When you awaken at 3:00 a.m. with stomach rumbling and thoughts of tacos and smoked lager, it isn't a hopeful prescription for sleeping any longer. Thunderstorms always keep me awake, anyway.
Meanwhile, after just one day of Harvest Homecoming 2014, a newer generation downtown business owner shared a few thoughts with me.
After hearing about all the theft from my buddies with stands I had to bring all my decor in.... then I get to clean up all the straw (in the store) in the morning. Hope this pays off for the business owners down here and not just the trucks from out of town. I see what Roger A. Baylor was talking about. Next year I'm just gonna go on a vacation.
Indeed, experience is the best teacher. Conversely, we might all grimace, go for the Astroglide, take one for the orange-clad team, and ingest some more of Papa Morris's medicine, as reiterated by Edwina Anger on Fb.
Leave it the way it has been for years. Anyone that knows anyone downtown can already guess who is complaining the most about it. Thinks he owns downtown. Don't think so.
I've no idea who she's referring to, but speaking only for myself, the ol' Klout score wouldn't have risen from 56 to 61 in a single week if y'all weren't discussing the issues being raised, yay or nay. Consequently, lost in the hue and cry are a few valuable points.
The one that amuses me the most: Why did the customarily directionless News and Tribune status quo appeasers precede Booth Days with Chris Morris's pre-emptive shot across the bow, aimed squarely at "a few folks" who, of course, are not named?
It's because the 800-lb gorilla finds itself in an unusual position: On the defensive, being questioned. Given that Morris might as well be a paid copywriter for the festival, and the newspaper itself never met a low common denominator it didn't fellate, he performed his "anything except change" nostalgia pitch right on cue, with added drivel. But it's all fine by me. I believe this year's a watershed, and that there's no longer space under the rug for sweeping.
Enjoy this Fb chat from Thursday, with photos. The storefronts pictured below are part of the National City Bank rehab currently underway on Pearl and Bank.
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Pete Lyons
I was told to leave my own property yesterday, and informed it's none of my f^^king business what they do to my building. "They don't give a f^^k". And this was ll before the first booth was up.
PL
This building was just finished being painted yesterday. I can't imagine the cost. And these people could care less...
K'
Why are they allowed to store stuff like that within the entrance and against the building like that?? Isn't that a fire hazard beyond the fact that it's private property at that point?
PL
According to HHC rules "sidewalks must remain clear at all times" and "all items must be contained within your booth space".
PL
A couple years ago, a booth had literally blocked the entrance to a business that was open. They had to get an official to unblock the door. I asked him why they were not made to comply with with regulations, and he said "because I just made an exception". He was the HHC president at the time.
K
Sure looks like alot of people and things on the sidewalk proper rather than within the booth space on the street...
Roger A. Baylor
(Because) the city signs off on this. HH? It's culpable, too, but without the city's sign-off, the 800 lb orange gorilla has no teeth.
K
The building/shop owners need to complain early and often any time there's anything stored in their doorways like that. And pictures, like above. Hard to argue with pictures ... maybe the complaints need to be CC'd to the fire department?
PL
I told an HHC official that I would contact the fire department and he said "I'll call him right now! For the next 3 days I own this town."
K
Wow...that doesn't sound like trying to help store owners see the benefit of HH ...
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This really is city government's problem, isn't it? I mean, even David White is listening to downtown business owners ... and he's just a candidate for mayor.
3 comments:
I am not a fan of harvest homecoming, and haven't been for nearly 20 years.
I have felt for the longest time that if we actually did something with our riverfront
Other than what's shamefully lacking now, the festival could / should be moved alongside of the river with one main walkway down the middle, much like three very successful Newport, Ky fall festival.
The attraction of the festival on the riverfront would be a draw for potential customers to the few businesses that keep hours outside of J normal office hours downtown.
That being said, even though i personally dislike HH i recognize and accept I am in a very small minority.
Lastly, the person you mockingly referred to as "Edwina Anger", sir, is my wife, who is entitled to her opinions, just like you. And I take serious exception to your commentary about her, especially given the fact you yourself admit not knowing who she is referring to. Further, your actions are cowardly to like her comment on Facebook without comment in order to save it, and then put a knife in her back on here when all she is trying to do is be engaged and active in issues that affect her community.
- Christopher S. Drake
Of course she is. It wasn't necessary to like the comment to copy it. "Liking" it was intended to convey acknowledgment that the person she was referring to (odds are, me) had noticed. I subsequently used her words solely because they provided me a nice segue for disagreeing with Papa Morris, and also as representative of the opinion of quite a few people who disagree with me -- and believe me, I'm ware they exist. The "Edwina Anger" reference was a throwback, something we used to use a lot in this space, 10 years ago when people knew what the Weekly World News was. And I didn't refer to her by name because after all, no one would know where to look to find it even if they cared.
Sorry it bothers you. I'm explaining it lest people think I don't think about these things before writing them. I understand I'm capable of being right and wrong, and my name's right here. Folks can judge accordingly. Ciao.
After this, and previous posts making fun of other people, belittling other people, using other peoples misfortunes and even deaths to further your "causes", please by all means, consider yourself judged accordingly.
I do not know what's become of a man i used to respect and admire for his tenacity, honesty, and integrity, but whatever it is, i truly hope you can find peace with it so you can return to making a positive difference in this city, not just being another negative distraction.
This community NEEDS people like the man you used to be.
-Christopher S. Drake
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