Raleigh, North Carolina.  Raleigh Racquet Club Turns 40.  Initially it consisted of a 10 acre site that cost $3,800 an acre and had 125 members.  The membership cost at that time was $350.  Now, the club has grown to 19 clay courts, 6 hard courts and 350 full-time members.  With many subdivisions offering tennis courts it has been necessary for the club to produce programs that would attract and keep new members.  A major program was that of covering six outdoor courts with a temporary covering bubble that allows play regardless of the weather from October to April.  It’s the only one in North Carolina of its kind.  The club also has youth tennis classes for youngsters from 4 to 18. 

RALEIGH NORTHEAST PLANNING DISTRICT IS FASTEST GROWING OF THE TEN DISTRICTS     Northeast Planning District Fasting Growing From 2000 To 2006.  The Northeast Planning District’s growth has been fueled by I-540.  During the 2000 to 2006 period it added more than 20,000 people.  Projections indicate that it will grow an additional 91% between now and the year 2030.  I-540 has increased the areas access to Research Triangle Park and has added numerous employer sites in its own right.  The area contains 30,494 housing units which is 17.61 percent of Raleigh’s total housing units.

John Fish (919) 696-3474   Email: Marvmax@mindspring.com   Website: www.JohnFish.com

Raleigh, North Carolina.  North Carolina Cities Rack Up Big Populatiom Gains.  In the stats ad nauseam department here are more for your grist mill.  In the Triangle area some love these population gains and some hate them.  Win, lose or draw here are the U.S. Census Bureau numbers: (1) - The three-c ounty Raleigh region (Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties) was the nation’s third fastest growing metro area from 2006 to 2007 and that + 4.7% by rate.  (2) - By number of people that’s 47,052 bodies which is 12th fastest by number of people.  (3) - Th seven county Triangle area, during the same period, grew by 3.9% or 57,480 people.  That makes the Triangle the ninth fastest growth metro area.  (4) - Charlotte area gained 66,724 people making it the seventh fastest growing metro area in the country.  The Charlotte area is comprised of six counties in two states.  I knew you would be thrilled.

John Fish (919) 696-3474   Email: Marvmax@mindspring.com    Website: www.JohnFish.com

Triangle, North Carolina.  New Numbers Not Nice.  Well — whether or not they are nice depends on your point of view; namely the growth vs. no growth folks.  So, how do the numbers stack up?  For one thing there were 5,930 new students in 2007 vs 7,568 in 2006 - a 22% decline.  I would have to side with those who think that was a good thing.  It certainly helped relieve some of the pressure on the schools.  Housing construction permits in Wake County totaled 10,384 in 2007 down 7.5% from 2006.  If you build homes or work for those who do that is not good to hear.  Raleigh added nearly 15,000 new residents last year but the rate of new people arriving per day slowed during the second half to 35 per day vs. 48 per day during the first half.

Wake counties population should top 850,000 by the end of 2008 and 1 million within the next five years.  Statistics show that since 2000 Wake was the eighth fastest growing county in the nation for counties having a population of 500,000 or more.  Projections call for 1.5 million people to call it home by 2030.  Vehicle registrations from 2000 to 2007 increased by 33% to more than 700,000.  New Triangle jobs In 2007 totaled 14,600.  Two-thirds of that was in Raleigh and Cary while the balance was in and around Durham.  It is said that you can make numbers do just about anything you want them to do.  If you think in terms of the people who continue to arrive on Wake’s doorstep you could easily become convinced that 2 plus 2 does equal 5!

John Fish (919) 696-3474   Email: Marvmax@mindspring.com   Website:  www.JohnFish.com

Raleigh, North Carolina.   For those of you who are interested in records (of shorts) here are three for you to use, consider or pitch into the pool of forgetfulness.

(1) - Raleigh Population.  Raleigh just became the 50th largest city in the U.S.   (2) - Wake County Birth Rate - In counties of 500,000 and above Wake County, during 2006, had the third highest birth rate in the nation.  The total was almost 13,000 or 35 new borns per day.  (3) - State of North Carolina Budget - As Raleigh is the state capital of North Carolina it is altogether fitting, proper and disgusting to report a dubious record in the making.  The State Legislature is about to pass a record state budget in the amount of $20 billion.  One of the definitions of “budget” in the Oxford Dictionary is - - “the amount of money needed or available for a purpose”.  Our State Legislature seems to have totally ignored the word “available”.  Need I tell you where the shortfall is to come from?

John Fish (919) 696-3474   Email: Marvmax@mindspring.com   Website: www.JohnFish.com