9/8/06

I know this might seem a touch long

But read this, if you please.

Just something to think about 5 years out...

You know I will have more to say about it as we approach the day itself, and do not forget that we will be at the memorial service downtown on 9/10.

And to the media:
You can show all the video you want, play 911 calls that have been released, drag up folks who were there when the attacks happened and rake them over the coals for ratings. But you will never come close to those few moments stored eternally in my head - the ones that bring home 9/11 for each of us. You didn't have to be there, or even know the area - It was that feeling of sitting watching the news, total disbelief and gut-churning horror.

5 years later it still lingers. Some of us wait for the other shoe to drop, others have moved on as best they could. But each and every day, there is something - always something that reminds us all. Weather or not we pick up on it is another matter.

But thats all for another post, this is just to show that life continues on.

9/7/06

Some things

First off - Chef K asks me to please point you all in the general direction of his new blog (which is not the one that I started, gave over, then somehow took back) which can be found here: chefkroa.blogspot.com

Something must be bothering him... he seems a bit.. touchy lately.

As for me, I've been busy attempting to find the damn microphone so I can pod again for you, the lucky listeners.

Something tells me one of my evil henchmen hid it on me.

Please bear with us, I promise that by next week we will be back to somewhat normal here.

Of course Forgotten-Roanoke will be out in force this Sunday evening, attending the Regional 9/11 memorial. If the weather co-operates well enough, It might even be the first time in months the Forgotten-Roanoke jacket will be worn out.

And a quick word to city leaders; You have every right to ask for removal of garbage cans from the street in a timely manner, and fine those who do not follow guidelines. That being said - imagine if the cans never wound up there in the first place? Perhaps it's just me - but I would be coming down hard like a biblical rain on the bosses over in the Dept of Sanitation who allow the workers to shove, toss, or outright dump the cans in the street. That is the extreme polar opposite of professional, courtious behavior, and quite frankly - a bad reflection upon the city as a whole.

You allow for citizen complaints of Weeds/Trash violations, but how does one go about changing a system?

Oh right.. thats why Im here..

Remember folks - let's make the Star City shine, again.

9/3/06

A New Hope (sorry Mr. Lucas...)



100 years ago, crossing Jefferson and Campbell was downright difficult - between the traffic, the muddy streets, and the neverending stream of people hustling about the city - the crossroads of Roanoke was a very hard place to cross.

Shops, stores, merchants, and hotels lined nearly every street in the downtown core. Life was a bustle into the wee hours of the evening, and you'd be hard pressed to find any time you'd not hear some sign of life somewhere.

But that was 100 years ago. Downtown Roanoke today is quiet, for the most part. One block off of Jefferson and Campbell and most days you can hardly find a soul. The city market is still doing strong business - but even that is calm and quiet.

Roanoke has gone from the powerhouse and machinery driving the economy of southwest Virginia to the headquarters for various offices and companies.

Clean, quiet headquarters.

Sure, it can still be tough to cross at Campbell and Jefferson, but usually only when Valley Metro is doing it's departures. And at night, it's nearly noiseless downtown.

Lifeless.

It is time.

In the coming weeks and months, you will be seeing a new Roanoke-Found blog, dedicated to a single thought - single concept;

Make the Star City shine, Again.


And just when you think you've finally got it...

Story here.

Roanoke Times covered it too..

No offense to Mr. Woody (who looks more than a bit like my grandfather)
but Im sure he has better things to do than spruce up a monument to failure and the
lasting legacy of the Curse of Woodland Park.

Although it does cause me to wonder, if they spruce up the monument - does that
mean the curse is renewed?

Help us all...