Meeting voters from across the city!

Nancy McFarlane:  As summer comes to a close, campaign gatherings and discussions are heating up! Over the past two weeks I’ve visited a number of neighborhoods and communities and talked one-on-one with people like you – people who love Raleigh and want to continue to see our city’s nationally recognized quality of life and sense of place improve.

Last week I attended a Meet and Greet at the home of Bill Page in North Hills / Shelly Lake neighborhood. Neighbors expressed their interest in keeping Raleigh, Raleigh and appreciated growth and activity Downtown and new retail options in the North Hills area.  Neighbors also expressed interest in continuing efforts to protect our water supply watershed and advocated for investing in public infrastructure like light rail transit.

The following evening, I met with business and community leaders from across the city for a Cameron Park Fundraiser at the home of Anne and Matt Bullard, co-hosted by Gerda Stein.  The fundraiser was a huge success and I enjoyed reconnecting with some good friends.

On August 25th, I spoke at Women’s Equality Day, an event organized by the League of Women Voters of Wake County. Together, we celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment back in 1920. Raleigh would not be the same without the leadership of women and the voice of the fairer gender!

Over the weekend I made phone calls with volunteers and supporters to hundreds of voters, reminding them to get out to vote on October 11th. It was an exciting phonebank – mid-hurricane – yet, volunteers were not perturbed and showed up to make calls. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve received and am moved by citizen’s interest and commitment to keeping Raleigh a world-class city!

Later that evening, I offered greetings as Mayor Pro Tem for the Municipal Conservationist of the Year, NC Wildlife Federation Governor’s Awards Banquet. I began my efforts as a community and civic leader by advocating for improved stormwater runoff standards to protect a lake in my neighborhood from unwanted pollution and silt. I also have experience working with the Yadkin Riverkeeper on water conservation and protection efforts. Environmental stewardship will always be a critical priority for me.

Meet and Greet at Jubala Coffee with Roxie Cash, Violet Rhinehart, and supporters

I began this week with a phonebank on Sunday afternoon – post hurricane – and started the work week off with a lovely event at Jubala Coffee in Lafeyette Village, a neat retail center on Strickland Rd. The event was hosted by my good friends Violet Rhinehart and Roxie Cash – both have inspired and helped mentor me through the process of serving my community as an elected official. The food was to-die-for! I was excited to hear that many North Raleigh residents strongly value sidewalk and greenway improvements and look forward to voting in favor of the upcoming transportation infrastructure improvement bond this October!

Laura Raynor and Mrs. Norris (mother)

I kept the meet and greet momentum moving forward Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. On Tuesday I visited the gorgeous home of Laura Raynor on beautiful White Oak Road. I met with dozens of engaged women with a strong interest in maintaining and improving the arts and culture scene in Raleigh. Many of the ladies I had the pleasure of meeting were also curious to know how I would continue to protect established neighborhoods. As a neighborhood advocate, my leadership on the Comprehensive Planning Commission and with the New Unified Development Ordinance has given me the opportunity to stand up for neighborhoods and advocate for generous transition zones and neighborhood protection measures. As we grow, we must do our best to keep the qualities that make Raleigh attractive to life-long natives and transplants alike – tree canopies, family-friendly residential districts, parks and greenways and other fantastic qualities and amenities.

On Wednesday I attended my third and final meet and greet of the week at the home of Jason and Mary Beth Hibbets in the Lineberry community, a neighborhood located near Lake Wheeler Rd. Like many communities in the University area, Lineberry and Lake Wheeler Rd residents are very much interested in maintaining neighborhood charm and accessibility and meshing efforts with student housing options. Many residents expressed concern over larger student housing projects proposed and under construction in low-density, single-family neighborhoods. District D is constantly evolving and there are many emerging resources and amenities like Centennial Campus, Lake Raleigh, greenways, exceptional parks, the State Farmers Market, and more that make SW Raleigh one of the most attractive and desirable places to live in Raleigh. I look forward to working with SW Raleigh residents, like Jason and Mary Beth Hibbets on finding solutions for some of the challenges facing the community.