^ Not for that. Roanoke Rapids officials are free to rename the theater under the terms of the last contract with Parton.

1/9/2008 2:50:53 PM

never underestimate the power of drunk hillbillys

1/9/2008 3:47:01 PM

Now you hold on there just a dang minute, city feller.

1/10/2008 12:57:38 AM

According to Carolina Journal, a lawyer named Pearson was representing Parton at the same time he was representing the state agency that recruited Parton.

The lawyer said there was no conflict of interest because "Parton had no relationship with the Commission" that was recruiting him.

This thing stunk to high heaven from day one.

1/10/2008 10:35:44 AM

yeah I heard about this arrangement several years back because I lived nearby

it always struck me as kind of a long-shot

I'm sure getting robbed like this will be great for the already-wonderful town of Roanoke Rapids

1/10/2008 10:44:02 AM

Yes..I'm sure the folks in RR are nice people.

It seems like this was a sad version of "The Music Man" where there was no happy ending.

1/10/2008 11:17:11 AM

The Randy Parton Theatre took million dollar loss under namesake

Quote :

"The city's report shows an apparant profit of $17,443.58 during the Nov. 21-Dec. 23 timeframe, when the theater came under the direct control of the city and UGL Unicco, the management company."

Quote :

"During the period of Nov. 21 to Nov. 24, the city collected $27,023.75 and Unicco collected $230,835.67 from Nov. 26 through Dec. 23. Expenditures for that period were $218,559.85 and the management fee paid to Unicco for that period was $21,855.99, resulting in total expenses of $240,415.84. That resulted in a 'surplus' of revenues over expenditures of $17,443.58."

Quote :

"[City Manager Phyllis Lee] is also pleased with the performance of the theater under Unicco's management. 'Compared to the prior financial records, it tells us we're headed in the right direction to make the theater profitable and self-supporting.'"

http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2008/01/17/front/front.txt

[Edited on January 17, 2008 at 12:48 PM. Reason : .]

1/17/2008 12:47:16 PM

Quote :

"apparant"

1/17/2008 3:34:28 PM

^ LOL. Yeah, the Herald can't afford to spell-check.

1/17/2008 3:50:38 PM

Quote :

"NC DOT board member resigns over Perdue fundraising By GARY D. ROBERTSON : Associated Press Writer The Associated Press Jan 18, 2008 RALEIGH, N.C. -- A state Board of Transportation member resigned Friday after his boss questioned his effort to raise campaign money for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue from people connected to a high-profile commercial project in Roanoke Rapids. Thomas Betts Jr. of Rocky Mount, who represented six northeast Piedmont counties on the board, submitted his resignation to Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. Tippett said he talked to Betts about whether Betts had been raising money for Perdue in Roanoke Rapids from people connected to Carolina Crossroads, a new entertainment and retail complex along Interstate 95. The cornerstone of the complex is a theater previously managed by Randy Parton, the brother of Dolly Parton. Tippett said he was concerned that Carolina Crossroads officials would feel obliged to give to Perdue because the board had approved economic development money for the project. "I told him that it would probably be in the best interest of the state" to step down, Tippett said. "Board members are held to the highest ethical standards. ... we weren't going to accept anything less." Betts didn't return messages left Friday on his cell phone or at his home. Perdue's campaign acknowledged that Betts was helping with a Nov. 13 fundraiser in Rocky Mount but wasn't aware of the efforts to attract Roanoke Rapids donors at this event until Friday. Betts' resignation embarrasses Perdue, who has made the troubles at the former Randy Parton Theatre a campaign issue in her primary race against State Treasurer Richard Moore, her leading opponent. Last week, Moore said if elected he would seek legislation banning Transportation Board members from donating to any candidates or collecting donations on behalf of a candidate to reduce political influence on the board. Betts' resignation confirms that Perdue doesn't want to change the system, Moore's campaign said. "Bev Perdue has been disingenuous about Roanoke Rapids from day one," Moore campaign manager Jay Reiff said. "The bottom line is she doesn't get it -- the DOT board needs to get out of the fundraising business." Rick Benton, the economic development director for the town of Roanoke Rapids, said late Friday that Betts e-mailed him asking him to help raise $20,000 at the fundraiser. Betts mentioned "the Partons" and others as a possible donor, Benton said. Benton said he wrote back that it was inappropriate for him to participate because he was a city employee, but he forwarded the request to some local residents. "I'm not involved in political fundraising," he said. Perdue has criticized Moore's leadership on a state panel that approved $21 million in debt used by Roanoke Rapids to build the music theater. Financial records show Randy Parton had spent public money on alcohol and trips to Las Vegas. He hasn't performed at the theater since early last month. Since then, "we made it very clear that we weren't going to accept any contributions from any people related to the project," Kochman said. The office of Gov. Mike Easley, who appoints all members, referred questions about Betts to Tippett. "

We're gonna miss all of those ethical Easley appointees, aren't we?

1/20/2008 10:43:59 AM

Quote :

"The city's report shows an apparant profit of $17,443.58 during the Nov. 21-Dec. 23 timeframe, when the theater came under the direct control of the city and UGL Unicco, the management company."

I wouldn't be so enthusiastic. People always spend more around Christmas. I would expect sales to rise if they had some kind of Christmas show and I'm sure people received tickets as gifts that wouldn't have otherwise been bought if it weren't for Christmas.

1/21/2008 10:27:32 AM

Parton to tell 'the inside story' Friday

Quote :

"Country singer Randy Parton plans to go public Friday and discuss his role in the development of the theater that once bore his name, as well as his ouster from its stage and his job as general manager. A news conference is planned for Friday morning in Cary, according to sources at the hotel that will host the event and a press release from a Parton spokesman."

http://rrdailyherald.com/articles/2008/02/03/front/front.txt

Hmm--can't wait to hear this one.

2/4/2008 3:15:48 AM

Quote :

"RALEIGH — The Partons stretched the adage “wearing out your welcome” to new limits when ordering wardrobes with public money, according to Randy Parton Theatre documents obtained from North Carolina’s Northeast Commission. The documents show that public employees were arranging for $600 custom pants for Randy Parton and a custom girdle for his wife, Deb, both paid for with public funds more than a year before the theater opened."

Think he'll explain any of this?

2/4/2008 11:06:07 AM

^ Of course not, how can he? Not in an acceptable manner, anyway. I'm thinking it'll just be a lot of finger-pointing by Parton, claiming that city officials are corrupt and/or in breach.

What about this, though:

Quote :

"His venue won't be anywhere in the Roanoke Valley. Instead, Randy's reappearance in North Carolina will come in an upscale resort-spa in Cary [emphasis added]."

http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2008/02/04/opinion/opinion.txt

The Umstead, maybe?

2/4/2008 5:02:14 PM

Yea too chickenshit to come down to RR and do it? Gotta be 2 hours away? WTF big man.

2/4/2008 5:34:48 PM

Sounds like The Umstead. I don't know what kind of facilities they have because I've never been there. Would be cool if I could cut out of work for a little while to go listen, but I doubt it is open to random schmoes.

I was in RR from 2:00-4:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Halifax Regional ftw.

2/5/2008 4:35:51 PM

^ The Umstead is the shit--I've been there a few times. They just received the 2008 AAA Five Diamond Award.

http://www.theumstead.com/

Having noted that, I don't think a super-fancy hotel and spa is an appropriate venue for Parton to explain why he allegedly wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars. It strikes me as yet another boneheaded move on his part.

Hope you weren't sick or injured. Yeah, the hospital used to be named Halifax Memorial Hospital--the running joke was that once you were admitted, they could start planning a memorial for you.

[Edited on February 5, 2008 at 8:41 PM. Reason : .]

2/5/2008 8:37:50 PM

Parton speaks--yes, from The Umstead. I don't think much new information was offered, though--federal investigators, however, are now looking at the case.

http://wral.com/news/local/video/2410563/

2/8/2008 10:56:30 PM

Federal Investigators Look Into Parton Theater Deal

Quote :

"Raleigh — Federal investigators who handled the political corruption investigation of former state House Speaker Jim Black are looking into the taxpayer-funded deal that brought Randy Parton to Roanoke Rapids. FBI agents spoke to the country singer's attorney on Friday, said Rick Watson, who played a key role in Parton's failed music venture in Halifax County."

http://wral.com/news/local/story/2422618/

2/12/2008 5:23:01 AM

More developments today.

1) Randy Parton was served papers at his speech to testify before the grand jury.
2) UGL UNNICO was giving a 30-day notice by the city council in a 3-1 vote initiated by that dickhead Jon Baker.
3) The sole opponent, Reggie Baird, mayor pro-temp, said he had enough once they made this decision, and he officially resigned from the city council effective immediately.

2/13/2008 9:48:09 PM

^ I heard about the latter--that's a trip. Reggie's been on the council for a long time.

2/14/2008 12:48:24 AM

Unicco abandons theater citing; claims city owes it $100,000

Quote :

"In a surprise development, shortly after 12 noon today, UGL Unicco ended its management of The Roanoke Rapids Theatre claiming the city had missed a payment of over $100,000 despite being given a two-week extension. In its prepared statement, the management company said, 'As a result, while we were ready and willing to work through the issue and negotiate a contract or professionally manage a transition, UGL Unicco is forced to leave this project immediately under the terms of the City's agreement. We regret the situation - it is a fine theater, one we leave in dramatically better terms than where we found it less than ninety days ago. But our hands are tied.' City Manager Phyllis Lee declined any immediate comment. After consulting with City Attorney Gilbert Chichester, Mayor Drewery Beale said Monday that the $113,000 allegedly owed Unicco and several other things, was the reason in invoking the 30-day notice."

http://rrdailyherald.com/articles/2008/02/18/breaking_news/breakingnews.txt

It just keeps gettin' better, doesn't it?

2/21/2008 1:16:59 AM

seriously who the fuck cares about trailer park politics?

oh no some alcoholic redneck faggot is getting fucked over by some other alcoholic redneck faggot.


and this thread is mostly hooksaw arguing with himself.

2/21/2008 7:45:16 AM

It's actually about the NC taxpayer getting screwed over by state politicians. This "Amendment One" bill is going to be a bottomless pit of corruption and waste.
Politicians spending oodles of our money on pet projects with little citizen control.

If the taxpayers of N. Carolina were allowed to vote on financing the "Randy Parton Theater", it wouldn't have stood a chance.

2/21/2008 10:33:47 AM

^Or you could actually pay attention to local elections. Newsflash: if you elect irresponsible people, they might not be prudent with your money.

2/21/2008 1:09:55 PM

^^^ Total horseshit--I've simply been passing along news. And if you don't care about this topic stay the fuck out of the thread.

2/21/2008 4:55:15 PM

Quote :

"if you elect irresponsible people, they might not be prudent with your money."

The odds are pretty good we are going to elect irresponsible politicians. Why give them more temptation wiht this "Amendment One" TIF deal?

North Carolinians voted for TIFs, so they have themselves to blame for the Randy Partons we will get.

2/21/2008 9:30:15 PM

Quote :

"This city on the Virginia border is finally finished with Randy Parton. The cost: $750,000."

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/975364.html

3/3/2008 11:19:31 PM