The Jimmy V Golf Classic comes to the Triangle

"Don't give up...,don't every give up", were the famous words spoken by Jimmy Valvano at the Espy Awards in 1992, just months before he succombed to the cancer that had invaded his body. To this day, we still remember his words of inspiration at a time when many people would fail to see any positives at all. "I remember watching those words from him and try to live my life by those words today," spoke Steven W. Nelson, a local real estate agent and Jimmy V volunteer. "At the time, I had had little exposure to cancer in my life and family, but that was before meeting and marrying my wife, who lost both parents to cancer."

This weekend is the 13th annual Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic at the Prestonwood Golf Club in Cary. Celebrities from all walks of life will be in attendance and many spectators will be in awe of them, but the real cause celeb, will be the moneies that will be raised and the cancer research that will be performed.

Over the last twelve years, the Jimmy V Foundation has raised more than $5o million for cancer research and the Golf Classic has been responsible for $12 million of those dollars.

Pam Valvano has called the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic a "Magical Weekend" which is has grown to become. With more than 100 celebrities, 100 local and national sponsors, and more than 1200 volunteers, the event has become a place for many people to renew friendships, and meet new people, while raising a little money to fight and eliminate cancer in our world.

"We’ve learned that what makes our event so unique is how personal the weekend has become. That’s why we believe that “Cancer is about people.” It’s about our parents and our children, our neighbors and our friends. It has touched our clients, it has touched our co-workers, and for some of us, it has touched that face in the mirror. Beyond all of the science and the statistics, the medicine and the treatments, are the people, their challenges and their triumphs. The cures for cancer will be found in laboratories and research hospitals, but the battle against cancer is fought in neighborhoods like ours. We have all been affected by this disease. By participating in The Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic you CAN make a difference in this fight!,"reports their website.

"It is a high calling to try to eradicate this terrible disease that has personally touched my wife's life by loosing both parents, and two aunts to cancer. In fact, while Jimmy Valvano was fighting his battle with cancer, my wife's mother was doing the same with her bout with breast cancer. It touches us all in one way or another, so we need to all work to cure it", added Steven. This year, Steven plans to donate his time and energies to help fight this illness by volunteering as a Marshal for the event, while working with his organization at the Capital City Club of Raleigh to sign up even more volunteers. They will be seen on the 8th hole on the Highlands course.

For more information, you can visit their website or call for tickets. "Life is about more than selling the next home or widget", finished Steven, "It is about people and how we treat them. We are all in this world together and need to work together so that all of us can prosper, not just in business"

Cary's Annual festival to see 60,000 people

The town of Cary is expecting as many as 60,000 people to attend the 30th annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival this Saturday, the 26th of August. The festival entails 350 arts and craft booths, food and entertainment and is scheduled from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The event will feature artist from all over the country and will be held on Chatham and Acadamy streets in downtown Cary.

Free shuttles will be provided at the Cary Towne Center near the Sears store and will run every 15 minutes ending at 5:30p.m. The Cary Towne Center is located on Walnut Street and Maynard Road.

All money raised by this event will benefit the Lazy Daze grants which extends grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Cary. Since its inception 30 years ago, Lazy Daze has distributed more than $350,000 in grants.

"This is simply another way for the good people of the Triangle to give back and help worthy causes", stated Steven W. Nelson, a local real estate agent. "This is the best of both worlds, people can shop 'til they drop and know that they are giving to worthy causes at the same time."

For more information, you can contact the Town of Cary via their website, www.townofcary.org.

Raleigh/Cary Population Soars

The Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area has grown yet again according to the U.S Census, which places the population at more than 949,000. The 12th fastest growing area in the U.S. for the 12 month period ending July 1, 2005, the population expanded by 3.8% to 949,681.

The area has grown by 18% since a population estimate of 804,139 in 2000, which ranks the area 10th in the nation in growth in that period of time.

The Raleigh-Cary ranks as the 51st largest MSA in the nation for the second year in a row after moving up from 54 in 2003.

Steven W. Nelson, a local realtor, stated that this continued growth will translate into a continued growth in the real estate market in this area. "As we continue to grow, the result will be a real etate boom that will continue to grow steadily. We haven't experienced the double digit growth in real estate prices like many major cities in the U.S., but the steady growth is more sustainable and less likely to result in a bursting of the real estate bubble in Raleigh."

During this same time, the Triangle's other major MSA has seen sustainable growth that has resulted in a 7% increase since 2000 with a population in Durham of 456,187. It ranks 103rd in the nation.

NC Ranked 4th is US-Workforce Training

Expansion Management magazine announced the results of survey that concludes that the Southeast has the most well trained workforce in the US. The survey, which consulted more than 80 "prominent corporate site consultants", declared the results were as follows:

1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Texas
4. North Carolina
5. South Carolina

Having a ready supply of educated and trainable workers is still the No. 1 priority for any business executive who is considering opening up a facility," Expansion Management Managing Editor Bill King says. The ability to have a ready made workforce is a major factor in relocating or expanding into a state. Many times, this can be the deciding factor when it has already been narrowed down to a few locations.

Work-force training programs were judged not only in terms of their financial value, but also in terms of ease of usage and applicability. The results of this survey were published in the July-August addition of Expansion Management magazine.

This is major for the Raleigh area for future growth as more firms look to expand operations into the Southeast in order to take advantage of the economic climate and the lack of labor unions in the state, noted Steven W. Nelson, a local Realtor for Keller Williams. "As more firms move to the Southeast, property values in the area will also reflect this growth."

Cary's Waverly Place? Will it be the next North Hills?

The Triangle Business Journal reports that the "beleaguered Waverly Place retail complex" may be transformed into a version of the North Hills mixed use development that is off Six Forks Road in Raleigh. The owners of Waverly Place, a Durham development firm, is making final adjustments to its plans to redevelop this once thriving retail center. Todd Zapolski, president of Zapolske & Rudd, the firm that owns the shopping center, reports that he is a few weeks away from filing plans for the center. However, he would not divulge any plans until he has spoken with Cary town leaders.
Zapolski confirms that they have been talking with a few different architecture firms and they are "trying to do interesting things." "The challenge has been keeping the good people there knowing we're going to have to do major surgery."
Currently, the center has about a 43 percent vacancy rate. Built in 1987, the 181,500 square feet of retail space was very architecturally appealing, but not very shopper friendly. Its design was intended to encompass and revolve around a multi-story office building which was never built. Some major renovations and remodeling is needed to draw customers into such a competitive retail environment.
The Kane Realty Corporation has truly developed a "Midtown district" that inspires people to come to live and work, shop and dine, while enjoying the relaxing environment. Since its insception, the North Hills has attracted some of the most prestigious stores from other areas of the city to relocate their operations here. In many situations, their entire operations such as Cameron Clothing Store which had been at Cameron Villiage for years until recently when it moved into North Hills as a second location. Then a month ago, closed its Cameron Viliage location and expanded its North Hills location. Other notable tenants include Jolly's and Liles. Jolly's also moved from Cameron Villiage and is a premire jewelry store that caters to the very refined and exacting jewelry shopper. Liles is an upscale men's clothing store which relocated into North Hills about a year ago.
It will still be determined the extent to which the Waverley Place can redesign itself and if it compares to the ambiance that is North Hills.

Raleigh Picked #4 by Forbes Magazine

Raleigh North Carolina has benefited with outstanding growth that has seen the area grow from the days of Aunt Bee and Mayberry to a major metropolitan city that is booming with great opportunity for all. With a growth spurt that has been ongoing for the last 15 to 20 years, the Triangle is now rivaling the likes of Charlotte and Atlanta with size and scope. The Triangle has experienced growth in the technology field with IBM, SAS and Redhat.

With this growth has come national attention to include recognition from Forbes Magazine as the 4th best place to live in the country. Additionally, they have recieved national attention with the Stanly Cup victory by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Stay tuned for more advancements within the Raleigh and the Triangle market.