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Friends of Dorothea Dix Park Weekly Newsletter

June 19, 2007

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly newsletter. Please pass along to your friends and family and ask them to become involved! Our goal is to keep all our members up-to-date on the recent developments related to Dix Park.

#1 CALLS TO ACTION!

#2 WAKE COUNTY LEGISLATOR SUPPORTS PARK PLAN

#3 FUNDRAISER EVENT NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 26

#4 DIX PARK IN THE PRESS

#5 ONLINE PETITION REACHES NEARLY 4,500 SIGNATURES
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#1 CALLS TO ACTION!
To support the recent media coverage we need you to act immediately and complete these calls to action as soon as possible - but they need to happen by Tuesday June 12th.

#1 Action Alert!
Letters to the editor needed immediately.
Regardless of where you live, write your local paper and express your support for Dix Park. Express your own thoughts and say that the General Assembly should accept the city’s offer immediately to create a world-class destination park. We owe this to our community and future generations.

#2 Action Alert!
Write, call, fax or email your elected representatives.
Ask them to accept Raleigh’s offer to buy the 306 acres of Dix land to create a world-class destination park. Please ask your friends and family to do the same!

#3 Action Alert!
Write, call, fax or email Gov. Mike Easley.
Urge him to immediately accept and support Raleigh’s offer to create a world-class destination park on the 306 acres on Dix Campus.

#4 Action Alert!
Websites and Blogs.
Visit the websites for all the media that covered the press conference (see below) on Thursday June 14th and voice your support for the Dix destination park in the comments sections after those stories.

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#2 WAKE COUNTY LEGISLATOR SUPPORTS PARK PLAN
Senator Neal Hunt of Wake County voiced his support publicly on June 19, 2007 at the Raleigh City Council meeting at 1 p.m. for the plan to preserve the 306 acres on the campus of Dorothea Dix Mental Hospital for a world-class destination park.

Senator Neal Hunt of Wake County said, “I am proud to support the efforts to preserve the remaining acres on the Dix campus for a destination park and gardens, something that everyone can enjoy for years and years to come.  This decision comes after much thought and consideration for what is best for North Carolina and Raleigh.  The money generated from the sale can be used to fund the critical shortfall we have in our mental health programs.”

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#3 FUNDRAISER EVENT COMING UP ON TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Thank you to all of those who have pledged their support and have bought tickets to our event!  If you have not done so already, please RSVP to thussey@fwv-us.com

It is critical for you to send in your contribution now; please don’t let our efforts stumble!  These last two months could be the tipping point for creating a world-class destination park and the time to act is now!  Tickets are $50 per person.  Thank you!

The Friends of Dorothea Dix Park fundraiser will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 333 Fayetteville Street, the Capital Bank building, second floor. We want you all to attend! It's not too late to make your contribution through one of the many levels of sponsorship opportunities that are still available.

Please join us by making your pledge to be on the host list today - levels are:
Host $1000
Co-Host $500
Sponsor $250
Patron $100

Please email us (thussey@fwv-us.com) to indicate what level of sponsorship you or your friends or family are interested in. Your check should be made payable to Friends of Dorothea Dix Park.

We need to continue the momentum and we cannot do that without your support!               
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#4 DIX IN THE PRESS
Following the press conference on June 14th the $10.5 million bid for Dix Park received widespread media coverage:

City offers $10.5 million for Dix on newsobserver.com
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/dix/story/603742.html

Raleigh Mayor Pressing State Lawmakers to Sell Land on WRAL.com
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1499212/

On WRAL news
http://wral.com/news/local/video/1501971/

Raleigh makes $10.5M bid to buy Dorothea Dix campus in Triangle Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/06/11/daily32.html?f=et85&hbx=e_du

Dorothea Dix On The Mind Of Raleigh in The Raleigh Chronicle
http://www.raleighchronicle.com/2007061306.html

Mayor, groups offer to buy Dorothea Dix site from state for park on ABC 13
http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/32631da6-www.wlos.com.shtml

Thursday, June 14, 2007, at the North Carolina General Assembly on MyrtleBeachOnline.com
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/564/story/100120.html

Raleigh offers to buy Dorothea Dix on News 14 Carolina
http://news14.com/Default.aspx?ArID=583684

Raleigh makes $10.5M bid to buy Dorothea Dix campus in msn.com Money section
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070614&ID=7034147

Raleigh pushing Dix question: Offers to purchase the property in NC Spin newsletter
http://designhammer.bm23.com/public/?q=message_preview&fn=Key&type=tracking&id=asnyksahfigbrmjhgipuoybinxwabed&link=ausgteetqhcnpekfehrhprjbcnjbbli

Dorothea Dix On The Mind Of Raleigh - Raleigh Chronicle on NC Mental Hope News Blog
http://mentalhopenews.blogspot.com/2007/06/dorothea-dix-on-mind-of-raleigh-raleigh.html

New direction for Dix on Carolina Bits Blog
http://newsviewsandmore.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-direction-for-dix.html

Raleigh, NC, Dorothea Dix land. DIX306 Proposed and Bid by Raleigh City Leaders on Real Estate Blog Active Rain
http://activerain.com/blogsview/123806/Raleigh-NC-Dorothea-Dix
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#5 ONLINE PETITION REACHES 4,500 SIGNATURES
Since the petition launched on March 23, 4,500 people have signed it.  That's a good start, but we are still reaching for our goal of 10,000 signatures.  We need you to send the petition link to everyone in your address book and encourage them to sign it.  Each of us has the power to see this number grow!  Please take a moment and forward this link now.  We also encourage you to read the petition and the comments that people are posting, these serve as more reminders of what we’re all working towards.

www.dixpark.org
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Thank you for your continued support!  Please contact us at this email address if you have any questions or would like to become involved.

-FDDP Board

Friends of Dorothea Dix Park - working together to share our vision of a world-class destination park - it's the right thing to do for your children, your economic vitality and your quality of life.

Please check out the Dix Park Online Store for t-shirts, hats, mugs and car magnets, http://cafepress.com

For yard signs and a list of pick-up points please visit www.dix306.org

To subscribe to this listserv please visit http://www.dixpark.org and fill out the online form.

This newsletter is also accessible online at http://www.dixpark.org