Carolina School system that covers the western region of the state. She found out this afternoon at a surprise announcement at a school gathering in the gymnasium at the school where she teaches first grade.

She is currently the Teacher of the Year for Macon County.


Here is the video and a few photos from the event.

Read More

Macon County Planning Board December 2013 Meeting

The Macon County Planning Board held their last meeting of the year yesterday, and the video and supporting documents are posted below. Jimmy Goodman was replaced with Ben Lassiter on the board.


MEDIA ROLL CALL

Macon Media was the only member of the press present at the meeting. There was also no one from the public at the meeting.

The next meeting of the planning board is tentatively scheduled for January 16, 2014 at 4pm, where they will begin looking at the Macon County Comprehensive Plan. I have embedded a copy of it below so you can download it for your records.

Macon County Comprehensive Plan

Read More

2013 Winter Weather Awareness Week is December 8-14th

This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week [Alternate Link] in North Carolina and I would like to focus on the NOAA Weather Radio as a tool to alert people to potentially severe weather.

Unlike outdoor sirens, all-hazards radios save lives by alerting people who are indoors when severe weather approaches. They can also alert people in homes, schools and businesses to other types of emergencies.

These radios provide constant, useful and up-to-date weather information. They are equipped with a special alarm tone that will sound an alert and give immediate information in a life-threatening situation.

During an emergency, the National Weather Service will interrupt routine weather radio programming and broadcast a special tone that activates weather radios, by county, in the listening areas.While they are primarily used for severe weather alerts, authorities can also use these radios to issue warnings about other types of hazards, such as chemical spills or biological hazards. The hearing and visually impaired can also get these warnings by connecting weather radios to other attention-getting devices such as strobe lights, pagers, bed-shakers, personal computers and text printers.

The NOAA Transmitters that cover Macon County are:

WWG82 in Robbinsville, NC operating on 162.525 Mhz
Coverage Map

KXI81 in Clayton, GA operating on 162.450 Mhz 

Coverage Map

Here is an example of a NOAA Weather Radio in action from March 2, 2012 in Franklin, NC. [The alarm goes off in the background beginning at the 25 second mark in the audio]

The SAME Code to program into your radio for Macon County is 037113. You will have to consult the manual for your particular radio on how to program it. If you do not have a manual for your radio, please let us know in the comments by telling us what kind of radio you have and what the model number is and we will assist you as best we can.

If you do not live in Macon County, please consult this map for information on NOAA transmitters where you live.

For more information on the NOAA Weather Radio program, please visit the National Weather Service website.

Read More

Franklin Aldermen 12-02-2013

Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen 

Meeting Agenda

Monday December 2, 2013 -7:00 p.m. 

1. Oath of Office for Mayor and Aldermen- Macon County Clerk of Court Vic Perry
2. Call to Order- Mayor Bob Scott
3. Appointment of Mayor Pro Tempore
4. Approval of the November 4, 2013 board minutes.
5. Public session
6. New business
   • Message from Mayor Bob Scott.
   • Application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for Outdoor Display of Goods- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland.
   • Application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for the Board of Adjustment- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland.
   • Approval of the 2014 Town Board Regular Meeting Schedule- Town Manager Warren Cabe.
   • Approval of the 2014 Town of Franklin Holiday Schedule- Town Manager Warren Cabe.
   • Discussion on Committee Appointments- Mayor Bob Scott
   • Update on Land Trust for the Little Tennessee- Town Manager Warren Cabe.
   • Update on North Carolina Department of Transportation Prioritization Projects- Town Manager Warren Cabe.
   • Resolution Authorizing the Town Clerk to Investigate the Sufficiency of a Voluntary Annexation Petition- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland.
   • Special Use Application for Wireless Telecommunications Tower Improvements at 90 Cunningham Road- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   • Discussion on 2014 Town Board Retreat- Town Manager Warren Cabe.
7. Announcements
   • Winter Wonderland will be December 6 and December 13, 2013 from 5:00 -8:00 p.m.
   • Town Employee Luncheon will be December 20, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. at Fat Buddies.
   • Town Offices will be closed December 24, 25, and 26, 2013 for Christmas.
8. Adjourn

Here is the video, press kit and some photos from last night's meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen:


Video of the December 2, 2013 meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen. Includes the swearing in of new Mayor Bob Scott, as well as new Aldermen Barbara McRae and Patti Halyburton Abel. Alderman Billy Mashburn is sworn in for another term.

Vic Perry, Clerk of Court for Macon County, swears in Bob Scott as the new Mayor of the Town of Franklin while Nancy Scott holds the Bible.

Vic Perry, Clerk of Court for Macon County, swears in Barbara McRae as a new Alderman for the Town of Franklin.

Vic Perry, Clerk of Court for Macon County, swears in Patti Halyburton Abel as a new Alderman for the Town of Franklin while her daughter Rylie and husband Donnie holds the Bible.

Vic Perry, Clerk of Court for Macon County, swears in Billy Mashburn for another term as Alderman while Dinah, his wife, holds the Bible.

The swearing in ceremonies in the town hall were subject to intense scrutiny by an army of photographers.

The Press Kit for this meeting is embedded below for your convenience and in the interest of promoting transparency in local government. Please feel free to download it.

Franklin Aldermen Press Kit 12-02-2013 by Thunder Pig

Read More

Macon County Commissioners Tap Derek Roland For County Manager

Front: Derek Roland, who starts his new job as Macon County Manager on December 16th.

Back: (L-R) Commissioners Ron Haven, Ronnie Beale, Kevin Corbin, Jimmy Tate and Paul Higdon

The Macon County Commissioners met tonight for less than half an hour, most of which was spent by the commissioners taking everyone through their thought process of selecting Macon County native Derek Roland to be the new manager of Macon County, then they voted 5-0 to offer the job of Macon County Manager to Derek Roland.



He will start his new job on December 16, 2013 and his base pay will be $100,000 a year and he will be allowed $500 a month for travel expenses. He will work out a notice with the Town of Franklin, where he is currently the Town Planner.

MEDIA ROLL CALL

Here is a list of the local media organizations present at the meeting:
Macon Media -- Bobby Coggins
The Franklin Press -- Jessica Waters
Macon County News -- Brittney Burns

The Town website has a short bio of Derek that I will re-post here:

Derek Roland is a native of Macon County. Upon graduation from Franklin High School, Roland attended Western Carolina University, receiving a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Law in 2007. In the two years following his graduation, Roland worked for Unique Properties as a North Carolina licensed real estate broker. In 2009 he assumed the position of Macon County Planner, where he proudly served until March of 2012. Roland was hired by the Town of Franklin as Planner in late March 2012, and looks forward to serving the citizens of the municipality for years to come. Currently, Roland is completing his Masters Degree in the field of Public Administration at Western Carolina University. Roland is a member of the Franklin Rotary Club and was named Macon County Citizen of the Year for 2011.

Read More

SECU Foundation Awards Local Hospice House Foundation A $1 Million Challenge Grant

Yesterday, the SECU Foundation awarded the Hospice House Foundation of WNC a million dollar challenge grant to help with the $3.8 million dollar project of establishing a six bed hospice facility in the old Dryman HOuse on Maple Street. The Hospice House Foundation is challenged to promptly raise $2.2 million before actually receiving the funds. The
House will include six spacious private patient suites, residential style living areas and other amenities including a family kitchen, dining room, chapel and exterior gardens. In honor of SECU Foundation’s challenge grant to HHF’s Capital Campaign, the facility will be named SECU Hospice House of Western North Carolina.


The Hospice House will need your help to raise the additional $2.2 million. If you are interested, please send your tax deductible donations to:

Hospice House Foundation of WNC
PO Box 815
Franklin, NC 28744

You can visit the Hospice House website at hhfwnc.org to learn more about their mission and even see their event calendar.

To learn more about the SECU Foundation, please visit their website at www.ncsecufoundation.org

Here is video taken at the event.





Here are some photos from the event:

Read More

MAVEN Launch Coverage

The newest mission to Mars, MAVEN, will be launching today at 1:28pm EST...provided the weather holds. I have embedded a video player that will show the launch live. I will replace with a recorded video of the launch later today. Below that is some information about the mission, beginning with a PSA by LeVar Burton.


More about the mission below:

MAVEN stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN





Mission Briefing:

Features on Mars resembling dry riverbeds and the discovery of minerals that form in the presence of water indicate that Mars once had a thicker atmosphere and was warm enough for liquid water to flow on the surface. However, that thick atmosphere was somehow lost to space. Scientists suspect that over millions of years, Mars lost 99% of its atmosphere as the planet’s core cooled and its magnetic field decayed, allowing the solar wind to sweep away most of the water and volatile compounds the atmosphere once contained.

The goal of MAVEN is to determine the history of the loss of atmospheric gases to space, providing answers about Martian climate evolution. By measuring the rate with which the atmosphere is currently escaping to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes, scientists will be able to infer how the planet's atmosphere evolved over time. MAVEN will have four primary scientific objectives:

•Determine the role that loss of volatiles to space from the Mars atmosphere has played through time.
•Determine the current state of the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the solar wind.
•Determine the current rates of escape of neutral gases and ions to space and the processes controlling them.
•Determine the ratios of stable isotopes in the Martian atmosphere.

MAVEN is expected to reach Mars in September 2014. By then, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on board the Curiosity rover will have made similar surface measurements from Gale crater, which will help guide the interpretation of MAVEN's upper atmosphere measurements. MAVEN's measurements will also provide additional scientific context with which to test models for current methane formation in Mars.

More information can be found on the mission page at NASA. 

Read More

NCDOT Now November 14, 2013

This week on “NCDOT Now”:

•The leaves haven’t even finished changing color yet, and we’ve already seen snow flurries in parts of the state. See how our crews prepared for this first brush with winter weather.

•This time last year, NCDOT lost one of its own in a tragic accident on N.C. 12 in Dare County. We’ll show you how Brad Stevenson’s co-workers, family and friends created a lasting memorial in his honor at the maintenance yard where he worked.

•NCDOT dedicated the new I-85 bridge over the Yadkin River last week to veterans who have served our country in the past and those who continue to serve today. Hear why Secretary Tata said the bridge is a proper symbol to honor their sacrifice.

•Riding the train in North Carolina just got even easier. Find out how our new website makes buying your tickets quicker and more convenient.


“NCDOT Now” is posted every week. A video podcast version is available via iTunes. People with digital media players, such as iPods or iPads, as well as smartphones, can download “NCDOT Now” directly to their devices and play them back anytime, anywhere and get automatic updates of new programs. Subscribe for free by clicking here.

“NCDOT Now” is also available on the department’s YouTube page. Current and past editions of the broadcast are easily accessible by clicking on “Playlists” and selecting “NCDOT Now.”

An RSS feed of the program is also offered for those who want to subscribe and receive automatic updates via email each time a new edition is posted.

Read More

Beyond Earth: Removing the Barriers to Deep Space Exploration A Panel Discussion Hosted by Marshall Institute and the Space Enterprise Council

It has been a while since I've had time to post something just for the fun of it, so here goes...

On Tuesday, November 12, the Marshall Institute and the Space Enterprise Council convened a panel discussion to consider the challenges facing the U.S. space exploration program.

William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, moderated the panel.

Panelists included:

• Julie Van Kleeck, Vice President, Space Programs, Aerojet Rocketdyne
• Charlie Precourt, Vice President & General Manager, ATK Space Launch Division
• John Elbon, Vice President & General Manager, Boeing Space Exploration
• Jim Crocker, Vice President & General Manager, Civil Space, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Video of the panel discussion is below.

Read More

2013 Election Results Infographic: The Pie Chart Edition

Those of you who know me know how much I love the opportunity to express data in visual formats, like charts and maps and so on. So, here are a series of graphs showing the results of Tuesday's election in visual terms.

Most of the pie charts should be self-explanatory, but I added a brief description below most of them anyway.

Mayor Results




Vote split between the different Aldermen. People could vote for a maximum of three candidates in this race.


Voter Turnout expressed as a percentage.


Voter participation in the Aldermen races. There are 2618 registered voters and there was a maximum number of 7854 possible votes in those races, so if someone only voted for one or two Aldermen, there other votes still counted as not participating in the election.

Voter participation in the Mayoral race. I counted the three write ins as not participating because the votes were not cast for a declared candidate.

Votes by method of voting in the Mayoral race:

Votes by method of voting in the Aldermen races (in order of finish):

Read More