Raleigh

Community-focused posts

There are 773 posts filed in Raleigh (this is page 54 of 78).

Chevrolet Hills now ready for paving

We drove up to our friends the Naylor’s Lake Gaston lakehouse this morning. It had been a while since I drove up that part of Capital Boulevard and I was dismayed to see the old Cheviot Hills Golf Course now completely cleared, with few, if any, remaining trees. I’ve known it was coming, as it was bought by car dealers and car dealers do what car dealers do: they build car lots. But do they have to plow over every damn tree to build their lots?

I don’t know why it bothers me so, as I never set foot on that golf course, and the jackass who ran it pissed me off with his late night, drunken hunting. I suppose it’s trading a unique community resource for yet another faceless car dealership.
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Downtown amphitheatre

I was glad to see the city move forward with plans for the downtown amphitheatre. I actually brought this up with the mayor last week, inquiring where we were in the process and expressing my dismay that Live Nation was involved (y’all know how I feel about them). I’m glad to see that the city’s moving forward without Live Nation’s support, financially or otherwise.

I still believe an amphitheatre would be a great addition to the downtown mix. Moore Square is just not designed to be a concert venue, nor should it be. Having a dedicated facility would be a great improvement. The idea is that the amphitheatre would be a placeholder until the convention center gets expanded. Perhaps when that happens the amphitheatre can move up to the Devereaux Meadow location: the former site of a city ballpark that now houses the city’s sanitation trucks. The success of the Seaboard Music concerts proves that folks in the area would support outdoor music. And when the show’s over, it’s just a short walk or bus ride over to Glenwood South. Wouldn’t that be great!

Some East CAC feedback

Since blogs are all about self-promotion, I thought I’d share a few comments I’ve gotten from my neighbors here in the East CAC over the last month:

  • “Your diligence is appreciated.”
  • “You are so on the ball, I continue to be amazed. Where do you get the time from and all the information that you pass on practically daily?!”
  • “You’re doing a great job.”
  • “Incidentally, I think you’re doing a great job. I’m quite impressed with your organizational skills, and I feel the level of communication with the membership is greatly improved. I only hope you don’t lose the energy and zeal you have brought to the job thus far.”
  • “… thanks for your efforts.”
  • “Thanks for all of your efforts with the East CAC. As a relatively new resident … I appreciate keeping abreast of neighborhood events and concerns.”
  • “Thank you again for following up, I can rest easy now.”
  • “Keep up the great work managing these issues for the neighborhood.”

This is the stuff that makes it all worthwhile.

NC-540’s days as free road are numbered

When the NC Turnpike Authority cashed its $1B in loans yesterday, it also set the clock ticking for turning the section of NC-540 between I-40 and NC-55 into a toll road.

From http://www.ncturnpike.org/projects/Triangle_Expressway/

“Northern Wake Expressway (NC 540) is the portion of the Outer Wake Expressway that extends from NC 54 to NC 55. This 2.8 mile long segment, which recently opened to traffic and was constructed by the DOT with
STIP funds, is being transferred to NCTA in support of the project. This section will enable Triangle Parkway and Western Wake Freeway to function as a contiguous toll facility.”
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Daniel Boyd terror plot

Seven men were arrested in North Carolina on charges of being a terrorist ring, the leader of which is said to be Daniel Patrick Boyd.

These are very serious charges, and deserve to be heard in court. While it may be true that these gentlemen may be really bad men, they should not be tried and convicted in the press by the statements of the Justice Department. Spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI paint these guys as Osama Bin Ladens, and went on and on congratulating themselves for arresting them.

Then in today’s news where Boyd’s wife protests his innocence, U.S. District Attorney George E. B. Holding declined to respond to Boyd’s version. “I am sticking to the four corners of the indictment. We try our cases in court and won’t go back and forth before then.”

Oh, so now you try your cases in court, after you’ve already convicted them in the press.

I’m a supporter of law enforcement but I’m also a supporter of our justice system. I’d like to see the feds keep mum about these gentlemen until everyone has had a chance to hear the evidence.

Another stellar East CAC meeting

Just when I think I’ve hit the high mark for the East CAC meetings, a meeting comes along that tops it. Tonight’s was such a meeting. We had probably 70 neighbors in attendance: the largest crowd in my time as CAC chair and possibly its largest crowd ever. We had so many neighbors we had to open the back room to accommodate them all.

The folks weren’t there to hear me tell jokes, but to become informed. We first had a presentation about the nomination of Longview from Martha Hobbs about Longview Gardens’ nomination a historic district. Then Police Chief Harry Dolan conducted a brainstorming session to see what the residents’ concerns were. We also heard about the RPD Volunteer program as well. In attendance were two City Councilors. It was great to see everyone enjoying the meeting and building a community.

Before the meeting began, one longtime attendee asked me if being a CAC chair was a full-time job for me. I laughed and said it was simply a hobby. She complimented me on how well I was doing and how informative and tactful my emails have been. I thanked her for the compliments!

On the way home, though, I realized I gave her the wrong answer. Leading the neighborhoods is not simply a hobby of mine. It’s more than that: it’s a passion! It’s a bona fide passion. Sure, it takes organization and planning and setting a course – and there’s some effort behind all that. But when the third Monday rolls around and I walk out of the room with a smile on my face, knowing I’ve made a real difference in my neighborhood – that’s the reward. That makes it all worthwhile.

RTP: Rude Technology Park

I don’t know what it is, but I’m growing tired of the rude drivers I encounter every morning on my way to work in RTP. There’s so much tailgating, people cutting other people off, line cutting, and the rest that it raises my blood pressure. I don’t know if it’s too many Type-A personalities, too many people who bring their bad driving habits from (ahem) places they used to live, or too many just plain jerks but it’s really annoying. It’s definitely in sharp contrast to what I experienced when I was working downtown (or working in west Raleigh).

Hey, I’m happy with my job, too, but I’m not going to run everyone else off the road to get to it. Sheesh.

All Michael Jackson, all the time

Ok, so I said my peace about Michael Jackson the day he died, as did almost every other person and media outlet on the planet. Some media outlets have been milking Jackson’s death for all it’s worth.

I was really, really hoping that the News and Observer wouldn’t succumb to infotainment levels and put Michael Jackson’s funeral on the front page. Sadly, the N&O disappointed me againby putting this story on 1A, front and center. This is the biggest story in Raleigh?

Is there anyone out there still practicing real journalism?