The Sentinel reveals himself.

And no longer is the City alone, listening to one voice.

The Roanoke Star Sentinel has launched.

If you are one of the lucky 30,000 who received the first issue - congrats. If not, hit the link and read it via .pdf online.

Things just got very interesting.

Wiley Coyote

Once again, black wins over white - and 2 dimensional thinking succeeds in the face of the future.

Wiley Drive will be closed.

Which is understandable, considering the nature of the issue. However, there is always a middle ground.

Yes, the park - the picnic area - the low-water bridge, all of it - is now off limits to the disabled.

I think we could have done better than that.

Parks and Rec is still going to use some sort of road to get to the inner parts of the park - be it the greenway, or a remnant of Wiley - we should keep that option open for the Handicapped. We do it on Mill Mountain, with the access road to the zoo open as an option for the handicapped, we can damn well do it in the parks.

And we need to. The closest someone in a wheelchair can get to the water itself is the low water bridge.

I'm not disappointed, I actually find myself still hopeful that at some point during the process of the bench cut, someone will speak up and the access needed by the handicapped will be kept.

If not, well - then I'll be disappointed.

Lame. Just Lame.

Roanoke City Council to discuss Mill Mountain and Victory Stadium site in private
City land will be discussed -- legally -- behind closed doors.

I get it. Really, I do. What business would want plans openly debated, for the special interests to rip apart?

In the case of the missing Amphitheater, I really don't care what they discuss behind closed doors. The city will use it's secondary official mouthpiece (the Roanoke Times) to release whatever they want you to see. Pretty images, and little else.

But the Mill Mountain issue is far more important to the future of Roanoke than the Amphitheater. It's the difference between meeting behind closed doors because you need to, and because you can. The definition of "public good" is not all that wide, and in a situation like this I think the benefits of having an open process (especially when the process has been viewed as tainted as this one is) far outweigh any illusionary need for secrecy. One proposal, thats all you have. That's a pretty clear indicator that no other business thinks this is a good idea. As a matter of fact, I would not be surprised if no other business was strong enough to bear the ill will it would receive should it build atop Mill Mt.

Disposition of public property is one thing, disposition of public parks? Well, now thats another thing entirely.

Dear Prudence.... teach these mortals what they cannot know. How to be effective governors.