President prepares for GTCC meeting : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

JAMESTOWN — Preparing a meal for the president’s staff is a pretty tall order, especially when you only have a couple of days’ notice.

But Joyce Hill said that serving President Barack Obama’s entourage during today’s visit to GTCC is nothing her culinary students and staff can’t handle.

“They’re very quality conscious,” said Hill, chairwoman of the college’s hospitality education department. “I’m not the least bit worried. If something goes down, they’ll have it fixed so fast or redone so fast, you won’t know that thing went down.”

The culinary students are preparing breakfast, but Obama probably won’t participate in the meal, Hill said. She has been told her students might serve members of the Secret Service, law enforcement officers and national media.

On this morning’s menu: pork tenderloin and sausage biscuits, Danish muffins, burritos and fresh fruit.

“We wanted the breakfast to reflect where we are,” Hill said. “In other words, a local Southern-style breakfast. Not what they might get in the North or West.”

Chef Alan Romano, an instructor in hospitality education, has cooked for former President Gerald Ford, former Vice President Dan Quayle and Oprah Winfrey, but he said it’s still a “little stressful” preparing a meal for Obama’s staff.

“We want to put G-Tech on the map,” Romano said.

Doing so will require an early start today for students who volunteered to help with the meal.

“They are to be here by 5:30, and some of them weren’t so interested when they heard the time,” Hill said Monday afternoon. “Others said, 'I don’t care what time. I want to be a part of this.’ ”

The students will get more than a lesson in how to prepare a meal for very special guests. While some of them will cook, others will host and serve.

Some details, such as polishing the silver and checking the glassware for spots, have already been taken care of, Hill said.

“This is new for our students, so it’s a great opportunity for learning,” Hill said.

Obama was to spend the night in Greensboro and will speak this morning at the Ragsdale Family YMCA on the GTCC campus. His speech is closed to the public but open to GTCC students who got tickets.

“That would have been an awesome experience,” said Caitlyn Milosky, who said she found out too late that students could go to the event.

“Surprisingly, a lot of people have been shocked because they had no idea he was coming,” said Caitlyn’s mom, Leslie Milosky.

Lee Kinard, executive assistant to GTCC’s president, Randy Parker, said everyone has been told to get to campus by 7 a.m. before security blocks off the roads. Everyone must also have their identification cards with them, Kinard said.

No classes have been canceled for today’s event, he said.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 373-7080 or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com

spcialladyt

October 18, 2011 - 4:13 am EDT

To President Obama, welcome to our beautiful city, you and your family are always welcome, we love you dearly . Mr. President, you TRIUMPED IN "08" AND YOU Will TRIUMP IN THE NEXT ROUND REMEMBER MR PRESIDENT, IF GOD BEFORE US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US DEMOCRATES MR PRESIDENT WE ARE READY TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES ONCE AGAIN AND PREPARE FOR A VICTORY PARTY ONWARD AND UPWARD I SAY. SINCERELY, A CHILD OF GOD

Awakened

October 18, 2011 - 6:24 am EDT

ARE YOU IN-SANE??? This president and his socialist agenda should take his campaign speech and irresponsible spending back to Washington and try to find a real solution for putting America back to work! Your Jobs bill is nothing more than a second stimulus. We all see how well that worked out the first time. It does not help our financial or employment situation to artificially prop up the economy for a short period spending money we have to print or borrow from China or Japan. GO BACK TO WASHINGTON AND DO WHAT WE HIRED YOU TO DO!

nessroc

October 18, 2011 - 8:16 pm EDT

Awakened you need to wake up. The president can come here any time he want.If Bush didnot help all the jobs go to china it will be some jobs.Your in-sane, Now go have your cup of tea with the tea party repulicans.

goliath45

October 18, 2011 - 6:42 am EDT

Have you lost your mind. This embarrassment to the whitehouse and office of the president has been running America into the ground since he was sworn in. If you think you are better off now than before he was elected then you are living in a cave. This man is nothing but a socialist with his own agenda

October 18, 2011 - 8:18 pm EDT

Yes sworn in to the mess Bush put us in .

Abruti

October 18, 2011 - 10:35 am EDT

Did you accidentally hit the CAPS LOCK button in your response, or are you screaming? BTW, there's an h in triumph. I'm not usually one to criticize people for their spelling but you made the error twice. Better to be offended once than spend the rest of your life repeating the error. Just in case it wasn't a typo, democrats does not have an 'e'.

And seriously, as another child of God, I'm a little put off by the idea that you think God holds your particular political party in higher regard.

laserguidedloogie

October 18, 2011 - 6:05 am EDT

uhg...

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...

demarisinyamouth

October 18, 2011 - 6:50 am EDT

Welcome to NC, President Obama. Back when Bush was in office my income was about half of what it is now. Those $10-11 /hr jobs are a thing of the past. No complaints from me.

northoftheboro

October 18, 2011 - 7:36 am EDT

That's odd...under Bush I was making $15.50/hour, bought and owned two homes, and lived a high-savings, debt-free lifestyle. Fast forward three years and I now make minimum wage, had to sell both homes, and now rent as I attend college and regroup from the damage left in the wake of the Obama economy. November 2012 can't get here fast enough for MOST Americans!

Panacea

October 18, 2011 - 9:05 am EDT

You know, there's something you aren't telling us. If you didn't have the debt, and owned 2 homes free and clear (presumably renting one?), then why'd you have to sell both homes? You couldn't live on the proceeds from one?

The math just isn't adding up, given that you are still actually working.

October 18, 2011 - 10:38 am EDT

I don't know. Trying to sell a home isn't much fun these days.

Having said that, I agree. At $15.50 an hour, I could not buy and own two homes and live in a high-savings, debt-free lifestyle.

October 19, 2011 - 2:32 am EDT

I know. Sounds like somebody is lying or trying to blame the President for their problems.

October 18, 2011 - 7:31 am EDT

I hope as many citizens as possible can get a glimpse of our president as he campaigns across N.C. and Virginia to push for his "American jobs" bill in his million-dollar, taxpayer-funded, opulent, Canadian-made bus. Occupy that!

infolit

October 18, 2011 - 9:48 am EDT

The fact that you know that it's a canadian made bus tells me you've been buying into that right wing brainwash media. How else could you possibly know that?

ncres

October 18, 2011 - 7:59 am EDT

Well, well, well....Obama is only drumming up more votes. Wants more jobs for teachers, police, firefighters, etc. and we need those, but he is wanting their votes. Obama says what he thinks will make others happy. Look at Bev! She promised all of the teachers and then got rid of them. This country is in great need of someone in the White House and as NC governor, that has COMMON SENSE. Want to cut spending? Start at the top--cut pay for congress, etc. Let them live on $10.00 a hour and see what they change. They don't need special treatment just because they are on Congress. I work for the government myself and I see ALOT of money being wasted. People use the system as a "lifestyle" and not as a step to assist them to get on their feet. Make people do drug tests to get benefits. How much money do you think that will save? Make all rules for any assistance the same across the board - not have rules for 1 progam and rules for another. Let the people who make up the rules for assistance now what is going on in this state. They do not have a clue!

October 18, 2011 - 9:49 am EDT

"Bev" didn't get rid of any teachers, numbskull. The Republican legislature did. How can you not know that?

gsonc214

October 18, 2011 - 10:29 am EDT

Actually the legislature just cut funding, individual systems decided to cut teachers. Take Guilford County for instance, where the administrative glut is ridiculous in comparison to actual teacher costs yet politics require the teachers to be the cuts so they can get some public outcry.

October 18, 2011 - 10:59 am EDT

I can tell you've never taught or worked in the public schools before.

October 18, 2011 - 2:59 pm EDT

I personally have not but my wife and both of her parents do and they all agree. Mo has been so kind as to decline the raise on his $250k plus allowances salary for a few years now while we are cutting teachers at $35k or less. Three of his chief officers are over $150k. There are 15 GCS employees making $139k or more before you reach the first person actually in a school interacting with students. Approximately 60 employees make over $100k, again none of them in the classroom. According to 2010 statistics 189 employees are on the salary list ahead of the first classroom teacher in a core subject, and that is the only core teacher in the top 235. Around 130 of those are principals and assistant principals, then there are 100 various executive director, director, chief, coach, program manager, program administrator, program specialist, coordinator, administrator, supervisor, therapist and psychologist positions. This list just gets us down to $70k/yr, doesn't count all of the layers of administration beneath that. When there is that much administrative fat that never enters the classroom teachers should not be first on the cut list.

arnie

October 18, 2011 - 9:12 am EDT

Obama is already creating jobs to the tune of 150,000 per quarter for the last 7 quarters.. Under Bush we lost 750,00 a year the entire time he was President. And please remember the Bush regime sucked 6.78 trillion dollars out of our economy for spending, which affected mainly middle class, and devalued these houses no one can sell now. George Bush created a bubble. Just as did Ronald Regan.

mamaboilermaker

October 18, 2011 - 9:37 am EDT

How are students supposed to get to their classes? What will students do if they can't get to campus before the roads close? I'm thinking of the students who have jobs and might need to come and go at times not convenient for the Secret Service. I hope professors won't blame students if they can't make it to class. It is impossible to park at GTCC on a normal day, yet they expect students to get to class today around the president's schedule? Classes should have been canceled or the president's visit taken to a different venue.

I have no vested interest, but I just don't see how the students are supposed to function around this event.

disgruntled

October 18, 2011 - 9:50 am EDT

Students were expected to arrive prior to 7am, and highly recommended to stay on campus until 1pm. No classes are excused. I was turned away from campus by a State Trooper, and yes, my attendence will take a hit due to the visit. Students were not advised by email, nor a banner at the top of the GTCC site like during incliment weather. Instead, a link was placed at the bottom left of the front page, which you have to scroll down to see, then click to find out the details. Check out the link: http://www.gtcc.edu/presidential-address.aspx

October 18, 2011 - 9:57 am EDT

I read the link--unbelievable! They close big chunks of parking, make impossible demands upon the schedules of students who may not be able to change their schedules, then expect you to function as if nothing is happening? I pray you have instructors who wil recognize how entirely unreasonable this is and give you a break.

As a professors wife, I am not big on cutting slack for students--but to expect y'all to get anywhere near your classes in a timely fashion today is absurd. But what do I know--my degree is in engineering, not "educational administration."

October 18, 2011 - 10:43 am EDT

I don't blame the President but the folks at GTCC should use this as an instructional thing for students and not penalize them for not showing up for class.

GTCCMamma

October 18, 2011 - 12:36 pm EDT

I had my son at GTCC at 6:30 AM and the entrances to campus were already closed even though the news stations were announcing otherwise. A very kind Sheriff's deputy allowed me to drop off my son in front of the Hospitality building and I do want to say Thank you, even if she might never read this. I do think there should have been detour signs at the intersection of Vickery Chapel Rd and High Point Rd because apparently, you were supposed to NOT use High Point Road for drop off...and again...the media was reporting that High Point Road entrances would be open until 7. Communication is everything.

On the same lines I would be interested to see the overall budget impact of the President's visit. How many police officers were required to completely shut down Bryan Blvd and all of the overpasses and stop all traffic from the airport? How much was the cost of staying at the Proximity Hotel for him and his entire entourage? How much did the bus cost the taxpayers for him to go campaigning? Repeat above questions for today's route to GTCC as the entire city shuts down and is forced out of their schedule due to his visit. Of course this is not just Obama but the Presidency in general but it is really getting ridiculous when you consider that this happens everywhere he goes.

More on Obama, I could actually agree with most of his Wilkes County speech if he would provide a few important details that keep being omitted to get everyone's cheers....where is the funding coming from for all of these back to work projects? What happens to the employment when those projects are over? How are we going to compensate for the extra spending? He conveniently avoids the fact that these things all increase our deficit while contributing minimal revenue, which will eventually lead to the collapse of this nation. Eventually a compromise has to be reached to provide jobs and a method of paying for them.

October 18, 2011 - 10:44 am EDT

I voted for Bush and not for Obama. But I distinctly remember as much, or more, inconvenience when Bush came to town.

Notice the last sentence of the first paragraph...

October 18, 2011 - 8:28 pm EDT

Yes the same thing happen when Bush came, but i don't think they have a problem with some over time.They may not have a job if the republicans don't pass the job act.

CherylP25

October 18, 2011 - 10:39 am EDT

It's exciting. It's a Presidential visit. We're a part of history. He didn't have to come and visit us, but he did. Whether or not you like President Obama, enough people voted for him that he was elected. Please respect the office of the President of the United States, set aside your hate just long enough to realize that this IS news and it IS exciting. When President Bush was here, I would've loved to see him. I think it's great that he was at Stamey's. People were stopped in traffic for the motorcade then. It's all a part of having the PRESIDENT in your city. Quit being so small minded and enjoy being in the national spotlight and welcome the president with southern hospitality. :)

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