Building Inclusive Communities

Visit the Amazing Cities Blog

2007-03-29T22:17:00.000-04:00

To all who have supported the Inclusive Communities Blog, please join me at http://amazingcities.blogspot.com. Amazing Cities is an outgrowth of my work with the Inclusive Communities Partnership at the National League of Cities. I believe that it represents a logical growth and maturing of my work in local government.

I have enjoyed the world of blogging and I believe that it has helped shape my vision for Amazing Cities.

Please visit www.amazingcities.org for a complete description of this new frontier in local governance.

Reno, the biggest little city

2006-12-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

My visit to Reno, Nevada for the National League of Cities Congress of Cities Conference was a little bittersweet as it was my last official duty as President of the National League of Cities. I can honestly say that my tenure as President was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. Going to Reno was exciting and I knew that they would do a great job in hosting our event. Mayor Bob Cashell was a great host and his enthusiasm was infectious. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The sessions were great and the closing event was one of the nicest I have ever attended. My room was great and my family really enjoyed "living" in the Presidential Suite. It was on the 38th floor and had a great view of Reno.

One of the nicest parts of the Reno trip was having my family with me. We got to spend a lot of time together and really had a great time. We even had a stretch limo to the airport.

The following is an article that I wrote for Nation's City Weekly:

A Truly Great Year — My Tenure as NLC President
by James C. Hunt“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it — but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”This quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes best sums up my year as President of the National League of Cities. After my travels throughout our great country and my visits with thousands of fellow city officials, I must tell you that I am so proud of the work that has taken place this year. We have fought many valiant battles and achieved many significant successes, but it is the direction in which the National League of Cities is moving that I am most proud. Cities face some of the most formidable obstacles in the history of our country and yet we move forward on behalf of our citizens with an attitude of teamwork.The renewal of the Voting Rights Act was an achievement that signaled a renewed commitment to building a country that can proudly state, “We the People.” I stood on the lawn of the White House with Mayor James Perkins Jr., of Selma, Ala., and we reflected how the mantle had passed and there is a new generation to continue the struggle of human rights. We also made significant progress with the increase in funding for the Community Development Block Grant program. Our success in lobbying our federal partners was proof of the value of a strong national organization. We joined with others in a broad coalition to reverse a seven year decline in funding and provide needed community development funds to our cities. The voice of cities was heard loud and clear from the smallest village to Washington, D.C. This effort has to be sustained if we are to have success in the future.I made a personal commitment to represent the National League of Cities in an honorable manner and to dedicate my time towards achieving our shared vision of Building a Nation of Inclusive Communities. My travels took me through more than 40 airports and I was literally “above the earth” for more than two weeks. I was received by thousands of city officials with open arms and unbelievable hospitality. My interactions with our members will be the memories that I will take with me from this year. A quiet dinner in Portland, Maine, a country concert in Hot Springs, Ark., a ballgame in Denver and hundreds of other special memories. The National League of Cities is a community of special people, who love their communities and work hard to make them better.The growth of the Inclusive Communities Program has been heart warming to me. We started with a blank sheet of paper and a vision. Through the work of countless individuals, this effort has built a foundation that will far outlive my year as President. Millions of citizens have already been touched by our program and it continues to build and develop. It has not always been easy, but I am proud of the fact that the National League of Cities took a stand. I spent hours on the phone with local reporters from cities considering joining the effort. It was sometimes controversial, but we stood our ground and made the “Power of We” a true power. We did this together. And finally, one of my last trips as President of the National League of Cities was to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the United Cities and Local Governments meeting. I was heartened to learn that the inclusive communities movement is one that is being embraced throughout the world. We each have a role and I am proud that the National League of Cities is joining this effort to break down walls and barriers and create a world of peace and opportunity for all. We must not be an isolationist and think that we can live above the fray. As the Dali Lama said, “Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.”On a personal note, my year as President of the National League of Cities has been one that required a tremendous sacrifice from my family and my city. My grass did not always get cut and the suitcase was rarely put away in the attic. I did learn to manage my time better and I found that sleep is a highly overrated activity. My brother continues to bravely battle his illness and he remains my inspiration. My wife and children were a great support and made the year one that I will never forget. It has been my humble honor to serve as President of our great organization and I am forever indebted to our staff and members.

West Virginia Public Radio

2006-12-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

I was interviewed this week by Beth Vorhees on West Virginia Public Radio. If you would like to hear the interview you can click on: http://www.wvpubcast.org/radio/newsroom/default.asp

2006-11-30T00:35:00.000-05:00

A few more pictures of Alaska. As you can see, the snow was falling and accumulated to about three feet. I've gotten a few e-mails from league members in Alaska and they say that it is still unusally snowy. My wife and sister-in-law, Susan had also never visited Alaska and I think we got a good taste of what most Alaskans deal with every year. We did bring the right clothes and the cold was really not a big problem. One thing that I learned was that Juneau is fairly landlocked and the only way to travel to other parts of Alaska is by plane or ferry.

You can see that snow removal takes a while on the narrow streets of Juneau. While we did eat at some great restaurants we did make a stop at the local McDonalds. We also ate at the world famous Red Dog Saloon. The ribs were great!!!

More pics from Morocco

2006-11-30T00:10:00.000-05:00

I've been having trouble getting my pictures uploaded but I think Ihave it worked out. The pictures are from the "old" city and from the Hotel Mansour. It is really like two different worlds in Marrakech. The old city is dominated by carts and mules and small shops, while the hotel was like a top flight resort in Florida. The middle picture is of my wife Pam, Mayor Clarence Anthony of South Bay, Florida and Carol Borut, the wife of Don Borut, the Executive Director of the National League of Cities. The weather was in the low 70's and the pool was a little bit cool.

I'll have some more pictures of Juneau coming soon.

Municipal Leader of the Year

2006-11-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Link to article: http://americancityandcounty.com/

Today is a real highlight of my life. I have known for about six weeks that I was selected as the American City and County Magazine's "Municipal Leader of the Year". I am quite humbled by this unique honor. I have read the American City and County Magazine for many years and have always enjoyed it's coverage of municipal issues. Likewise, I would read with interest the stories on the past Municipal Leaders of the Year. Friends like Mayor Bob Knight of Wichita, Kansas and Mayor Don Plusquellic of Akron, Ohio have won the award in the past and I could honestly never imagine being chosen.

I was especially excited because very few councilmembers have ever been chosen for this award and very few officials from cities the size of Clarksburg have ever received the award. I think that this truly points out the power of the Inclusive Communities Program. I believe that we have created a program that far surpasses any one individual. I am so appreciative of the many people that have helped with the Inclusive Communities Program. They are the true Leaders of the Year.

One funny thing about the award was that I was receiving e-mails and calls from throughout the country congratulating me on the award and I had not seen the article. It was really hard when I spoke to people who had the magazine and I was too embarassed to admit that I didn't have a copy of the article yet. I guess when they distribute magazines, West Virginia is not on the first round of deliveries. I did get my copy today and I have to say it is really odd, looking at a magazine, with your picture on the front cover.

I am one of the most fortunate people in the world. I am so grateful to be associated with such a great organization as the National League of Cities. The members and staff of NLC are dedicated and committed public servants. I have always been proud to represent the National League of Cities.

I can't imagine a better year and one that I will never forget.

North to Alaska

2006-11-26T20:51:00.000-05:00

One of the trips that I looked forward to all year was the trip to Juneau, Alaska. I think everyone wonders what Alaska is like and what type of people live in our largest state. The flight into Juneau was one that I will never forget. We left Seattle, Washington on our way to Ketchican. The plane made three attempts to land in a blinding snowstorm and was successful on the third. The runway was covered and the snow was not letting up. We left for Juneau and after one attempt at a sideways landing, the pilot wisely headed to Anchorage. We slept in the airport and left for Juneau at 6:00AM the next morning. Juneau is normally very rainy and the snow was unusual according to the locals. The sun was barely up at around 8:00AM and the couple that we shared a cab said that it might be the last time that we saw the snow. They were right!!!

The people were very nice and really liked to talk. My good friend Kevin Ritchie acted as our guide and took us to the Mendenhall Glaicer and other sites. Kevin is the former Executive Director of the Alaska Municipal League and is a really great guy. We got to visit his home and had lunch overlooking Downtown Juneau. He has a really nice home and he is training a new Golden Retriever puppy.

Alaska is really all that everyone says it is. The beauty of the snow covered mountains is something that I will never forget. We got to see several eagles and apparently this was not unusual. The snow was about three feet deep and it really gets you in the mood for Christmas. I don't know if I could take it all winter, but it was really nice to walk down snow covered streets and just enjoy the scenary.

All in all, it was a very nice visit to Alaska.

Marrakech, Morocco

2006-11-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments(UCLG) in Marrakech, Morocco. It was a wonderful trip and one that was different than any I had ever made.

Marrakech (مراكش marrākiš), or Marrakesh known as the "Pearl of the South," is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakech is a Berber word; it could mean the country of God (murt 'n akush), but this is unproven as there are many other interpretations. Marrakech is located at 31°37′60″N, 8°0′0″W Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also hosts the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna.

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech has two main divisions: the old city (médina) and the modern city.

Marrakech is an unbelieveable city with so much life and activity. Walking down a narrow street in the Medina(town square) gives you the feeling of going back in time. Things seem to be the same as it was centuries ago. It is the most exotic place I have ever visited and blends a modern city with the historic past. I was naturally concerned with the reception that we would receive, since Morocco is a Muslim country. It could not have been better and I think I learned, once again, not to believe everything you hear on the news. They were very welcoming and I had the opportunity to meet several public officials from Morocco. I also met the Mayor of Beirut, Lebanon and he has been working on rebuilding his city since the recent bombing from Israel. He told us that Beirut has around 400 bridges and that over half were destroyed.

There is an international movement concerning Social Inclusion and I attended a committee meeting on this issue. They were quite interested in the Inclusive Communities Program of the National League of Cities and I hope to be engaged with them in the future.

I'll post some pictures and some additional comments in the upcoming days.

Virginia and North Carolina

2006-10-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

I spent several hours driving to Virginia and then on to North Carolina on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I first went to Virginia Beach and it has really changed since my last visit. They have just competed a new Hilton Beachfront Hotel and a new Convention Center. I stayed at the Hilton, but to be honest, I really didn't get to enjoy the huge flat screen tv and the brand new room. I go in late and checked out at 7:00AM. The beach was beautiful, as usual, but the visit was so short that I didn't get to appreciate the experience. I saw several old friends and appeared on the program with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. Tim is a former city council member from Richmond, Virginia and seems like a very compentent governor. Virginia is unusual in that the governor is restricted to serving only one term. This is very unusual in the United States. It really makes you focus on getting things done in a relatively short time.

I left Virginia around noon on Monday and headed for Greensboro, North Carolina for the North Carolina League Conference. I attended the Annual Banquet on Monday evening and got to see a former National League of Cities President, Ferd Harriston of Scotland Neck, North Carolina. Ferd has the distinction of being the NLC President from the smallest city. I believe that I am from the third smallest city, with Clarence Anthony from South Bay, Florida being second. Us little towns have to stick together!!! Ferd is in his eighties and is showing his age a little. He is still a pretty sharp dresser and still has a lot of friends at the North Carolina League. I was a little amazed that I knew as many people in North Carolina as I did.

One odd thing when I visit North Carolina is that people always give you a doubletake when I say my name is Jim Hunt. Jim Hunt was a popular Governor and United States Senator from North Carolina.

I stopped in Winston-Salem on my way home to participate in a ceremony for the Inclusive Communities Program. It was a really nice event, with many members of the community participating in the event. They renovated the City Hall in Winston-Salem about four years ago and it is a very impressive building. I really think that the Inclusive Communities program is going to do great things in Winston-Salem.

On the way out of town, I passed RJ Reynolds Co. Tobacco is still really big in North Carolina and you can actually smell the tobacco in the air.

After a safe drive home, I looked at my odometer and I had gone over 1000 miles in just three days.

National Public Radio

2006-10-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to be a guest commentator on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday of this week. It was quite an interesting experience since I only found out about it at 1:45PM on Tuesday and the show was aired later that day at 5:20PM. If you would like to listen to my commentary, please visit the following link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6284896

I recorded the segment at the studio of WFDD Public Radio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The station is located on the campus of Wake Forest University. They linked me to a studio in Washington, DC and as I read the commentary, the producer stopped me and to give me advice on how to make it sound more condusive to radio.

The program airs throughout the United States and I have received several calls and e-mails from friends who heard the show.

Visiting Lake Tahoe

2006-10-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate to visit Lake Tahoe this past week and it is truly one of the treasures of the United States. I arrived just as the sun was setting over the lake and it was a beautiful sight. Although my visit was fairly short, it was very memorable. I attended the Nevada Municipal League reception at the Thunderbird Lodge, which is a unique house on the lake with quite a history. It was owned by one of the developers of Lake Tahoe. The highlight of the house is a visit to the boat house. In order to get to the boat house, you walk down a tunnel that is over two hundred feet long. The boat is a wooden yacht that is over 55 feet long. It is beautiful and unlike anything I have ever seen. I found a little bit of history on the boat.

Here it is:

George Whittell had a life-long fascination with the latest technology of the day, particularly that which manifested itself in aircraft, automobiles and boats. Among the many he owned were a DC-2, outfitted for his private use, a Grumman Duck seaplane, six of the most uncommon Duesenberg motorcars, a 145' pleasure yacht and the legendary 55' speedboat, Thunderbird. The latter is certainly one of the most unique and elegant wooden vessels crafted in the Twentieth century and, like his Duesenbergs, is as much a work of art as a means of transportation.
Commissioned by Whittell specifically for Lake Tahoe while he was building his fabulous estate there, the Thunderbird was designed by famed naval architect John L. Hacker and built by Huskin Boat Works in Detroit. Enamored of the lines of his DC-2 aircraft, also named Thunderbird, the eccentric millionaire requested that the hull and cockpit of his new speedboat resemble the fuselage of his personal airplane. Fashioned of triple-planked mahogany and brushed stainless steel the new acquisition would enable Whittell to get about Lake Tahoe with unmatched speed and style. Outfitted originally with twin 550 hp Kermath engines, the vessel was capable of 60 knots. To accommodate the Thunderbird its notoriously reclusive owner ordered the construction of a 100-foot long enclosed boathouse with 600-foot tunnel that would connect it to the main residence, both blasted out of solid granite.
Completed at a cost of $87,000 (over $3.3 million in today's dollars), Whittell took delivery of the Thunderbird in 1940, and it first crossed the mountain lake's sparkling blue waters on July 14th of that year. The aging playboy used it extensively that summer and the next, retrieving friends from nearby communities and showgirls from the Cal-Neva casino for lavish parties at his estate. Following the entry of the U.S. into World War II, however, Whittell became afraid that his beloved yacht or its engines might be conscripted into military service, and he hid it away in Lodge's boathouse. Until the war's end the Thunderbird never saw the light of day and was used only occasionally at night.
As Whittell entered his seventies he became even more reclusive and was rarely seen by anyone in the Tahoe area. The yacht was also seen so infrequently that it seemed to some who caught a glimpse nothing more than an apparition.
After Whittell broke his leg late in life and refused surgery to repair the fracture, he ended up confined to a wheelchair and unable or unwilling to use the Thunderbird. Suspended by slings in the boathouse for most of the last 10 years of his life, the boat was rescued by casino magnate (and Whittell protégé) William F. Harrah, who purchased it from Whittell shortly before his death in 1969. Harrah had it transported to his Automobile Collection restoration shop in Reno where it was reverentially refurbished. His workmen added a matching, brushed stainless steel flying bridge and replaced the original Kermath engines with two V-12 Allison aircraft engines, each developing 1200 horsepower. Harrah used it as his private yacht for the entertainment of his casino high-rollers and showroom headliners, such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra and Bill Cosby, to name a few. The boat was returned to Reno every winter where the mahogany hull was meticulously sanded down to bare wood and refinished with ten coats of varnish!
Following Harrah's death in 1978, present owner Joan Gibb purchased the Thunderbird and now makes it available for charter on Lake Tahoe. The yacht is berthed in its original boathouse at the Thunderbird Lodge and can be viewed during tours of the estate.

L.L. Bean Country

2006-10-09T23:32:00.000-04:00

I flew up to Portland, Maine last week for the Maine Municipal League Annual Meeting. The trip went thru New York City and I flew over Ground Zero in early evening. It is a humbling site. It stands out among the skyscrapers in Manhattan and it is an strange feeling as the plane approaches LaGuardia Airport.

This was my first trip to Maine and it is a very nice place. The leaves were turning as we drove from Portland to Augusta. We did pass the exit for Freeport, the home of L.L. Bean. You can really tell it's the home to L.L. Bean. Almost everyone wears a fleece vest or coat.

The Maine League is a very solid league and they have an excellent Executive Director in Chris Lockwood. I have known him for several years and it is always nice to see the directors in their home territory. I visited the Maine League offices and they have a very nice building. Chris's office is much like his personality, very understated. You could tell he was proud of his work for the league.

My speech went well and I think that it was well received. I visited the exhibits and they do a good job of attracting lots of vendors. The incoming League President, Nick Malvadones drove me back and forth to Augusta. I really enjoyed getting to know him. We also had dinner with two of my good friends at NLC. Karen Geraghty and Jill Duson met us for dinner on Wednesday night in Portland. Karen is retiring from Portland's council this year and she will be missed.

I really enjoyed my first visit to Maine. I did get to have a bowl of Lobster soup and it lived up to it's reputation. They say it gets pretty cold in the Winter, but the weather was great during my visit.

I left for the airport in Portland around 5:45AM and it was not a minute too soon. The security line was wrapped around the entire building. They take a serious view of safety at the Portland Airport, since it was one that the 9-11 hijackers used.

Next up: Reno

North Dakota

2006-09-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

I really didn't know what to expect since I had never visited North Dakota before. One thing, "Think Flat". Coming from West Virginia, seeing miles of road ahead of you is really an experience. Minot, North Dakota is a fairly remote city in the middle of the state. It is just a little south of the Canadian border.

I really enjoyed getting to meet the many city officials at the North Dakota League. Shawn Kessel is the League President and he is a really great guy. Probably one of the funniest things that happened was a film in which Shawn interviewed various city officals and quizzed them on North Dakota history. It was really well done.

Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota spoke to the group on Saturday and did a very good job of describing many of the issues facing Congress today. I had never met Senator Dorgan before, but he seems to be a very insightful Senator.

I met Mike Conduff, a former City Manager from Bryan, Texas. Mike is a consultant who presents a program on the Carver model of governance. Mike is really a nice person and I enjoyed getting to spend some time with him. I sat in on his session and he did a nice job of engaging the attendees. Mike and his wife are raising their three grandchildren. I really admired the way he spoke of his grandkids and how much he enjoyed being a "parent" again.

The airport in Minot is very acessible. We stayed right across the street at the Grand Hotel. It was a pretty nice hotel.

Minot is called the "Magic City" since it grew like magic many years ago. I kept thinking that a good slogan would be "Why Not, Minot". No one seemed to think that was funny.

So much for North Dakota. Pam and I checked off the map and it looks like I have 8 more states to go until I have visited the Big Fifty.

Maine is in a week or two and Alaska will be in November. That will leave only 6.

Pittsburgh and headed to North Dakota

2006-09-20T21:50:00.000-04:00

I had a great dinner last night in Pittsburgh, as I got to meet Mr. John Price, President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. John is a very interesting person and someone who has had a great career. He was in the Nixon Administration in the 60's and had a picture in his office of a young group of presidential advisors and a letter signed by President Nixon. We had a nice conversation about our mutual interest in the former Soviet Union. John was a Rhodes Scholar and is a really intelligent person.

I also had an interesting weekend in Pittsburgh. I attended the National Speakers Association-Pittsburgh Chapter meeting and it was one of the nicest events I have attended in a while. There were a great group of professional and amatuer speakers and the program was fantastic. I intend to keep active with this group.

Well, off to North Dakota for my first visit to Minot. Should be a nice visit.

California, Here I come!!!

2006-09-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Left on Monday evening for San Diego, CA to attend the California League of Cities Annual Conference. San Diego is a beautiful city and has some of the nicest weather in the entire country. I stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt which is downtown and within walking distance of the Convention Center. I spent Tuesday exploring the harbor area and toured the aircraft carrier USS Midway which is now a museum of military planes and other aircraft. You also get to see the way that sailors lived while on the aircraft carrier. At 6'4", I would never have been able to sleep in the tiny bunks on board the carrier. It is amazing how much happens on one of these big carriers. Over 3,5o0 sailors lived aboard and it is like a little city.

It was very relaxing to walk along the harbor and see the sail boats and other ships that were moored along the pier. A large cruise ship was also in town.

The conference started on Wednesday and my presentation was during the opening general session. Alex Padilla, President of the Los Angeles City Council introduced me. Alex is going to be the next State Senator from his district in California. He is unopposed in the General Election. I have known Alex for several years and he is someone to watch. I predict that he will be governor or United States Senator in the near future. Chris McKensie is the Executive Director of the California League and I have known Chris since we served on the Board of Directors of NLC. Chris was the director of the Kansas League at that time and I always admired how he seemed so capable and in charge. It was a big step to go from Kansas to California, but Chris has really adapted to being a "California Guy". The league has probably grown more in the past several years than in its entire history.

My presentation went well and I was able to premiere the new Public Service Announcements. They are so powerful and well done. Several friends were in the front row and it always makes it easier to speak when you can see a few friendly faces in the crowd. Ron Loveridge of Riverside, California was there and he is one of the leaders in the Inclusive Communities Program.

I caught the "red eye" from San Diego to Indianapolis to attend a workshop at Purdue University. I had never flown all night and then had to present a speech. It is somewhat hard to sleep on the plane and I had a layover in Atlanta which made it even harder. I felt a little out of sorts when I arrived in Indianapolis, but I don't think anyone noticed. Once I got to the hotel I felt pretty good and the session went really well. I was on a panel with a fellow West Virginian, Randy Jackson from WVU. I had never met him, but he is a very nice fellow.

Colleen Lankhammer, the President of the National Association of Counties was also in attendance and I enjoyed spending some time with her. Colleen is a great person and we have a great relationship which I think helps both of our organizations. We spent some time last year in Brussells, Belgium and it really allowed us to get to know each other. I think that she is going to really be an asset to the Inclusive Communities Program.

Got to meet the President of Purdue University and he is a very thoughtful guy. I never get over meeting these important people and realizing that they are really just regular people. I think the one thing that I find in common with these people is that they are all very goal oriented. I don't think that they are all super intelligent, just that they have a vision and a direction that they are determined to follow.

Well, so much for a quick week in California and Indiana. I am looking to do some thinking in the next few weeks to reenergize for the last few months of my presidency of NLC. I want to make the next few months very meaningful and I have been giving some thought to doing some unusual things. Stay tuned. It should be exciting.

Honorary Italian of the Year

2006-09-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

I was honored by the 28th Annual West Virginia Italian Festival as the Honorary Italian Man of the Year. I really enjoyed the festival and a lot of really great things happened. The honorees dinner was one of the nicest events that I have ever attended. My family got to attend and I know they enjoyed getting together with a lot of friends from our community.

The other honorees were State Senator Joe Minard, Professor Carolyn Adkins and Assistant State Superintendent of Schools Pamela Cain. Also, the Parade Marshall was Richard Skinner, the Inspector General for the office of Homeland Security. I used to deliver papers to Richard's parents when I was a young paperboy.

The Italian Heritage Festival is one of the largest in West Virginia and has a great history of bringing in incredible talent and honored guests. I had the opportunity to meet Judge Scalia at the festival. They do such a great job of organizing and making everyone feel welcome. I was happy to experience the festival as an honoree for it is truly an experience.

I should also mention that the queen of the festival was a beautiful young lady from Charleston, West Virginia. Her aunt is a former classmate of mine from Notre Dame High School. She was a princess at the festival when she was younger and I can't imagine the thrill it was for her family and friends to see her as Regina Maria 28th. The festival also awards several scholarships and their impact on the community is tremendous.

It's been a great year and being recognized by my hometown is one of the bigger thrills of this year.

Well, its off to California for the California League of Cities Annual meeting in San Diego. It will be a quick trip but I am sure I will enjoy it. I have never been to San Diego, but everyone tells me that it is great.

I will get to unveil the new Public Service Announcements to the California members and I hope they enjoy them as much as I had making them.

Don't order the soup

2006-08-28T21:40:00.000-04:00

Last week was an interesting visit to Tucson, Arizona for the Arizona League of Cities Annual Meeting. I stayed at the Starr Pass Resort which is a really beautiful property with the best that Arizona has to offer. The meeting was great and I saw several friends and made a few new ones. My session was on Wednesday morning and I was joined by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. She is well liked by the cities in Arizona and seems to understand the things that affect cities. Her website is http://www.governor.state.az.us/

Arizona is on the front lines of the immigration dedate and it is hard to spend ten minutes there without hearing a discussion on the issue. The League sponsored a panel on immigration and I attended to learn what I could. A representative of the Minuteman group was part of the panel and gave an impassioned validation of why they do what they do. I wasn't convinced and still have grave reservations about demonizing immigrants. I did learn something that I didn't know. I learned that citizens from Canada who enter the United States through our Northern border and overstay are considered different from citizens of Mexico who do the same thing. The reason is that Mexican citizens are required to get a visa to enter the United States, while Canadians are not. There are so many things that most of us do not know about immigration. This doesn't mean that one person is right or wrong, but it is an indication of an overall lack of information.

I got to review our new Public Service Announcements for the National League of Cities. I'll post a link as soon as I receive it. The spots are really good. They are professionally done and really connect to the Inclusive Community message.

Now for the down side of my trip to Arizona. Food Poisoning!!!!! I had a bowl of soup and needless to say, it didn't agree with me. It really knocked me for a loop. I did get to meet several people from the chef's staff and gave a detailed report(don't ask!!) to a loss prevention specialist for the hotel. Take my word for it, this was not a good experience.

So long for now. I won't be eating any soup on my next venture.

Blog World

2006-08-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

You might be visiting my blog for the first time today, due to an article in the Nation's City Weekly. If you are a first time visitor, I hope you enjoy your visit. This has been a fun experience and one that I hope provides some insight on the National League of Cities and the Inclusive Communities Program. I have always felt that technology should be something that helps in a positive way and blogs certainly have that potential. I never have been able to keep a journal and blogging gives you a simple and easy way of doing it.

One thing about traveling is that it does seem to run together at times. You find yourself forgetting about a special experience or some special people that you have met. I also keep a scrapbook of things that I have picked up from throughout my travels. Not a "crafty" type of scrapbook, but one that is a place to paste the many articles and notes that I have received from everyone across the country. I currently have six big books that are filled with airline tickets, programs, articles, pictures and about anything else that can lay flat on a piece of paper. Hopefully I will look back one day on the many people, places and things that I have had the opportunity to see this year.

One thing that is difficult to convey in the blog or the scrapbooks is the incredible experience that this has been. Each day I wake up and marvel at the prospect of another day leading our organization. It is challenging and I know that it will impact the rest of my life. I have received so many exciting opportunities and I look forward to next year as the Inclusive Communities Program really starts to have an impact in our country.

The recent release of the demographic information on diversity in America is something that can be our fortune or our peril. I saw a report on a new book by Newt Gringrich and it outlines what he feels is the "invasion" of America and a very grim outlook. I do believe that we live in challenging times, but I believe that we have a unique opportunity to grow into the type of country that can be a model for the world. With the growth of technology and the "flat" world that it brings about, we are living in a more diverse world than ever. Imagine, our forefathers lived their entire lives and were never exposed to what our grade school children see every day on the internet.

Yes, these are exciting times. I look forward to continuing this blog and providing a glimse at what it is like to be leading the National League of Cities. Stick around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A time to pause

2006-08-17T22:29:00.000-04:00

I heard on the news tonight that Mayor Bob O'Conner of Pittsburgh has taken a turn for the worse. Mayor O'Conner was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh and just a few weeks after I had talked to him at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting in Las Vegas. This is such sad news. Bob is a person who has made a difference in Pittsburgh in just a few short months. I was so impressed by his agressive style and his energy. He was Pittsburgh through and through. I wish him well and hope that he recovers.

Another good friend, Mayor Jesse Corley of White Hall, West Virginia is struggling with cancer. Jesse is a great guy and someone who has become the visible leader of his small town. Jesse had to miss one of the high points in his political career a few weeks ago when they dedicated the city's new City Hall. Jesse also moved into the position of First Vice-President of the West Virginia Municipal League this past weekend. This will be a tough battle for Jesse and I hope that he makes it through the Chemo.

This makes me think about our lives as politicians. We are in the public eye and our lives are on display every day. We also have to suffer with illness in a public way. Our citizens know more about our treatments than many families. We have to keep a stiff upper lip, even when we are in pain. I am reminded of my good friend Mike Guido, the Mayor of Dearborn, Michigan and the current president of the U. S. Conference of Mayors, who is also battling cancer. Mike recently was at the National Association of Counties meeting in Chicago, when he left immediately after his speech. He was headed back home to appear at a local festival. I know that he was pressing himself to keep up appearances for the "home" crowd.

I know that we knew this when we ran for office, but I hope that we recognize that fighting a battle like cancer can be an intensely personal mission. We sometimes need our privacy, but we know that this is not often possible. I just hope that my dear friends can wage this battle on "their" terms and recover to a fufilling life.

God Bless, Bob, Jesse and Mike.

Scarborough Country

2006-08-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

I flew to Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for the Florida League of Cities Annual Conference and spoke to about 800 delegates. Joe Scarborough, host of the MSNBC show "Scarborough Country" was also on the program and was a very interesting person. He was a four-term congressman from Northern Florida or the "Redneck Riveria" as he put it. The Florida League is one of the largest in the country and they really know how to put on a meeting. Their closing banquet was on of the nicest that I have attended. They swore in the new President, Rene Flowers of St. Petersburg. Rene is a very nice lady and will do a great job for the Florida league.

Richard Jeni, an actor and comedian who starred with Jim Carrey in The Mask was the featured entertainment and he was great. Other than a small glitch at the hotel, it was a great trip. Around 5:00AM the electric went off in the hotel and I had to carry my luggage down eighteen floors. It was quite a sight seeing hundreds of guests walking down dozens of floors.

Suprisingly, the airports were no problem at all. I got right through the security and had no problems.

News and Notes with Ed Gordon

2006-08-14T20:24:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to appear on the National Public Radio show, "News and Notes with Ed Gordon" last week. They recorded the show from a studio in Morgantown. Professor Charles Ogletree from Harvard was also a guest and we discussed the Inclusive Communities Program. I have met Dr. Ogletree on several occasions and he is one of the most articulate speakers on the issues of civil rights and urban public policy. We talked a little about the issue of "sundown towns". The sundown towns were, possibly hundreds of towns throughout the United States that had a policy of no Africian-Americans after the sun went down. This was either implyed or, in some cases, formalized by an ordinance of the governing body. Mayor Ted Ellis of Bluffton, Indiana suspects that his town may have been one of these towns. Ted did a great job in the USA Today article and in a segment, right before mine on NPR.

This has been a great couple of weeks for the Inclusive Communities Program. Over 68 cities have joined the program and millions of people have been introduced to the program by outstanding national media coverage.

If you would like to hear the interview, here is a link:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5633328 and click Listen

John DeStefano wins race in Connecticut

2006-08-09T20:33:00.000-04:00

My good friend and Past President of the National League of Cities, Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven, Connecticut was successful in winning the Democratic nomination for Governor in Connecticut. John is a great guy and someone who has done a great job as Mayor of New Haven and made a big difference during his term as President of NLC. John focused on advocacy during his tenure as President of NLC and I think some of the success that we are having this year can be directly tied to John's leadership.

This will not be an easy race for John, but I think he has the passion and endurance to make it. He is a thoughtful person and someone who focuses on the issues. It takes a while to get to know John and appreciate his sense of humor, but once you know him he is a true friend. John's wife, Kathy is a school teacher and someone that is really special. I know a lot of people say things like this, but John and Kathy are everyday people who love public service and have a passion to help his citizens.

I wish John the best of luck. He is one of the good guys!!!!

The Windy City and More

2006-08-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

I attended the National Association of Counties Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL this past weekend. It was really the first time that I have spent much time in the windy city. It is really all that everyone has ever said. We stayed at the Chicago Hilton and it is a wonderfully restored hotel. Located on Michigan Avenue, we could see the wonderful parks and gardens that Mayor Dailey has beautifully decorated in the heart of the city.

The NACO meeting is a well run conference and they had a great lineup of speakers and workshops. The officers of NACO have become good friends and I was happy to see that Bill Hansell completed a successful year and was gratefully turning over the leadership reins to Colleen Lankhammer. Colleen is a great lady and someone that I have a great deal of respect for. I spent a couple weeks last year with Colleen in Brussels, Belgium and we are working on rural issues through RUPRI, a rural policy group. I look for some great things from Colleen next year.

I was happy to meet Dr. Don Bartlette who is an inspirational speaker and a really great person. He is an American Indian and did not speak for his first several years of life. He was abused and beaten as a young boy and overcame a lot of obstacles. I hope that I can get Don to speak to an NLC event in the future. An interesting footnote: Don read the article on Inclusive Communities in USA Today and cut it out and sent it to his father-in-law. He said that he really enjoyed the article and was surprised to meet me at the conference. I was thrilled.

My good friends, Ron and Janie Watson were sitting in the front row during my speech to the NACO members. It really makes you feel good when you can see your friends at these meetings. As I was walking through the exhibit hall, I saw a display from the FBI and I stopped by and asked if they knew where the Fingerprint Division of the FBI was located. They laughed and said "Clarksburg, West Virginia, of course". I then found out that they were from Buckhannon and Grafton. What a surprise.

On a travel note: The American Airline flight out of OHare Airport was about to depart when a panel above some of the seats fell out. Talk about a scary moment. They had to work on it about an hour and then put us back on the plane. At least it was something on the inside of the plane. All in all, it was a great trip. Lots of fun and a lot of great experiences.

An Inclusive Day!!!!!

2006-08-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

As I picked up my USA Today, I had no idea that this is a day that could change a person's life. A front page article, highlighting the Inclusive Communities Program and quoting several of my good friends from throughout the country. Then I opened the paper and saw the article on Bluffton, Indiana with a picture of Mayor Ted Ellis. I don't think the article could have been better written. Haya El Nasser was the reporter and she seems to have a great perspective and really looked deeply into the issue. The discussion of "Sundown Towns" was really insightful and gave this issue some needed exposure.

At 10:00AM, I appeared via telephone on the Chip Franklin talk show in Baltimore, Maryland. Chip is a conservative and really tries to dig at his guests. My segment was about fifteen minutes and I think it went really well. One thing that many people fail to realize is that Inclusive Communities is not a liberal or conservative issue. It is one that resonates across party lines and one that can have a healing effect in virtually any community.

I also spoke to Mayor Ted Ellis and he was getting quite a few calls from throughout the morning concerning his "starring" role in USA Today. It wasn't the cover of the Rolling Stone, but it was close. Ted is really a great guy and I couldn't think of a person more deserving to appear on behalf of his town.

I also received the final scripts for the Public Service Announcements that will be filmed in Chicago on Monday. It should be an interesting experience.

Just think, in just a few days millions of people have been exposed to the Inclusive Communities Program and I am sure that many new cities will be signing on to the program. In addition, our welcome signs are touching over 5.75 million citizens. Thats the number of citizens in the 68 cities that have already signed on.

One little idea, one little sign leading to millions of people learning that a community is all of us. The power of "we". We can make a difference. We will make a difference.

I wouldn't bet against us having over 200 members of the coalition at the end of the year.

USA Today Article

2006-08-03T16:26:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, Friday, August 4, 2006, USA Today will be running a front page article highlighting the Inclusive Communities Program. This is a great day. This will expose mainstream America to a program that has the potential to change communities. I could not be happier with this development. Our communication expert at the National League of Cities, Sherry Appel, deserves a great deal of credit for this accomplishment.

One person who is looking down on us will be the late Pastor David Kates. Pastor Kates dreamed of a day when inclusive communities would be held up as an example of what is good in the world. I don't know if there is a USA Today box in Heaven, but I am sure Pastor Kates will see a copy.

I can only imagine the good things that will come from this article.