(See photos in this separate post)
As I've noted in the past, one obvious flaw with the blogger.com scheme is the absence of search capability for comments. Think of the many rewarding comment threads over the years, and ask yourself: How do I locate them again?
In reality, you don't easily do so, unless you can remember the original topic and search for the marquee posting.
This is why I'm elevating Lincoln Crum's Saturday afternoon comment to the marquee. At 565 words, and almost none of them "big", it's longer than many marquee blog posts here, and offers an alternative viewpoint of downtown.
Let the discussion continue. Thanks to Lincoln Crum for engaging in the spirit of the dialectic at NAC.
--
Lincoln has left a new comment on your post ""And it was all yellow."":
I usually refrain from commenting on any posts here at NA Confidential, actually I don't even like reading them because I usually don't agree with bluegill or Roger Baylor, but, I do need to provide a couple of points of clarification.
1. I am bluegill's brother-in-law and we've been good friends for a very long time. While I disagree with his point of view and approach on this matter I do respect him as an intellectual.
2. As far as Roger Baylor goes, I haven't spoken to him since he stole my seat at last years Barack Obama visit without any acknowledgment of my presence whatsoever. I refrain from drinking NABC beer, although I did do a recent Local Shoutout at the Public House this past week as a show of support for locally owned businesses. I think Roger is probably a little too big for his britches and works way too hard at using big words in his blog and writings that no one really gives a shit about.
3. I'm personal lifelong friends with Todd Coleman and an avid supporter of his business and entrepreneurship efforts.
4. I've had successful businesses in my 20 year career as an entrepreneur and I've had just as many failures.
5. If I've learned anything it's that criticism is cheap and overused in our local communities. Especially those with negative undertones.
6. I owned the building in question and sold it to Todd Coleman in the late 90's. I painted the bottom half of the building a light cream color. I never once had anyone complain about the paint, color, or process, especially as it stood next to a historic building that had been resurfaced with a stucco product.
7. I have a bumper sticker on my truck that says "Those who say it cannot be done shouldn't interrupt the people doing it." I think this applies here with Todd Coleman and the buildings that he's purchased and operated out of for the past 10 years.
If you have been following the progression of downtown New Albany for any time you already know that it was a ghost town only 10-15 years ago. This is when Todd Coleman decided to get involved and operate his businesses in the heart of New Albany. He believed in it when very few others did, he did more than open a business and pay rent to a landlord, he invested, borrowed and built his business all the while investing in real estate and contributing to the economic vitality of downtown.
Now, after he's done this and we have new businesses establishing you guys want to bash the hell out of him. Come on fellas. Put your money where your mouth is and post on this blog the commercial real estate properties that you own, the improvements that you've made to your commercial real estate investments and how you've built your business based on building and property ownership...once you do that than maybe your argument will have a little more validity.
8. Last and certainly not least, I'll remain a good brother in law to Jeff Gillenwater (bluegill), a good customer of Todd Coleman's Classic Furniture and Sleepworld and will continue my boycott of anything Roger Baylor.
Lincoln Crum
Posted by Lincoln to NA Confidential at 4:45 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
I'll confine my remarks at the present time to answering the "personal" bits.
2. As far as Roger Baylor goes, I haven't spoken to him since he stole my seat at last years Barack Obama visit without any acknowledgment of my presence whatsoever. I refrain from drinking NABC beer, although I did do a recent Local Shoutout at the Public House this past week as a show of support for locally owned businesses. I think Roger is probably a little too big for his britches and works way too hard at using big words in his blog and writings that no one really gives a shit about.
I dimly recall meeting Lincoln a time or two, once in Connor's Place when it was on Main, and perhaps another place owing to proximity in the sense of Lincoln's status as Jeff's brother-in-law.
I don't recall having a substantive discussion with Lincoln at any time. Neither do I have any memory of seeing him at the Obama appearance, nor do I recall stealing his seat. It can't be ruled out, given the prodigious amount of alcohol I consume, and the fact that the Obama speech was extremely crowded.
In short, Lincoln and I have probably never "spoken" at all, unless we've conversed digitally without me knowing it was him.
The last time I recall being too big for my britches resulted in buying new britches. Since then I've lost weight, and can once again fit into them. What the future holds is anybody's guess.
Yes, I know what he's implying, and it's interesting to me that as we approach another political cycle, there's a newfound interest in the community in pre-emptive assaults against people like me, coming from those who perceive a threat. That's the subject of another digression, though.
As for them scary "big" words and Lincoln's dreary assertion that "no one really gives a shit" about my writings, it should be fairly self-evident (a) that Lincoln's not the only person to react to ideas by scorning the means of their presentation, and (b) if he didn't give a shit about them, it is unlikely that he'd write 565 words in response.
Anti-intellectualism surely is a last resort of sorts, and it isn't even necessary in Lincoln's defense of Todd Coleman.
7. Put your money where your mouth is and post on this blog the commercial real estate properties that you own, the improvements that you've made to your commercial real estate investments and how you've built your business based on building and property ownership...once you do that than maybe your argument will have a little more validity.
I believe what Lincoln is saying here is that there is one manner of defining success: The one "based on building and property ownership."
Others can refute that more easily than me. All I know is what I've done myself.
The three partners comprising NABC, with the assistance of two silent investors, have taken the property and buildings we own professionally and personally and offered them as collateral in return for monies to establish the Bank Street Brewhouse downtown.
In doing so, we are leasing-to-own from a developer (Steve Resch) who recently bought his sixth (I believe) downtown building. Each has been, or is in the process of being, renovated and put to use. Working with Steve, NABC has been able to facilitate the conversion of a a cinder-block warehouse/garage into something modernistic. Steve's other reuses have been more "historic" in character.
So, it would seem that we're working with someone who is following the Crum/Coleman model to an extent. Is there something inherently wrong with this approach?
Is Lincoln implying that the Crum/Coleman model is the only model, and that by not dabbling in buildings that we allow to deteriorate into rubble over time (there's the rub, I believe), that we're not playing the game in the "right" way?
I'm no expert, but I believe Gina called this one squarely. The model being touted by Lincoln as it applies to Coleman sounds suspiciously like the slumlord's approach to urban housing. Is this the case, or am I misinterpreting?
If I'm misinterpreting, then why do bricks continue to fall from the newly yellowed building on Pearl Street?
By contrast, consider the money and effort that Steve Resch has put into the buildings that he owns and leases to operators like us. What's wrong with the Resch approach? Is it that he could make more profit through vinyl siding? Is the profit margin in the sense the only important factor?
Please, by all means, correct me if I'm mistaken here. It's just the way it looks to me.
8. Last and certainly not least, I'll remain a good brother in law to Jeff Gillenwater (bluegill), a good customer of Todd Coleman's Classic Furniture and Sleepworld and will continue my boycott of anything Roger Baylor.
Ahh, the recurring marvels of capitalism. I'd respond with a vow to boycott whatever it is that you do, but in the end, I just don't give a shit.
I can understand, at least to some extent, Mr. Crum's "motto". On the other hand(there you go, Book)it reminds me of some of the local elected officials,"If you haven't run for office, shut the hell up". Not to mention that it doesn't apply to Roger at all.
I suggest another "motto"--it costs little extra to do it right. Often less.
It's admirable to defend a friend. I respect Mr. Crum for that. One more suggestion, a "good" friend points out when a friend is in error. Whether he gives a shit or not.
1. I give a shit.
2. This country tried the idea of requiring ownership of property before one could have a real voice in the issues. Few would go back to that system. Some, but few.
3. We own our business property. Bought it at a fair market value, not a speculator's value, because we have a use for it and are invested in New Albany, in so many, many ways. Though we own it, ownership is just a financial technique, not a virtue.
4. Does that mean I can object when someone in a historic district flouts the law? Does that mean others can't?
I have a few minutes (not really), so let me weigh in on the "big words" comments in the Crum Scrum.
There are some among us, and many among this blog's readers, who enjoy the nuances (BW alert) of the English language...even of other languages.
Respecters, nay, I'll say lovers of language appreciate the precision of The New Albanian's word choices. In using the right big words, this blogger makes a statement that he reads prolificly (BW) and widely, thus establishing with this reader greater credibility in that his reading (and life experiences) inform his writing.
If you don't grok (obscure reference) phrases like "inform his writing," maybe it's because you've never come across that phrase. You might ask, "does that sound right? Can something nebulous (BW, obscure reference) "do" an active verb like "inform?"
A phrase like that, unsurprisingly, sings to my ear. It engages my brain, and if I haven't run across it before, I'll investigate it and maybe adopt it in my own communications, oral and written.
To cut this short, I see BWs as a gift. I don't see the bloggers use of them as some digital/ink braggadocio (BW), but rather as dedication to his art. I appreciate that the editors of this Web log wait for the precise word to bubble up from their craniums (BW) [craniae?] instead of merely regurgitating (BW) the first thing that comes into their minds.
Words have meaning. Using the right word conveys precise meaning.
I'm tired. I'm worn out. I'm exhausted. I'm destroyed.
Those four phrases, though similar in context, do not convey the same meaning.
The rhetorical impulse to throw a: "show me what you've done smarty pants" always seem to come from people who've done nothing.
I'm not an authority on historical renovation issues, commercial real estate or owning my own business. I'm just a worker bee in this world who happens to spend time around people who DO know about these things and I'm grateful for that.
Having said that...from a worker bee perspective...the building looks like shit. The yellow looks silly. Whether or not codes were broken or Mr. Coleman is a revolutionary building owner in NA or not...it looks like shit. It looks like he went out of his way to thumb his nose at someone.
It is indeed disappointing that someone would try to use familial ties as a political scorecard of sorts, putting at risk relationships whose longevity and meaningfulness far outstrip whatever contributions they may have made to them. What's even more disappointing, though, is when they are put at risk in service to so little, used as cheap stratagems in an attempt to hide the lack of a more relevant argument.
In short, and as has been already pointed out by people who are actively working to improve the community in which I live, virtually nothing Lincoln wrote has anything to do with the issue at hand.
The length and quality of his relationships with Todd Coleman, Roger, or me are irrelevant. The issue, though wholly ignored in Lincoln's comments, is whether or not Todd Coleman is subject to the same laws as the rest of us. I believe that he is.
As such, and seeing as the painting in question is just the most recent of a growing list of transgressions against those laws in a relatively short period of time, I think the proper legal mechanisms should be used to see that restitution is made.
If Lincoln can provide objective explanation as to why Coleman should be granted special exemption or is not, in fact, subject to land use law, he may have a point. Otherwise, it's immaterial.
What's perhaps most disturbing is the root of the blather and its continued proliferation, even if unintentional, in our society.
Beyond the shopworn emotional pleas and personal attacks ("He stole my seat" is a classic), what's offered here amounts to little else than classism.
All too often, and as is the case here, we see arguments made that hinge on the idea that those of a certain financial means inherently have more rights than those who either don't or those who choose to live among those who don't.
Lincoln, Coleman and many others who've proffered such arguments voluntarily live in neighborhoods with covenants far more restrictive than what's mandated by the actual land use laws ascribed to their respective properties by government. When making personal choices, such restrictions are viewed as not only acceptable but desirable as a means by which to ensure the physical and financial health of both their families and their investments.
They finance those investments, though, by work that occurs in someone else's neighborhood, ones that are often much more financially and/or racially diverse. When someone in one of those neighborhoods attempts to assert their property rights, however, by asking that actual land use laws be enforced, words like "unconstitutional" and "bashing" and "cheap criticism" begin to be thrown around by the very same individuals who regularly chose those even more restrictive protections for themselves.
It's an ugly double standard with a clear message: If you can afford a home in my neighborhood, you have the right to not only enforce the land use laws established for public well being but to go well beyond them in seeking protection from the "lesser" among us. If you live in another neighborhood, however, you don't enjoy those rights and should expect to be persecuted for trying to establish and/or enforce them.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that my brother-in-law is a racist or some sort of haughtier-than-though elitist. What I am suggesting is that the viewpoint he offers here may have been skewed by time spent in service to some with those values.
Whatever happens in this particular case with Todd Coleman will happen through the proper legal channels in an attempt to level a playing field that has been tilted indefensibly in favor of those who would pilfer and defile at the expense of those who would legitimately invest. It is nothing more than the assertion of property rights by people who, contrary to the beliefs of some, do not give them up by choosing to live in neighborhoods other than the specific ones deemed worthy by a certain demographic.
Bookseller,
I find that I am predisposed to concur with your assertions.
Wow...I'm afraid you people have way too much time on your hands. Good luck with your endeavors.
Jeff, see you at Xmas :)
Lincoln Crum
p.s. If there's any question about my business model or belief in the support of locally owned and operated businesses check out my website that helps all local businesses spread the word, www.LocalShoutouts.com.
There's nothing like a good round of passive/aggressive to finish off the holiday weekend.
For a "inspirational speaker and writer," Crum's words are awful bleak.
Hey, he doesn't give a shit. Congrats, Lincoln, you've inspired me!
How does one get into your business, anyway. By throwing out vague and easily disproven insults?
It appears that Mr. Crum really just wanted a space for a commercial, since he could not take time to address the questions posed.
A comment about this building and others owned by Mr. Coleman. I read recently in an article that Mr. Coleman stated that he has been involved and investing downtown for 13 years (if that is not a correct number - please correct me) There are some buildings that he owns that look really nice - like the Salon that was once the Silver Shoppe and the little cafe building that remains empty for some odd reason also on Pearl Street next to Prestons) and I don't know what others he may own except for the Classic Furniture and the old Smith building. I don't own a building in downtown New Albany because I cannot afford it but I have helped manage one, cleaned up a few and have pulled a lot of weeds downtown so I think that makes me somewhat invested (vested?) John Waggoner has invested a great deal of money in The White House Centre and has taken time and used his treasure to respect the building, his tenants and his neighbors. Now the yellow building is next to Mr. Waggoner's building. Mr. Waggoner shows a pride in ownership and commitment to the long term in building revitilization. What is Mr. Coleman's goal? I am downtown many times each week and I walk by the now yellow building and I have seen it being used as a place to stack cardboard which is surely a fire hazard, there is birdshit in the window and it is being used as a warehouse which I believe is an ordinance violation. I guess there is "taste" and there is no taste just like there is art, bad art and no art but the final answer to my curiosity about motivation was confirmed this weekend when I saw the Classic Furniture truck parked on Pearl Street in the midst of the Holiday Fest. This truck is constantly taking up space where customers of all the downtown merchants should be parkimg. So if others assume that Mr. Coleman does not care about the bigger community because of his violation of "warehouse" rules in downtown, taking up parking spaces that should be left for customers, painting his building with no regard for the aesthetic of the block then maybe he should join with those of us that do care that these rules are followed and help us to understand his motivation. I saw the furniture store being painted on Saturday also in the midst of one of the biggest shopping days for downtown. Should I take that as another attempt to make a statement that the community does not matter? Is Mr. Coleman the only person that matters or who should be making a profit in downtown because he has been at it for 13 years? I have been volunteering for the benefit of the business owners and the revitilization of downtown New Albany since 1980. I guess that does not matter either as far as Mr. Coleman is concerned? (I also saw an employee of another downtown establishment take up a prime parking space on Market Street right in front of the Fish House and this is a continuing problem and another conversation I have been having since 1979. If everyone is an island then what is the point? Lastly, vocabulary has nothing to do with it.
I suggest "our town" break in that green building inspector with the Coleman buildings downtown. Then I'll pitch HGTV on a show based right here called: Hey, who busted the building!" Then the "good guys-actors" bust the slumlords and make them pay for the awesome Hollywood model-carpenter extreme makeover that we all get to help with. If we can do one season @ one bust a month, we could save out town!! And be on TV.
Post a Comment