A sigh and a groan

"breaking news" from the Times:



SALEM– The findings from a study conducted for the Business Council have identified both highs and lows in the attractiveness of the Roanoke region.The area, for example, ranks at the top for quality education and environment, in the middle for health care and at the bottom for such amenities as “urban feel” and the percentage of people who have moved to the region from out-of-state.



The study, by Roanoke College, examined Roanoke’s competitiveness in five key quality of life categories: (1) social and cultural amenities, (2) education, (3) environment and recreation, (4) health and wellness and (5) technology and transportation. Roanoke’s strongest asset is its natural beauty and the recreational opportunities its environment offers. Yet to turn that into a real competitive advantage, Roanoke must make it more readily accessible to residents and visitors. The region’s second strongest asset is education with the exception of Roanoke’s city schools.



Well now, isn't that speeeeshal? Although it gives almost no information about the study itself. Although I would like to know what "urban feel" is, and how it relates to actual urban life. Although I am wondering about the crossover between Roanoke College and a newly-formed civic group composed of a few Roanoke College alumni. In the middle for health care? Bottom for transplants? I can't trip these days without running into a former "somewhere else"er.



Until the full report is published and out in the open - I'm going to hold my comments about the validity of it. But as of right now, it seems like just another skewed report taking cheap potshots at Roanoke City.



Maybe it's just me.

March is coming

And with March comes the (hopeful) return of spring, a return to the yardwork, more time spent outdoors..



and...







Naomh Padraig Day!



Oh sorry.. St. Patrick's Day!



When we go around with clubs and chase snakes.. no, wait.. we go around TO clubs and chase Snakebites.



Well, regardless.. I've been trolling through the Celtic collection over at CDBaby.com attempting to find some of the more obscure new Celtic Rock bands, when I should come across a listing for one TRASNA.



TRASNA bills themselves as "Blue Ridge Celtic Fusion - traditional music for the 22nd century." Personally, I had never heard of them, so I chose a song or two to give a spin.



My first thought.. wait a minute.. these folks are from 'round here?'



Why yes they are...



This is exactly what I needed.. Hope they play here soon.. And I, for one, would not mind learning Gaelic.. for the 2nd time. (failed attempt many years ago, long story.. not worth it.. don't ask.)



Give a listen to the samples, poke around on the actual website and enjoy. Think of the spring and the parade to come.

901 and counting.

It's been 901 posts since I first started this venture, which I would call a benchmark. At times I have wandered the past, and the path which stems from it. I took time out for personal matters (the BST chronicles), championed unpopular ideas (the fight against the Art Museum comes to mind) and reported on the loss of historic sites. I have taken up the gauntlet of 'selling Roanoke'. Or, to be honest - selling the HELL out of Roanoke.

But to be honest and forward about everything - I know I am off course. I have stepped away from the focus on the past, the historic aspect which used to rule the blog - and walked deep into the battle for the future of Roanoke. Understand this: I left New York City for all the right reasons, the same reasons we all move - a better life, a better home - boundless opportunity.

Yes, you heard me right. Boundless opportunity. From the first moment I laid eyes on Roanoke I knew this place offered things that even big ol' Noo Yawk Sitee could not. Sometimes it takes the eyes of an outsider to see things like that.

In all this time I have struggled with the lack of comments, the lack of engagement among the hundred or so readers I have daily. Oh, I hear word from plenty of you... some I hear about directly, and some as 2nd hand reports as to who knows about the blog and my positions on things. It's those that I find interesting. The ones who have the ability to actually direct change can't even post an anonymous comment to encourage discussion amongst the populous.

I do get the occasional comment anon - usually something benign and easy. Today, someone left me some flame bait. In reference to my post titled 'Whose Valley?', I received this lovely missive: "Chances are, if you need to take the damn bus to get up there, you won't be spending anything anyway. " (emphasis added)

I could debate that point endlessly - backed up with fact, statistics, and opinions. Suffice it to say that not everyone who rides the bus is poor, sometimes it's just a good method of saving a dime or two. But let's take that at face value: someone was so offended by the very concept of my championing the use of Mill Mountain by all citizens - they were moved to leave a comment. Granted, it's not a good comment - it's base and smacks of class warfare - but thats the purpose of flame bait. It's to goad the author into a pointless argument. But it's something.

If there is one thing I hope to do is spawn conversation. I recently had opportunity to give a guided photograph tour of old Roanoke to a 20 year resident who had not the slightest idea of the history of the very downtown they have worked in, up to and including the 20 years they lived here.

I also gained some insight into the neighborhood she has lived in since moving here. It's a two-way street. The city is undertaking a massive project for it's 125th anniversary - recording the memories and stories of any resident who wishes to take part. They are encouraging the use of photographs and other 'props' in the storytelling.

There is still much to be gained by looking back at the past, and still a ton of hope for the future. But we all need to connect, become part of the 'problem' (he said with irony). The last election proved one thing to all of us - we need to become more organized - or the next city council will be 100% "For the(our) City". I am not asking you as a democrat, a republican, or an independent - I am asking you as a citizen of Roanoke.

Stop for a moment, and think about the city. Is this how you imagined it would be? And what do you think this will lead to in the future?

Look no further than the shell of the Art Museum, whose overhangs cover nearly half of Salem Avenue. And because they are sloped as they are, when the skin is added to the shell - I do not want to think about what Salem Avenue will be like after a snowfall, or worse. The simple act of decision-making has ramifications that some people would not like you to consider.

But this is the 21st century, and perhaps it's time to start working in OUR interests, not MY interests. If not, I fear South Roanoke will overrun the city, and the hardworking residents who keep the city going will be looking elsewhere for opportunity.

We are still strong, and on the razor's edge between a successful future and one which is troubled - and the decision lies in the hands of each and every person in Roanoke. Dangerous prospect, I know - but the truth.

As we press on with our mission here, I would like to invite all of you to take part. Through community effort the City Market was saved and revived, and through the same effort - the entire city can be the true Magic City once again.

Welcome to post 902

Something new

Here's an idea - how about a one stop source for all your entertainment needs in Roanoke?

Perhaps one which could help create events which might actually interest you?

You know, like EventZone is supposed to do?

It's here - and it's called You5W

(warning - not firefox friendly, and contains embedded music, site is still rough)

Love the concept, and look forward to seeing it in action. Maybe even taking part in an event or two.

Or maybe creating a few of my own. Just a thought.

Accusations and puppydogs

I'd like a moment here to respond to a recent comment.



In response to the posting of Pot, Kettle - Kettle, Pot. One anonymous reader had this to say: " You complain endlessly and uselessly and do nothing to ease what you see as negative in Roanoke.



Until you do something other than sit and mumble half-cocked opinions online, shut the hell up."



This is not the first time I have encountered such a comment, but normally I just choose to ignore them.



Obviously this person is an occasional reader of the blog, and not any time when I publish a piece on the Mill Mountain Zoo, events in Roanoke (ie. Dickens of a Christmas), or rail against the City Council for a better quality of life, representation.



And perhaps this person is not of the "speak up, act up, rise up" kind - but I am. When I bitch and moan about something - there is a point to it. I am terribly sorry if it does not come across clearly all the time - there are times when the passion overtakes the reason and I myself have quashed certain posts.



But this "endless and useless complaining" is not without end, and it is certainly not without use.



Many of the locally born and raised people I know have adopted an attitude of a hostage of the City of Roanoke. Roanoke will never be as good as this place, nor as important as that place. Roanoke will never change, and Roanoke is dying. The county is better than the city. City schools suck. The taxes are too high. You can't get a decent paycheck in Roanoke. NW/SE/SW/Williamson Rd: is the ghetto.



If that attitude is one of progress and change, then call me delusional - because I have never seen this model work for the good of anything.



The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? The squeaky wheel is drowned out by the whining brakes around here. Why bother trying if things aren't going to go your way anyway?



I don't know if this is a regional thing, a local thing, or a street by street kinda thing - but the attitude is prevalent. And it is damaging the city.



The city council does what it wants, when it wants because we - the people allow it. We gripe, we moan, we whine - but we stop short of actually doing anything about it.



This must change, this needs to change. And as they say, let change begin with me.



So in that spirit, from now on - whenever I have a negative post about something to do with the City - I will follow it up with a cute photo of a puppy dog to soothe and calm, and prevent anyone from thinking or doing anything that might change things.









Goodnight

Electoral Diatribe

So I know, considering the last election cycle - especially the city elections, I was all gung-ho and loud-mouthed. This time, not so much.

If there is one thing I have learned in my years of following politics, its the simple fact that regardless of who is in power where - things really don't change much. It takes a heck of a lot to truly affect change in this country.

Perfect example, the Clinton administration. History will judge the legacy, but facts show that overall - the actual legislation and policies effected during the Clinton era were minimally effective. What was far more effective, and this will not be recorded in anything but popular psychology journals, was the mental factor of the age.

The Internet was riding high on a wave of investing, developing, and euphoria as it was taken with its own successes. The latest revolution in finances was something called "e-trading", which enabled people to act as their own brokers for the stock market. Never before had so many people realized so much money by producing nearly nothing.

It all looked great on paper. And those "on paper" figures are exactly what held the attention of the public. The real books were hidden along with the Enron books in some deep dark vault. And when they finally came to light - things were not so rosy, but still the optimistic attitude continued on, and while some people lost it all - many gained more. Enough to inflate every market - from homes and land, to internet real estate and domain names.

The mindset is more important than the deeds or words of any single politician.

What has changed this election? The mindset of America is polarized, for the moment. On one side you have those who worry, fret, and grumble about the situation in Iraq. On the other, you have those who realize there is little to do here for those serving other than support them, and attempt to make this a place they will be proud to come home to.

One side believes that day to day life is less important than the big picture, while the other believes the big picture is only realized through day to day life.

It's more an election of thought than of reason, as most are historically. No one has ever been elected on a platform of raising taxes - they have been, however, elected based on promises of more frequent garbage pick-ups, more officers patrolling the streets, better incentives for large businesses to move to the area. But the unspoken pot these things are all paid out of is taxes. Weather from you or a corporation, taxes foot the bill for all the public service things you and your neighbors desire.

Using Roanoke as an example, the real estate taxes on the HQ most likely could pay for 2 police officers to patrol for 2 days in a car. Combine the taxes paid by all the neighbors, and you might have enough to cover a murder investigation. The garbage collection for the entire street might be paid for by 4 houses, but the actual labor costs/fuel/upkeep cost probably another 2-3 houses worth of taxes. And I'm talking that yearly total taxes, not the quarterly amount.

That should be the crux of an election, but instead - we get distracted by the novel and salacious. The point is, we pay more attention to that stuff because that sets the tone for our attitudes about life. If someone gets elected, for example, that has no ties to public service other than marrying into the right family - but they are attractive and say the right things to make us think that everything is just as we want it.

But if someone comes from a solid background in service, but talks about the need for more money to fill the public coffers and provide the services needed to make a city run - it's dead certain that you lose.

So this election, it doesn't interest me. Besides - it's only a few years before the next one, when "OH NOES!!!" things may change yet again.

What I have my eye on is the local election cycle. The Overlord awaits.

Roanoke, welcome to the information NOW age.

Amazing how one little concept, one giant companies abilities, and a host of links can equal up to the greatest revolution to hit Roanoke since the birth of the "One newspaper to rule them all."

I only wish I could take credit, but not me this time.

Credit LotzOThoughtz with the merging of form and function.

The idea?

Southwest Virginia Blog Search

Pick a topic, any topic - Mill Mountain for example, and search across blogs from exclusively the Southwestern Virginia area. What blogs? Nearly EVERY blog from the area, including mine (thank you very much), the blogs at WDBJ, and every other one Mr. Thoughtz was able to dig up.

Give it a try, or use it for research.

I endorse it!

Rails and Resources: Half dozen of the other...

Perhaps some of you read the story in today's business section of the Roanoke Times. An interesting look into some "behind the scenes" at the growth Norfolk Southern has made in the past few years, why and how.

The one resource missed by the article, one which can be easily shipped in double-stacked cars, the most obvious choice for rail transport.

Humans.

All through the Transportation Meeting at the Hotel Roanoke in the past few weeks, the Governor's speeches and all the rest - much has been made about intermodal rail transport in Virginia. But there was no reported mention of the TransDominion Express.

For those of you who did not hear, or have forgotten since the last time the major media players around here saw fit to mention the project, TransDominion Express started as the basic idea of brining high-speed commuter rail from Bristol to Washington, D.C. in the space of a day or less. And when the numbers were run, models showed the run could be made in 8 hours, provided rail traffic allowed.

This would require agreements from Norfolk Southern and CSX to get the slotted time on the rails. It would also require major funding from the state and federal levels - for the equipment and such. Most of all, it would require renovations to the rails themselves - an upgrade to be capable of handling high-speed commuter rail.

There is some momentum for this, but it is hidden behind the curtain of commercial rail. Not widely reported, other states are interested in moving ahead with the project and gaining rail service. Tennesse is very interested in having the TDX run through to Nashville - creating a regional rail service similar to Amtrak.


This is the projected, working model route map for the TDX.

Amtrak has not served Roanoke since the early 1980's. The Virginian was swallowed by Norfolk Western. For a town with not one, but TWO grand rail stations - it is a shame that there is no constant rail service. The TDX would give the entire region a boost. If you look at the map above - you'll see that Roanoke would be considered large enough a stop to be staffed full-time. Lynchburg also. Which means they consider Roanoke and Lynchburg to be major destinations along the line.

We all know the rebirth Lynchburg is undergoing, and we can see daily the changes here in Roanoke. We all want to succeed, and for the city to do well also. We have this new Art Museum going up right next to the tracks, we have a grand hotel right next to the tracks, we have a Visitor's Welcome Center/Dual Museum right ne.. no wait - that's the old station. Ok - well it's still right next to the tracks.

Communting from Roanoke to Lynchburg, or Lynchburg to Bedford, or a game-day trip to Charlottesville from Wytheville and back need not be a chore. Nor would it need to be a budget-buster. And for school field trips to the Nation's Capitol, what could be easier than a same day trip regardless of weather or traffic accidents.

Commerce between the cities would boom, people would have the option of going to see a play at the Mill Mountain Theatre, checking out a band at Cattle Annie's, or head to class at Radford - all by rail.

Building an ampitheatre in Roanoke would generate a ton more interest if college students could leave their cars (if they have one) at the campus and hitch a ride to the show. Plus, it would remove some of the concertgoers off the roads, easing congestion into and out of the parking lots.

Passenger rail would be a win-win for the entire service area. I have not even touched upon the gains both from and to the DC area, and Nashville. We are talking about a single act that would change the course of life here in the Commonwealth.

But it sits on the backburner till the next legislative session, or till the current "transportation crisis" is ended. Actually, short of public outcry - I don't forsee the TDX gaining any slice of the media pie for a long time. There is no drama in attemping to bring a service to people who actually want it. The drama is in making our roads look like deathtraps. Or our state legislators seem like corporate fatcats (which in some cases may be true) in the pocket of the rail shipping industry. But aside from "public opinion polls" and street interviews, where is the regular man being represented? The call for commuter rail has yet to reach the ears of the media, or the halls of the government.

Maybe it's time to make them hear it.

Use this simple form to find your state legislator, and hound them about the TDX. Ask the hard questions. Push for what you want. But think wisely, with the influx of people moving into the Southwestern Virginia area, how long will it be before traffic is a "New York Nightmare?"

And if you feel so inclined - give a few of the reporters over at the Times a buzz, and ask them why they are not asking the Government leaders about commuter rail in our area. Those numbers you can find easily - they are listed by each reporters name on every story they do.

Think about it, shouldn't a railtown like Roanoke have easily access to.. well, you know.. rail?

1 Post away from another milestone

Can you imagine, it's been over a year now (first post on this version of the blog was 3/16/05) and Im on the verge of writing my 800th post?

But all that aside, I was unable to get to the city council meeting at 2pm today to stand up and speak up for the Mill Mountain Zoo. If anyone reading was there, please let me know how it went. I'm sure there will be more opportunities for public discourse in the future. However, that does not take the impetus off the public, to band together and support the Zoo.

In other news, Chef K informes me there are some interesting rumblings downtown - what with all the closings of late. He will have more on that later in the week, when his (and my week) in hell quiets down a bit.

We are in the process of lining up a sponser for the Fall/Winter season of Podcasts, and gearing up for the top secret project slated for a December release.

Interesting news today about the regional study on an ampitheatre. So the area is capable of handling one with a capacity of 7,000. I think we are better than that. Sure, maybe 7,000 right now - but consider how many people the Greek festival attracted. How many does Floyd Fest attract yearly?

I think the area can easily handle a 20,000 capacity ampitheatre, provided Roanoke has the sense to use the ampitheatre in a responsible and viable way.

Thats right, the city would have the onus upon them to actually step up and find uses for the ampitheatre. Graduations, ceremonies, live stage productions (a la "in the round" style theatre), movies... multiple use facilities.

Any ideas? Comments? Hit me back with something..

Awaiting word of the Zoo's fate...