Spinnin’ wheels: A Wednesday tour of local blogs.

In Curiouser and Curioser, Randy “Volunteer Hoosier” Smith reports that the Tribune’s Amany Ali is leaving the newspaper:

In something of a shocker, Ms. Ali has accepted a position with (drumroll, please)...The McCartin Companies.

Best wishes to Amany and her new Sprawlmeister boss. Now, about that "spin" cycle ...

Meanwhile, on Monday evening, former city councilman Maury Goldberg mustered the courage to attend the Dan Coffey Memorial Chautauqua Lecture (otherwise known as the first of two February city council meetings), and came away with heartburn. Read all about it in City council Meeting -02/06/2006, and note his sensible advocacy of public access to recordings made of the proceedings.

On a lighter note, Ted Fulmore offers another delightful rumination on the city’s past (with a personal slant) in My History in New Albany.

I imagine a trip to New Albany was a pretty big deal for a farm boy from Harrison County.

It still is, Ted – for Louisvillians.

More good news about downtown is tendered at Diggin’ In the Dirt: Ohio River Greenway Update (a report submitted by New Albany’s hard working Greenway rep, Valla Ann Bolovschak).

New Albany Renewal continues its recent spate of excellent postings with these two must-reads:

Filling In – considering “Design and Development of Infill Housing Compatible with Historic Neighborhoods.”

Preparing the Next Generation -- Urban Plan, a program where "high school students learn the roles, issues, trade-offs, and economics involved in urban development.”

The R & R boys are seen inspecting their respective t-shirts, which are available to the thinking public exclusively at Destinations Booksellers.

Coming tomorrow: Why the Bistro New Albany is on hold.