Smitty's Notes Farewell - The End. And Thank You!

Greetings, Smittyheads,

Funny how time changes our perception of time. If you had asked me in 1997 whether “Smitty” and Smitty’s Notes would be around for 27 years I would’ve just chuckled.

But the laugh was on me. I never dreamed my little sideline would have grown in so many ways and lasted this long.

However, all things must come to an end.

I decided in the summer of 2023 to end Smitty’s Notes. Why, may you ask? Easy. It was time. I’m a big proponent of not staying too long at the party.

The party has been Winston-Salem’s growth and development, which have come a long way since I started the newsletter practically by accident — and wound up creating a brand that has contributed to the fabric of the community.

Because the brand has been involved in so many things, both publicly, and behind the scenes, I wanted to make sure the hard work of colleagues, supporters and staunch advocates will continue. I also know from my professional training (yes, I had real job for 31 years in the legal field), that there’s a proper way to shut things down. I’m happy to report that we will continue to be in good shape as we land this plane.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, our community had lost its way. I figured I would do my part to help us get our groove back. So, what started as an informal email chain among friends seeking fun and diversion on weekends, has morphed into a multi-pronged endeavor over the years. The email spawned an event list, became a tool for young professional advocacy and downtown economic development; it grew into news kiosk for community development, and ultimately, a website and people-connector.

In connecting people, before I knew it, I was serving on boards, becoming involved in community initiatives, solving problems, troubleshooting, appearing on television and radio, and writing columns in print. My commentary was not always flattering, but I like to think it was honest. At the time, Winston-Salem needed some straight talk: Our city was in dire straits, and as a native son, I wasn’t going to stand by and watch it become irrelevant.

I’m proud that the Smitty brand moved the needle in the right direction with the following contributions:

Sharing the city’s cultural gems and showing you that there was a lot more going on that you might not have been aware of. I hope, as a local, I helped you discover — or rediscover — your hometown.

Being a networker and connecting people with activities, trends, opportunities and other people in the community. The dinner program called “Evening with Eight — Plus Smitty!” of which I am especially proud, introduced community leaders to people in Winston-Salem in an intimate setting. Over a span of 10 years, more than 1,200 people and 60 community leaders broke bread together to learn about happenings around town. Many of them formed professional connections and friendships. Others dated, and I know of at least who married — all because they met at Evening With Eight — Plus Smitty! Our community would benefit from more such dinner programs. People just want to meet other people.

Launching Smitty’s Notes Wine Tours, and highlighting in the early 2000s, our budding regional wine industry.

Developing the “Best of Winston-Salem” Awards that encouraged subscribers to vote for the “best” our city had to offer. Although the contest ended a few years ago, I still see the occasional “Best of Winston” decal displayed on a storefront or Certificate of Recognition hanging on the wall of a given establishment. They never fail to make me smile

.Enjoyed doing Smitty’s Notes part in advancing entrepreneurship and technology by being a longtime sponsor and supporter since 2011 of ConvergeSouth - one of the oldest conferences of its type in the southeast. Winston-Salem was built on entrepreneurs. I’m proud the brand was named a “ConvergeSouth Fellow” in support of this effort. Started in Greensboro, ConvergeSouth is now in Winston-Salem and Charlotte. Many thanks to Founder Sue Polinsky for creating ConvergeSouth, Social Media Influencer Kirsten Daukas for keeping it going, and Peter Marsh, Founder of Flywheel, for expanding the conference.

Seeing the recognition Smitty’s Notes has garnered in local, state, and national media outlets, including The New York Times Magazine and Politico.com. I always got a kick out of telling the journalists, “I’m glad you found me. However, let me connect you with the people who can tell the bigger story of our transformation.”

And those people have been the greatest reward over the years. I have met some wonderful individuals, many of whom are friends to this day. And if it weren’t for Smitty’s Notes, I might not have met them at all.

Clark Harper is a prime example. In a chance meeting on the street, I mentioned to him my desire for a more dynamic events list. His response? “I may have something for you.” And so, Event-O-Rama — a central event database — was born. It was so successful that Visit Winston-Salem, Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, The Arts Council and Coming Events joined in. This calendar platform was later moved to Everwondr. Then The Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. became a part of it. So, Winston-Salem is one of the few cities in the country whose major public-facing organizations share the same data that forms a central events calendar. The community owes Clark Harper a big thank-you for creating the concept many years ago. It laid the foundation for a more efficient flow of information that many cities don’t have. The question to the community – How do better use the event calendar platform?

Another person I was fortunate enough to cross paths with was Dr. Michael Liskche. He and I were Co-Conveners of the Coalition of Young Leaders, aka COYL, a young professional group eager to make changes in our city. Our focus was volunteerism and bringing it into the 21st Century through technology and new initiatives. With nonprofit organizations buying in, the volunteer initiative moved to the auspices of our friends at the Winston-Salem Foundation where it was fine-tuned. Thanks to their support, the volunteer initiative has morphed into HandsOn Northwest North Carolina, whose reach extends beyond Winston-Salem to Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties.

And how could I overlook jazz promoter Carl Denerson? Putting him in touch with the right people has been a major benefit to Winston-Salem, considering the caliber of national musicians added to the lineup of the downtown music program that started as 4^th Street Jazz. From that, we now have the Downtown Partnership’s "Downtown Jazz Series” which brings thousands of people to Corpening Plaza each summer.

Over the years, Smitty’s Notes made sure the many people along the way to this downtown and community revitalization receive some type of recognition. Publicly or behind the scenes. These folks don’t do it for public recognition, and prefer it that way. They do their part for the love of Winston-Salem and to make a contribution to keep it moving forward. And we thank them for what they have done, and continue to do.

Most of all, I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who have supported me over the years. “Smitty” and “Smitty’s Notes” would not be here if it weren’t for each and every one of you. I’d also like to thank my former employer, Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, whose Volunteer Policy let me support many things in the community. A big shoutout also goes to the community leadership whom I worked with for many years, my sponsors who helped keep the lights on, and the people who put their trust in me and all that was “Smitty’s Notes.”

Things are a lot different now. 2024 doesn’t look or feel at all like 1997. We have moved in the right direction, and I hope we continue to do so. Sure, we have things that still need to be addressed. But as I’d hoped all those years ago, we are once again a vibrant and dynamic community.

This plane is coming in for a smooth landing, as I set my sights on the next leg of my journey. A lyric from the Grateful Dead song “Truckin’” describes the last 27 years perfectly: “What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been."

Smitty out!

—————

FAQ

Is this the end of Smitty’s Notes e-newsletter?

Yes.

Will my email address be sold to another party since I signed up for Smitty’s Notes?

No. A decision was made many years ago the Smitty’s Notes email list will not be sold.

Are there others newsletters that have Winston-Salem and Forsyth County content and events?

Sure. You can sign up for the following:

Best of Winston

The Go To Winston-Salem

WSToday

Will Smitty’s Notes E-Community Group on Facebook still be active?

No. The Facebook group will go on pause Sunday, April 7 at midnight. Posting and comments then cannot be submitted. Sometime in April it will be archived.

What about SmittysNotes.com website? Will it remain active?

Yes. The content on the website is still useful and will remain active for now.

Are there other websites I can go to for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County content?

Sure. I recommend the following:

Best of Winston

Coming Eventz

Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership

MyWinston-Salem

TheGoToWinstonSalem

The Man Who Ate The Town

Triad Moms On Main

VisitWinstonSalem