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[Stanley A. White Recreation Center Groundbreaking]
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN, ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THIS GREAT CITY, TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER, WE BID YOU A HEARTY WELCOME.THIS GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HOLDS A GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE CITIZENS OF NEW BERN BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A NEW CHAPTER.
SO AGAIN, WE WELCOME YOU, AND WE THANK YOU FOR COMING.
FIRST, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO PERSONALLY SHARE MY EXPERIENCE, UNDERSTANDING WHITE, ALSO KNOWN AS CHIEF.
I REMEMBER KINDERGARTEN AT CEDAR STREET CENTER WALK OR WALKING FROM WEST STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND STANLEY WOULD SIT ME AT HIS DESK TO COMPLETE MY HOMEWORK AND THEN TOSS ME A RULE BOOK, DEPENDING ON THE SPORTS SEASON.
I REMEMBER THE MINI LEAGUES AND ALL STAR TRAVEL TEAMS SWIMMING LESSONS AT SHADY VIEW BEACH, TAKING INVENTORY OF HELMETS AND SHOULDER PADS, BATS, GLOVES, AND CATCHER'S EQUIPMENT.
SO MANY, UH, LESSONS AND TEACHING MOMENTS, UH, OCCURRED.
BUT BEFORE I PRAY, I ASK AND ASK GOD'S PRESENCE AND BLESSINGS OVER THIS, UH, CELEBRATION.
I WANT TO JUST SAY, AS A DISCIPLE OF THIS GREAT SERVANT LEADER WHO WAS GENTLE, KIND, COMPASSIONATE, SMART, AND A LOVER OF GOD AND HIS FELLOW MAN, I NOW RECOGNIZE THE MANTLE AND THE ANOINTING THAT WAS ON HIS LIFE.
YOU SEE, A MANTLE IS AN IMPORTANT ROLE OR AN ASSIGNMENT GIVEN BY GOD, AND THAT MANTLE MUST BE PASSED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER.
I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS GOD NEVER PLACES ALONG IN YOUR HEART FOR WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ONLY FOR WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS GOING TO GO DOWN AS A SPECIAL MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF NEWBURGH.
NOT ONLY TODAY IS THE GROUNDBREAKING, UH, BUT THE DAY THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND THAT'S THE DAY WE CUT THE RIBBON AND WE ACTUALLY GO INSIDE OF THIS FACILITY AND START TO USE IT.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE PREVIOUS BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
UM, I'M GONNA PROBABLY MESS UP HERE WHEN I START NAMING NAMES, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I RECOGNIZE EVERYONE.
SO, UH, I DON'T SEE MAYOR OUTLAW, UH, BUT MAYOR OUTLAW WAS CERTAINLY INSTRUMENTAL IN HIS LEADERSHIP IN GETTING US TO THIS POINT TODAY.
UH, ALDERWOMAN ISHA HARRIS, I SEE HER HERE.
UH, ALDERMAN BEST ALDERMAN ROYAL, OF COURSE, WHO, UH, WELCOMED US THIS MORNING.
ALDERMAN BOB BRISSON, ALDERMAN BOBBY ASTOR, WHO WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL WITH HIS FEMA KNOWLEDGE IN HELPING US GET HERE TODAY.
AND DID I MISS ANYONE? TAYLOR, VICTOR TAYLOR, UH, ALDERMAN, VICTOR TAYLOR, AND ALDERMAN BERNARD WHITE.
UH, ALDERMAN WHITE ALSO SITS ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIDE OF THIS TENT, IT SAYS EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE THROUGHOUT THE LAST FIVE YEARS, GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE ALMOST ADDED AN ASTERISK AND PUT, BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER.
UH, BUT I'M HAPPY TODAY TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING DOES COME TOGETHER HERE, AND THIS IS TRULY A MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
I WANNA THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD AGAIN TO THE DAY WE CUT THE RIBBON AND WE WALK IN THIS FACILITY AND WE SEE THE SMILES ON THE FACES OF THE CHILDREN AND THE MIDDLE AGE AND THE OLD ALIKE AS WE PARTAKE IN THIS WONDERFUL FACILITY THAT IT WILL BE.
WHEN HURRICANE FLORENCE CAME THROUGH IN 2018 AND, AND, AND CREATED A LOT OF DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION TO THE OLD CENTER, AND IT WAS DEEMED, UH, THAT WE HAD TO TEAR THAT DOWN AND BUILD A NEW ONE.
THE, THE COMMON THREAD THAT WE HEARD IS BUILD BACK BIGGER AND BETTER.
AND SO ALMOST FIVE YEARS LATER, THAT'S GETTING, THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TO DO READY TO DO.
SO THE OLD RECREATION CENTER WAS JUST UNDER 18,000 SQUARE FEET.
THIS NEW RECREATION CENTER IS GOING TO BE APPROXIMATELY 35,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S GONNA BE A STATE-OF-THE-ART RECREATION FACILITY THAT'S GONNA SERVE THE NEEDS OF NOT ONLY THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY, BUT THE CITY OF NEW BERN FOR THE NEXT 50 PLUS YEARS, AND HOPEFULLY A LITTLE LONGER.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DOUBLE GYM, ELEVATED WALKING TRACK, CARDIO AND WEIGHT ROOMS, FITNESS AREAS, MEETING SPACE, A KITCHEN, A HEALTH SCREENING AREA, A HISTORY WALL FEATURING STANLEY, A WHITE AND THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY.
SO A LOT OF NEAT THINGS WILL BE HERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THING WE'VE ALWAYS HEARD.
UM, AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, AND THAT GOES FOR THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND AS WELL, EVEN, EVEN FROM THE TIME AFTER, UH, THE HURRICANE HIT UP UNTIL LITERALLY RIGHT NOW, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT ALL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS DONE.
OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, FIRE RESCUE, OF COURSE, OUR
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PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED ENDLESSLY TO, TO WORK WITH PARKS AND RECREATION ACTIVITIES, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, AND WATER RESOURCES.THE MISSION FOR OUR DEPARTMENT IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL CITIZENS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES, PARKS, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES THAT PROMOTE A LIFESTYLE OF CULTURAL ARTS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND WELLNESS FOR ALL.
THE NEW STANLEY, A WHITE RECREATION CENTER WILL HELP US IN FULFILLING OUR MISSION BY GIVING US THE FACILITY WE NEED TO PROVIDE TRENDING RECREATION, SPORTS, AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS FOR ALL.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED ON THE RECORD RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND PROVIDING INPUT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, IF THE MEMBERS, UM, WOULD PLEASE STAND AS I CALL YOUR NAME SO YOU CAN BE RECOGNIZED.
ENA MASSEY, JAMES WOODS, WOO, CURTIS STEWART, BERNARD WHITE, REGINALD PENDER, ELIJAH BROWN JR.
THEY HAVE REALLY HELPED IN BEEN ABLE TO HELP US, UM, DECIDE WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS WE'RE GONNA OFFER AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AS WE GO FORWARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO NEW BERN, UH, TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT, I, I WASN'T REALLY SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.
UM, BUT, BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
UM, NOT JUST BY THE BEAUTIFUL VIEWS, LOOKING OUT ONTO THE WATER OR THE DOWNTOWN STREETS LINED WITH SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, BUT, UH, BY THE PEOPLE HERE.
UM, AND, AND HOW PASSIONATE YOU ALL ARE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AT C P L, WE BELIEVE THAT EXTRAORDINARY PROJECTS ARE MADE FROM EXTRAORDINARY RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, AND THE GREAT DESIGN DEMANDS A PARTNER WHO LISTENS AS MUCH AS THEY PLAN, WHO'S INSPIRED AND DRIVEN BY A COMMON VISION, AND WHO BECOMES AN EXTENSION OF YOUR TEAM.
UH, WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE FOUND THAT HERE IN NEW BERN, UH, AND WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER, UH, TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU ALL AND SEE THIS VISION BECOME A REALITY.
WE STARTED TRACKING THIS PROJECT IN 2020.
I STUMBLED ON FOSTER'S OFFICE AND DID SOME HANDSHAKES, AND, UH, WE WERE REALLY EXCITED 'CAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT, THAT WE REALLY PURSUE.
AND, AND WE LIKE IT, IT FITS OUR CULTURE AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF FACILITY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE
ALRIGHT, READY? LOOK, THIS IS A LOT OF WORK.
SO WE GET A BIG, GET A BIG LOAD HERE.
WHAT ARE TWO RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU? THREE.