At WDRB: "Changes coming to Harvest Homecoming booth days this year."

Naturally I jumped in front of the camera when Joel Schipper of WDRB-41 stuck his head through the door at Pints&union on Monday and asked if someone was available to make a few comments about Harvest Homecoming's changes for 2019.

YES, I said, rubbing my hands in gleeful anticipation.

What I told him next struck terror in the hearts of the civic pillars ... nah, actually not at all. I did something positive for the city, and then happily drained the showpiece Pilsner Urquell poured for their video's benefit, because it's true that Harvest Homecoming has made noteworthy strides these past few years.

See the video and read the story here.

The situation isn't perfect by any stretch, but it's better than it was. Ten years ago there wasn't a functional downtown on a day-to-day basis. Now there is. A huge festival "popped up" yearly; it still does. Neither is going away, and so mutual cooperation is the only sensible path forward.

Besides, it's good to play against type on occasion. Keeps 'em guessing.

ENCORE ... "Bob Caesar Sez: Listen to me because I never dropped acid during the Age of Aquarius."

Earlier today, Bluegill shared the morning's post and provided an appropriate preamble.

Let's ask the old white guys: Revisiting last Saturday's dismal "spotlight" on street reconversion.

It's true: Neither Caesar nor Stumler have business or residential interests downtown. Neither has any particular expertise concerning community or economic development, urban planning, or complete streets. Both have spent years making haphazard pronouncements unrelated to any body of actual evidence to the point of embarrassment. Why then, beyond his own obvious bias, does editor Chris Morris keep trotting them out as de facto spokespeople for (or, in this case, against) New Albany's urban grid?

I was reminded of the following, originally published on January 10, 2015 (the link to Speck's subsequently released streets proposal has been inserted for clarity).

Funny, isn't it.

To the likes of Caesar, Stumler, probably Gahan -- surely Morris -- the most damning thing about me is that I'm anti-establishment, and just as naturally, being anti-establishment is what I'm proudest of being. Opposing the establishment in a burg as dysfunctional as this?

That's badge of honor time, and posterity's going to be kind.

Now learn why we'll be compelled to repave two-way streets.

---

Naturally, Bob "My Way IS the Highway" Caesar detects commies and anarchists behind Jeff Speck's Downtown Street Network Proposal. All these years, and he still can't grasp that the number of parking spaces on Pearl Street stays the same, whether traffic runs one way or two.

New study opens possibilities for two-lane traffic in downtown New Albany, by Gil Corsey (WDRB)

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Traffic is changing in downtown New Albany, and a new study claims to show that two ways are better than one.

Roger Baylor lives in a two-story home not far from the heart of downtown New Albany. For 10 years, he says he's begged the city to switch traffic on Spring Street to two ways to slow cars down.

The best compliment Caesar ever paid me was when he accused me of being anti-establishment. When the issue of reconversion cost arises, I fully expect the emperor of downtown to question the cost of repaving every prospective two-way street.

Huh?

Repaving?

It's because the pavement we have now is ONE-WAY pavement, not two-way.

WDRB: "Three New Albany Mayoral candidates state their case."

Click through to WDRB's web site and view the video.

Three New Albany Mayoral candidates state their case, by Gil Corsey (WDRB)

War zone: Look, ma, NA now "battles converting one-way streets to two-way."

Good exposure for the rational streets cause v.v. the Bookseller and John Smith.

New Albany battles converting one-way streets to two-way, by Fallon Glick (WDRB)

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) - Increasing downtown business and pedestrian safety in New Albany is what some people say would happen if one-way streets were converted to two-way streets.

“Two Way Streets Now” signs are posted in front of homes and businesses that are accustomed to seeing speeding traffic.

“It's like walking on the interstate,” Randy Smith said.

And that's exactly what quality-of-life economic extractors like trucking companies so heartily desire: Interstate conditions.

Opponents of the proposal are worried about head-on collisions with two-way streets. Companies like Padgett Inc. are also concerned New Albany would no longer be construction friendly.

Good job, guys.

Caesar Sez: Listen to me because I never dropped acid during the Age of Aquarius.

Naturally, Bob "My Way IS the Highway" Caesar detects commies and anarchists behind Speck's street study. All these years, and he still can't grasp that the number of parking spaces on Pearl Street stays the same, whether traffic runs one way or two.

New study opens possibilities for two-lane traffic in downtown New Albany, by Gil Corsey (WDRB)

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Traffic is changing in downtown New Albany, and a new study claims to show that two ways are better than one.

Click HERE to read the study.

Roger Baylor lives in a two-story home not far from the heart of downtown New Albany. For 10 years, he says he's begged the city to switch traffic on Spring Street to two ways to slow cars down.

The best compliment Caesar ever paid me was when he accused me of being anti-establishment. When the issue of reconversion cost arises, I fully expect the emperor of downtown to question the cost of repaving every prospective two-way street.

Huh?

Repaving?

It's because the pavement we have now is ONE-WAY pavement, not two-way.

Bill Lamb on bicyclists: Tax 'em, kill 'em -- whatever.

It isn't as though WDRB's Bill Lamb hasn't shamelessly trolled about bicycling in the past. He has. Case in point: The 'Ville Voice: "Bill the Bike Bully."

With the topic being "my car as shriveled phallus extension," The 'Ville Voice's Rick Redding comes in right on cue following yesterday's venomous NAC exchange on bicycling, automotive traffic, and which one makes us more American in the eyes of our patriotic countrymen.

That's right; five long years ago, when Redding still manned the controls at The 'Ville Voice. Now Lamb is back, stoking the road rage brigade, presumably empowered by the knowledge that that there is no known record hereabouts of drivers being prosecuted for killing cyclists under any circumstances.

Now, I hear the Metro Council is considering an ordinance that would tax cyclists through a licensing fee. This is a good idea. First, there is a cost of painting all these new bike lane.

In New Albany, we can't even "afford" striping for automotive lanes, much less bikes, but I digress This time around it's Jake Payne applying the rhetorical mascara to Lamb's wizened visage.

Just when you thought Bill Lamb couldn’t get more disconnected from reality… Taxing cyclists because he’s not man enough to control himself or his emotional reactions. What’ll get his manties in a twist next? This city should be paying cyclists because it gets cars off our already crumbling streets. The environmental benefit is just an added bonus. [WDRB]

Our daily reality in New Albany? That'd be Bob Caesar waxing delusional.

Not that WDRB's report is any masterpiece. In fact, it's rather horrid.

Granted, Charlie Harshfield provides the two-way neighborhood perspective, which is sufficiently irrefutable that opposing voices aren't really necessary.

But then Bob Caesar purports to speak for all downtown business, which of course is flagrantly mistaken. Caesar speaks for downtown business in roughly the same way as I represent the interests of Somali warlords. Significantly, he's afforded the platform to blather about potential harm sans rebuttal. Hurting small business downtown and hurting Caesar's profoundly limited cognitive skills are two very different processes. His selfishness when it comes to neighborhood issues? Shameful.

WDRB essentially does nothing with this story, and that's too bad. A reporter might ask some questions, right?

Or am I asking too many myself?

New Albany debates turning one-way streets into two-way, by Lawrence Smith (WDRB)