I got word yesterday that there was an incident last week where a man walking his dog along Raleigh’s Reedy Creek Greenway was surrounded by “vicious” coyotes and he needed to be rescued by Raleigh Police. Police spokesperson Jim Sugrue is still gathering details and is expected to issue a press release this morning.
Raleigh
Community-focused posts
There are 773 posts filed in Raleigh (this is page 12 of 78).
The Confederate monument has no place on the State House grounds
The N&O’s Josh Shaffer wrote yesterday about keeping the Confederate monument on the state house grounds. I’ve mentioned before how garish I think the monument is so I disagree with Shaffer.
Perhaps we should retire the towering, out of place Confederate monument from the state house grounds to a place of honor in the Confederate portion of Oakwood Cemetery. Perched prominently on the state house grounds, it stands as a giant middle finger aimed towards equality.
North Carolina was a reluctant successionist, even then a Vale of Humility between Two Mountains of Conceit. This helped persuade Sherman from burning Raleigh to the ground. In light of our state’s lukewarm support for the Confederacy one has to wonder what the monument really celebrates.
It’s rare that I agree with conservative N&O columnist J. Peder Zane but even he has called for the monument to be removed. Because the N&O’s website has never figured out how to preserve historical links to its content, I am reposting his column here (as seen on FreeRepublic.com).
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City council dodges patio bar hot potato
I don’t know what the Raleigh city staff was thinking. Honestly, this recent attempt to ban patio seating for bars was bound to blow up in their faces. Anyone who’s worked in city government and played the political game should’ve seen it coming, yet staff happily tossed this hot potato right into the laps of the Raleigh City Council.
In an election year. Yes, an election year.
Of course, a huge groundswell of bar owners and their fans spoke out against this draconian measure and Council wisely backed down, but it all could’ve been avoided.
Me? I don’t see much difference between a bar’s patrons clogging the sidewalks and a restaurant’s patrons clogging the sidewalks. Both businesses’ patrons are likely swilling alcohol and both businesses are contributing to the economy and lifestyle of the City of Oaks. If the city allows one, I see no reason why they should not allow the other.
As for people who moved downtown to enjoy a lively downtown scene and then complain that the lively downtown scene keeps them awake at night, I don’t know what they’re thinking, either.
City staff should’ve known better than to spring this on the public with little warning and on Council during election season. It wasn’t that long ago that the Council took the city staff’s bait and outlawed garbage disposals. Yeah, that went over well. Some staffers apparently didn’t learn the lesson.
I remember the ghost town Raleigh’s downtown used to be not that long ago. The fact that there’s controversy over the sidewalks being too popular is almost laughable. As far as problems go this is a nice one to have. I’m glad the city is taking another approach to this and I’m glad the Council didn’t fall into the trap of approving this.
Glorious Church building meets less than glorious end
Glorious Church gets demolished
By the time you read this, there will likely be nothing left of the old Glorious Church, the building at the corner of Glascock and N. State St where Bishop Spain’s Apostolic congregation met for years. Demolition crews are whacking down wall after wall, turning it into a pile of bricks and memories. I snapped a few photos yesterday morning of the building while it was still intact, not knowing that hours later it would be demolished.
I’m somewhat sad to see the church go, actually, though the loud services often flared the tempers of surrounding neighbors. The building has been a church since the 1950s, as far as I can tell, and now the building is rubble. It was uninsulated and not much for beauty but it served as the home of a loving congregation. I don’t feel bad about the congregation, though, as I’m sure the sale price has provided them with money to build a new church, finally completing their dream interrupted years ago by what I heard was a dishonest contractor.
The Glorious Church building is an empty shell now
I knew about the building’s fate months ago through some real estate friends. Their plan is to raze the church building and the vacant daycare building just north of it and build three luxury homes in their place. The expected asking price for these homes is lofty and will certainly boost our property values but it will also accelerate change the surrounding neighborhood. In the end, though, I look forward to welcoming more good neighbors to the area.
The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs play Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre.
Months ago, Kelly and I bought tickets when The Psychedelic Furs announced they’d be playing at Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre. Last night was that night and I was on Cloud Nine. Kelly was initially ambivalent about going but once the Furs took the stage she really got into it.
I made jokes on Twitter about being in an older crowd and, truly, it was a more mature crowd. Richard Butler and his bandmates didn’t slow down, though, as the Furs played the many hits they’ve racked up over the years. What a show! The faces may be older and there might be some new bandmates, but other than that it could’ve been a Furs show in their heyday.
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Train happenings
Groundbreaking of Raleigh Union Station
I raced out of work Friday morning to see the groundbreaking of Raleigh’s new Union Station. Mayor McFarlane, Gov. McCrory, NCDOT Secretary Tata, Rep. David Price, and Federal DOT and Amtrak officials were there to break ground on this new multi-modal station. Looking around the crowd of spectators, many of whom were sweating under the strong sun, I wondered how many of them had ever actually ridden Amtrak. I’d bet the closest most have come is the hundred yards to the tracks where the NCDOT’s version of Amtrak, the Piedmont, was right then pulling into Raleigh.
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Liberals and the racist label
Our local, world-famous RPD beat officer posted to the East CAC Facebook page today about his upcoming meeting with the owners of the local shopping center and asked neighbors what things he should discuss with the owners. Several citizens posted thoughtful, helpful critiques of the shopping center, though a few noted how some teens who sometime loiter in the parking lot make them nervous.
This made one neighbor uncomfortable. She responded:
“I’ve shopped at [this store] regularly for five years and I have never–not once–been solicited, approached, or bothered in any way, shape, or form by teenagers or loiterers. I’m confused as to where this concern is coming from (and yeah, I know there was that big fight there a month or so ago) Frankly, it’s making me a little bit uncomfortable, as this thread seems to be a bunch of white people talking about how to make the neighborhood shopping center a better place. A good conversation, for sure, but are (black) teenagers hanging out outside of a local grocery store really a safety concern?”
This led me to dryly remark on Twitter:
“The community discussion made it all the way to 31 posts before a white person accused the other white people of being racist.”
My first long-distance EV trip
Too close for comfort!
Driving an EV longer distances requires one to do a little math, particularly if one is unsure a charging station can be found at the destination. I figured with my top range of about 75 miles, I would have more than enough to get there. The PlugShare app showed a ChargePoint charging station in the parking deck across from the hospital, so I figured I would be good to go.
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LTE on Skip Stam
I sent this to the N&O regarding Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam’s apparent reversal of support for redistricting reform.
It is disappointing to see Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam, once a champion of redistricting reform, backing a bill that quite plainly gerrymanders the Wake County Commission. We the voters lose again.
My original version called Stam “long a champion,” but it appears his days of championing redistricting reform are over. I hope one version or another makes it to print.
Dean Smith passes away
Dean Smith speaks with Erskine Bowles
Dean Smith, legendary basketball coach of the team I love to beat (the Tar Heels), passed away last night at the age of 83. Though I’m a Wolfpack fan, I had a lot of respect for Coach Smith. You knew when your team beat his it was something special because he always had his teams prepared.
I was fortunate to stand behind him at the Kerry-Edwards rally at N.C. State on July 10, 2004. It was unbearably hot and he was sweating through his dress shirt. I asked him if the heat bothered him and he smiled and said it was actually his bad knees that bothered him. We were on risers with no seats and at that moment I wanted to flag down and organizer and demand a seat be provided to Coach Smith.