McFarlane gets face time with Obama

New Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane got a surprise invitation while she was in Washington, D.C., this month for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The White House invited McFarlane and eight other mayors to meet President Barack Obama prior to a larger gathering. Each mayor was ushered into a room to shake hands and take an individual photo.

"Considering how many people want some of his time, I was extremely honored to be asked to do that," McFarlane said.

McFarlane said she had a few seconds to tell Obama about Raleigh. The president told her to call anytime she needs help.

Other mayors invited to the special reception included Democrats Joe Riley of Charleston, S.C., Annise Parker of Houston and Jonathan Rothschild of Tucson. McFarlane is unaffiliated but won election in October with the backing of Democrats.

Council members honored

Two Raleigh City Council members were honored this week by WakeUP Wake County, a group that advocates for responsible growth.

Russ Stephenson and Thomas Crowder received the Voice of Good Growth Award and Community Engagement Award, respectively.

Stephenson, an architect, has taken a lead role on a proposed city development code that will encourage compact, walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods. He now leads the City Council's comprehensive planning committee.

Crowder, also an architect, worked with neighbors in his southwest Raleigh district to get input for thecity's 2030 comprehensive plan. For years, he has led monthly gatherings of District D residents to keep them informed.

Developers often criticize the pair for being too nitpicky. But Stephenson and Crowder were on friendly turf at WakeUP's annual meeting, attended by more than 200 members and several Democratic lawmakers.

Awards also went to greenways advocate Sig Hutchinson; Wake County Commissioner Erv Portman; outgoing Wendell Mayor Harold Broadwell; the Durham Orange Friends of Transit coalition; the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and volunteer Helen Cleereman of Garner.

School board donors

Campaign-finance and tax reports are still coming in, but the numbers so far indicate that a North Raleigh couple were the biggest donors in last fall's hotly contested Wake County school board races.

Reports show that pharmaceutical management consultants Ann and John Campbell combined to give $70,000 last year to the five Democratic-backed school board candidates, the Wake County Democratic Party and Wake Citizens for Good Government, a political action committee that heavily supported Democrats.

Next up among the big donors is businessman Art Pope and his wife Katherine, who combined to give $55,100 to the Republican school board candidates and the Wake County Republican Party. Not included here is the money that Pope may have provided through Civitas Action, which is largely funded by his family and which spent $29,565 on the school board elections.

Other big donors include businessman Bob Luddy, who gave $34,000 to the GOP school board candidates and the Wake Republican Party, and Capitol Broadcasting CEO Jim Goodmon, who gave $19,000 to the Democratic school board candidates and the Wake Democratic Party.

Beasley joins Durham race

Track coach and bail bondsman Omar Beasley has put himself in contention for a seat on the Durham Board of County Commissioners.

Beasley registered his Committee to Elect Omar Beasley with the Durham County Board of Elections on Monday. He also has a campaign Facebook page at on.fb.me/y6hMfH.

A registered Democrat, Beasley is a former officer of the Durham Bail Bond Alliance and an assistant track coach at Jordan High School. He also coaches the Carolina Elite Track & Field Club.

Candidate filing for Durham's 2012 elections opens Feb. 13.

Political trails

State Sen. Josh Stein will speak to the Wake Democratic Men's Club on Feb. 13 at the Clarion hotel in downtown Raleigh. Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by a plated dinner served at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. RSVP for dinner to wakedemmen@wakedems.org no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting.