News-Record.com

Welcome to our election blog. For starters, here's a list of candidates and their Web sites:

Mayor
Yvonne J. Johnson
Milton Kern

At-large
Marikay Abuzuaiter
Sidney C. Gray
Kevin Green
Sandra Anderson Groat (i)
Bill Knight
Joel Landau
Robert V. (Robbie) Perkins
Joseph W. Rahenkamp Sr.
Mary C. Rakestraw
Donna Riechmann
Joe W. Venable
Janet M. Wallace
Greg Woodard

District 1
T. Dianne Bellamy-Small (i)
James W. Carpenter Jr.
Tonya Clinkscale
Charles Dayton Coffey
Luther T. Falls Jr.

District 2
Lance A. James
Goldie Wells (i)

District 3
Berkley Blanks
Bobby Coffer
Cyndy Hayworth
Zack Matheny
Joe Wilson

District 4
Mike Barber (i)
David Crawford

District 5
Sandy Carmany (i)
Angela Carmichael
Trudy Wade

Here are some recent posts from elsewhere in the News and Record domain that you may have an interest in:

• Scoop points to some dates to save, including a scheduled tete-a-tete with the mayoral candidates.

• Allen Johnson interviews T. Dianne Bellamy-Small.

• You don't need to drink the Kool-Aid, but would sipping the water kill the candidates?

• Coming soon: early voting.

• And in case you missed it, we've set up an Elections 2007 page that we'll be adding content to as it gets produced.

Cross-posted and expaned from Scoop:

At large council candidate Greg Woodard goes all YouTube on us:

Mayoral candidate Yvonne Johson has also been doing video.

I'm out here in the peanut gallery (okay, Raleigh) but are there any other council candidates using the movin' pictures on the computer box?

Over at Ed Cone's joint, there's a nascent conversation about candidates who blog or have an online presence of another sort and why those that don't might loose some votes.

Taking a look at the Greensboro council candidates, it appears that fewer than half are sporting some sort of online presence.

Of those online, the type of presence is all over the map. They range from incumbent Sandy Carmany's well-established blog to Tonya Clinkscale's odd little application that has text chase your cursor around the screen to a couple of video stars.

Council District 2 is the only race where no candidate has an online presence as of yet, and some, like incumbent Mike Barber, have sites for their professional work but not the campaign.

So, do candidates need to get on the net before you'll get on their bandwagon? Will the type and quality of web presence become a leading indicator like fundraising for how well a candidate is doing in council races this year?

Campaign fund-raiser for Cyndy Hayworth (District 3)

For the last three weeks, I've listened in on our editorial department's interviews with candidates for City Council. So far, 21 candidates have answered questions from Allen Johnson, Doug Clark and others from the editorial department. By Tuesday, we will have finished the other four - and that will mean we've interviewed everyone who faces a primary (except District 3 candidate Bobby Coffer, who has declined to come in for an interview).

The editorial department is gathering info to help make a decision about who gets endorsed. I've been gathering info for various news articles we'll be writing between now and Oct. 9.

The process has been time consuming (each interview takes about 45 minutes), but extremely helpful. Look for our stories to begin in the next two weeks or so.

The title refers to what I would buy if I had a dollar for every time a candidate began an answer with some variation of: "Now this is just my opinion, but ..."

This whole campaign season is all about determining each candidate's fitness to serve in public office.

Physical fitness is another matter.

On that score, however, some contenders do stand out.

Most Greensboro voters may know about the athletic background of former Councilman Robbie Perkins, who's seeking to return to office this year. Perkins was an all-America distance runner at Duke back in the '70s. At 51, Perkins says he still runs about 20 miles a week, although his legs aren't quite what they used to be.

Probably fewer people are aware that newcomer Cyndy Hayworth is a weightlifter who competed internationally. Hayworth, 57, who looks more like a gymnast or figure skater, still lifts weights, bicycles and enjoys other sports.

I don't know about his background in sports, but first-time candidate James Carpenter really showed me some athleticism yesterday when I met him in the N&R lobby for our Editorial Board interview. He literally ran up the long flight of stairs to the second floor, leaving me way behind.

Well, Carpenter's all of 27 years old.

Who are our other "fit" candidates?

George Gilbert, head of Guilford County's election office, explained a bit to me about election finance law when I called him Wednesday about this Milton Kern fundraiser at Natty Greene's.

Companies aren't allowed to donate money to campaigns. So the donation (10 percent of the restaurant's sales on Sept. 26) must come from the owners as individuals.

Oh, that reminds me: We'll be doing stories on candidates' campaign finance reports as they come in.

Since most U.S. Americans don't have maps, you're going to need to know where the Greensboro City Council district lines fall so that you can take part in the municipal elections. Click here to see the map.

By the way, for maps of elsewhere like such as -- maybe The Iraq and U.S. America -- this site is worth checking out. So that we will be able to build up our future, for our children.

Sandra Anderson Groat did exceptionally well for a first-time City Council candidate two years ago, winning more votes than anyone else in the race for three at-large seats. By virtue of that accomplishment, she also earned the title of mayor pro-tem.

Her goal is nothing less the second time around.

"I'd like to be mayor pro-tem again. I'd like to lead the ticket again," Groat said in an Editorial Board interview today.

The dozen other candidates running for at-large seats might have similar ambitions, but we haven't heard any of them say so.

A post on gang violence over at Joe Wilson's blog (he's a candidate in District 3):

"I have hoped for years the black man will stop the genocide that occurs when the male figure leaves the life of his children."

Voter registration forms must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the Guilford County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. Sept. 14 for the primary and by 5 p.m. Oct. 12 for the general election. Find out the details, including how to get forms and where to register, at the Guilford County Board of Elections site.

Early voting for the primary will be at the Old Courthouse, 301 W. Market St., Greensboro, and at the High Point Elections Office, 505 E. Green Dr. Times will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20-21, Sept. 24-28 and Oct. 1-5 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 (in Greensboro only).

Primary poll hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Besides the Greensboro City Council races, the Pleasant Garden Town Council race will require a primary.

You are invited to a reception for
Marikay Abuzuaiter,
Candidate for
City Council At-Large

What: Reception
Why: An opportunity to get to know Marikay Abuzuaiter and learn why she will be an outstanding addition to the Greensboro City Council. (This is NOT a fundraiser.)
When: September 7, 2007 - 5:30 - 7 PM
Where: Home of Judith Abraham, 4917A Tower Road (between Muirs Chapel Road and Dolley Madison Road - if coming from Friendly and downtown, turn left on Muirs Chapel and right on Tower. 4917 is the sixth entrance on left and see the red/white balloons)

Marikay will bring many gifts to our City Council. Among them are her keen insight, listening skills, deep concern for the community and her ability to facilitate change. Her experience includes: community volunteer, sponsor of youth activities, parent and small business owner.

Come learn more about Marikay on September 7th, enjoy some nibbles and meet some new people - a good way to start your week-end!

From a comment over at Scoop:

Due to a conflict with the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress forum on Oct 22 (they had our date but decided to schedule on the same night anyway), The League of Women Voters has rescheduled our Forum for District Candidates who survive the Oct. Primary.

We will hold that forum on Wednesday, Oct 24, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Greensboro College. Cable Channel 14 will be there to cover the forum for broadcast.

In fairness to the GNC, they wanted to have their forum at the Central Library and were unable to schedule a room for another date.