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.
