A state ruling last year forbade the city of Raleigh from selling the naming rights of its downtown amphitheater to Bud Light. But the beer has managed to get its name on stage anyway - at least temporarily.
As a sponsor for this weekend's NHL All-Star events, Bud Light has massive banners on both sides of the amphitheater stage. Triangle Politics noticed them Friday morning and dialed up City Manager Russell Allen to see how those jibed with the ABC Commission ruling that blocked the beer name last year.
The verdict: The banners are just temporary. Alcoholic beverages can sponsor events at city facilities, they just can't get permanent naming rights.
"We have sponsorships, and many of those are alcoholic sponsorships," Allen said.
Spreading the word
If you're thinking of running for mayor, it might be a good strategy to start garnering citywide recognition early - say, nine months before the election and six months before filing opens.
That's exactly what Raleigh Councilwoman Nancy McFarlane has done. The District A representative sent out a citywide mailer last week that tells residents about NHL All-Star festivities. The flier details the downtown Raleigh events but makes no mention of McFarlane's North Raleigh district.
It's highly unusual for council members to send such materials in January - McFarlane has never done it before. It's also unusual for council members to do their own public relations blitz for a big event. The city has a public affairs department, which hosted a news conference when the hockey events were unveiled. And most local media outlets have been heavily reporting the festivities.
Political leaders tell Tripol that McFarlane is likely to throw her hat in the ring for mayor if Charles Meeker decides not to seek re-election.
But McFarlane says she simply "wanted to get the word out."
"I was surprised how few people knew what was going on," McFarlane said. "I'm just spreading a good word."
Tedesco move criticized
Last-minute additions to the Wake County student reassignment proposal this week included moving school board member John Tedesco's Garner neighborhood from Creech Road Elementary to Aversboro Elementary.
Tedesco, who proposed the move, said it would fill Aversboro while allowing Creech Road to have smaller classes to help with a new program intended to aid underperforming schools.
Anne Sherron, a community member on Tedesco's student assignment committee, said Tedesco was trying to improve his property value by being assigned to a more affluent school. Seventy-five percent of the students at Creech Road qualify for federally subsidized lunches, compared to 58 percent at Aversboro.
Tedesco's home is in foreclosure proceedings, and he's trying to renegotiate the mortgage.
"I'm trying to help both schools," Tedesco said.
A final vote is scheduled for Tuesday.
Made in Alabama
The Durham City Council got an update this week on the water department's progress on automating city water meters. Water Director Don Greeley said about a quarter of the city's 82,000 residential customers have the high-tech meters, which eliminate the need for meter readers to walk from house to house. He asked for up to $5.1 million to install another 20,500.
Council members appeared inclined to give approval at their next regular meeting, Feb. 7, but Councilman Eugene Brown had one last question about the meters:
"They're not made in China, are they?"
"No," Greeley replied. "Alabama."
Board rated unfavorably
A new poll this week from Public Policy Polling, a Democrat-leaning firm based in Raleigh, suggests that Triangle voters don't like how the Wake County school diversity fight is affecting the state's image.
The poll indicates that 51 percent of Triangle voters have an unfavorable view of the Wake school board compared to 29 percent who have a favorable view. The poll also found that 56 percent of Triangle voters think the Wake school board is giving North Carolina a bad image, compared to 22 percent who think it is giving the state a good image.
Statewide, the poll found that 61 percent of voters didn't know enough about the situation in Wake to have an opinion. But of those who did, 25 percent rated the school board unfavorably and 30 percent thought it was giving the state a bad image.
"It's safe to say no one will be caught asleep at the wheel in regard to this fall's elections the way many were in 2009," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling..
Debnam formed a political action committee in 2009 that unsuccessfully tried to defeat the Wake County school board candidates who went on to eliminate the use of diversity in student assignments.
The poll of 575 North Carolina voters was conducted Jan.20 through Jan. 23. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Political trails
The Harold T. Ellen Harnett County Democratic Men's Club will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Howard's Barbecue in Lillington. Any interested Democrat is welcome to attend. The club generally meets on the first Tuesday of each month. For more information, contact Peter Strickland at 639-8541.
Compiled by staff writers T. Keung Hui, Jim Wise and Ray Martin.
