Mayor ISO WFBM

For those wondering, that stands for Waxhaw Fiesta Band Members.

And why would she be seeking out Fiesta Band members? To tag along with her to the Charlotte Panthers training camp, of course. I'd like to score some footage of her loading the sombrero-clad folk into the back of the town van (there is a town van, right?), but unfortunately I'll be traveling.

Here's her post in full:

Hey Fiesta folk! I am going to the Panther's training camp tomorrow and would love to have some of you join me. Bring some Waxhaw Fiesta flavor... If interested, meet me at Main Street Grill around 8-8:15am tomorrow.

Since car honking probably won't follow the Fiesta Band to training camp, I propose they yell "Eyyy!" every time someone delivers a bone crunching hit.

Animal attacks on the rise?

Because that might explain a new town ordinance.

Mayor Gardner signed a new ordinance prohibiting pets at town events. The ordinance, Section 90-25, is available here.

Here's the ordinance, ripped from the PDF file:

AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING DOMESTIC ANIMALS AT TOWN EVENTS

In pursuance of authority conferred by G.S. §§ 160A-174 to 175 and 160A-186 to 187,
and for the purpose of protecting the health, safety or welfare of the people from attacks of
animals and the peace and dignity of the Town of Waxhaw.

Now, Therefore, the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Waxhaw does ordain that
the Code of Ordinances, Waxhaw, North Carolina, is hereby amended by adding a section, to
be numbered 90-25, which section shall read as follows:

§ 90-25 Prohibition of Animals at Town-Sponsored Events

(A) Prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of any animal to take that animal, whether on a leash or not on a leash, into or allow the animal to enter the boundaries of any Town-sponsored public event unless such event is specifically designated as exempt from this section as set forth in subsection C. The
boundaries of a Town-sponsored event shall consist of any area that is part of the event
including any public open space, parking area, street, sidewalk or other publicly controlled,
owned or maintained area.

(B) Town-Sponsored Event. As used herein, Town-sponsored event shall mean and refer to
any specific event sponsored (full or partial through financial or in-kind contributions) by the
Town and open to the public utilizing property that is controlled, owned or maintained by the
Town.

(C) Exceptions. This section shall not apply to the following:
(1) Those animals that are part of an authorized event or exhibit. The event coordinator or
designee shall have the authority to specify the conditions for having such animals for the
protection of the public and for the well-being of the animals.
(2) Service dogs.

Effective Date: This ordinance shall be effective on this 1st day of October 2010.

I've got an email out to Town Manager Mike McLaurin and the Mayor asking for some clarification and trying to determine the impetus behind the new regulations. I'll update if and when someone gets back to me.

Summertime Business Blues

It's summertime and unfortunately, business isn't easy. (For those interested, I can't imagine a version of "Summertime" better than Billy Stewart's. Listen here if you've never heard it. Now to get off my musical high horse...)

For those interested in another couple articles about the problems inflicted to Waxhaw businesses because of the construction at Broome Street and Hwy 75, your long wait is over. For those who've seen and heard enough, quit reading until my next post.

See the new issue of the Waxhaw Exchange to see Sherri Phengchard's story or WCNC has their own story (with video) on the issue as well.

And the one common theme running through both of them and others I've caught on the evening news is that business is bad, and none are complaining about it more than Southsiders.

Putting myself in their shoes, I can understand at some point thinking the continued reminders about bad business might help speed construction work. However, at some point, I would think becoming the go-to business for complaining about the downtown construction would begin to pay negative dividends. Even a buddy of mine who frequents Southsiders much more frequently than me thought their tact in dealing with the situation left something to be desired.

A better, more positive way to handle this situation would have been to run some construction specials or events to get customers in the door, not tell everyone you'll have to cut back on the hours of single moms. (See here for my post on this.) If they are doing these kinds of things, I haven't heard about it.

And at this late date, with construction slated to end on August 8th, they are still in nearly every article or news clip devoted to business conditions following the start of construction. While I'm sure part of this is because local media is now well aware they can go to Southsiders to hear about the negative effects of the construction work, I think it would be best suited for Southsiders to let it go at this point. With only two weeks to go at this point, at least according to the date provided by the town's website, what kind of benefit do they receive by continuing to complain about it?

Is there any other businesses who continues to harp on this? Not that I can tell. And I can't imagine I'm the only one getting slightly irritated by it.

Waxhaw Exchange articles

One of my pet peeves is the fact that I'm unable to link to a slew of Waxhaw Exchange articles because they appear to not be available online like the rest of the articles in The Enquirer-Journal.

Well, that's not entirely accurate as they are online in some new-fangled multimedia experience (see latest issuu issue here for illustration). But I'd really like to be able to link to individual articlesfor my sophisticated wine-and-cheese audience. It's a bit of a pain in the butt to discuss Alan's latest editorial, Sherri's latest cover story, or even one of Dorothy Maloney's rousing pieces about which local business she visited on a given week without being able to directly link to it.

I emailed editor Alan Jenkins about this and he stated all the articles should be online at The Enquirer-Journal site, but I sure can't find them if that's the case. I responded as such and am hoping to hear back from him.

In the meantime, anyone else have any luck finding Waxhaw Exchange articles at The E-J website?

UNCC Students: Waxhaw Research Park A-OK!

The Union County Weekly has the first part of a two-part series regarding the final report produced by the UNCC student regarding the Waxhaw Area Research Park.

The mayor, who seems to be leading the crusade for the new science park (such that it inspired one of my earlier posts), will be happy to know that the class has ultimately decided that the park could thrive if the conditions are right.

I'm not sure I agree with all their conclusions, but I'd like to wait for the second article and the full report (assuming it provides some sort of basis for the conclusions detailed in the article) before adding my two cents. With any luck, I'll be too busy or uninterested in commenting at that point.

Read the whole article to get the lowdown.

The Union County Weekly claims to link to the full report produced by said UNCC students, but this appears to not be the case. I have emailed the author, Brian Carlton, asking for the link and once I receive it, I will graciously share it with you. Because that's the kind of guy I am, one interested in Waxhaw minutia and willing to post it on this site.

Military helicopter lands in Lancaster County

An Apache helicopter performed an emergency landing on Highway 601 in Lancaster County earlier today.

WBTV has the story:

LANCASTER CO., SC (WBTV) - Late Sunday afternoon, a US Army helicopter made an emergency landing off of highway 601 West of Pageland between Lancaster Co. and Estridge Ave.

"The helicopter did landed safely in the middle of the road." reported by Major David Belk, Lancaster County Sheriff's Department. Only two people were on board. Both escape with no injuries and no property damage. Belk is not sure why the aircraft went down, where it was coming from or where it was going. There are military bases in Charleston and Columbia. Pageland is in between these area.

Interestingly, the helicopter is to be left at the location overnight. Not sure if that means if it'll be left in the middle of the road as the images at the aforementioned link suggest.

OT: The New Scooby Doo Movies jokes

A little off-topic, but my boys came up with their best jokes to date & I thought them worthy of sharing.

Bear in mind we've been watching a lot of "The New Scooby Doo Movies" on Boomerang. For those not familiar with these, they aired originally in the early seventies and featured an array of celebrities from that time.

So bearing that in mind, here's number #1 from my youngest which came to him on our way back into Waxhaw:

Q: What time do you wake up in the morning?

A: Don (Dawn) Knotts

The kids were giggling over this all the way and my wife and I were quite impressed, as typically their jokes involved questions with nonsensical answers, but required a laughing reaction nonetheless.

My oldest's came to him in the shower later that night.

Q: What's your favorite sports team that starts with a 'P'?

A: Phyllis (Phillies) Diller

It is little personalized to me, but good nonetheless since my son is cracking Phyllis Diller jokes.

They've tried to keep up their hot streak with a Sandy Duncan joke about the beach, but it wasn't as good as their original two.

We're still watching the Scooby Doos, so maybe they'll come up with some more good jokes. Only time will tell.

More on historic preservation proposals

On Saturday the 17th, I linked to one of Lori's posts regarding her opposition to the recently drafted historic preservation proposals to regulate the appearance of structures within Historic Waxhaw.

My post really only linked to Lori's and did not add any commentary of the current former drafted proposal (6-10-2010) that is was available for download from the town's website (PDF here). The link pointing to this draft appears to have been removed from the town's site.

However, I see they've now put up a more extensive newer draft dated 6-30-2010; it can be downloaded from the following page. (I'd go off on a tangent with complaints on the poor design of the town's website, but I'm trying to stay focused here.)

And because I put that post up well past the witching hour, I didn't really have time to add any commentary. So that's what this follow-up post is all about.

As I read through all the current draft of proposals, it's not difficult to see how potentially damaging this is to property owners within the currently proposed local historic district (PDF).

The approvers

To begin, the Waxhaw Historic Preservation Commission is responsible for both "reviewing proposals for alterations ... in historic districts" but also for "adopting the design guidelines and rules of procedure to ensure consistent review of procedures". What this means to me is the WHPC are those who okay any changes to structures in the historic district. So the people overseeing property within the district (current members of the WHPC) is comprised of Denise Kuntz, Vivian Riegleman, Emmy Lou Haywood, Brian Jones, Deborah Kniegge, Tracy Horton, and Terry Settle. And a WHP council member to be named later, according to this page.

If the WHPC rejects your application to perform minor or major work on your property, it can be appealed to the Waxhaw Board of Adjustment, which is handled by the Town Planning Department.

The Waxhaw Board of Adjustment consists of Fred Caldwell, Flora Russell, John Cannamela, Robert Steere, and Frank Aikmus. They are tasked with "hear[ing] hardship cases when a property owner is requesting a variance or is appealing a decision made by the Town Planning Department."

NOTE: The current draft also states that the appeals to the Board of Adjustment are handled by the town's Planning Department. I cannot find a specific Town Planning Department web page, so I suspect it's what the town website labels the Planning Board. The Planning Board currently consists of: Blake Duty, David Godfrey, Phillip Gregory, Rad Pate, Tom McCrory, Gary Underwood, and Josh Grant. I'm not exactly sure if they have a significant role in the appeals process or if they act simply as a conduit to the Board of Adjustment.

Appeals of the Board of Adjustment's decision may be appealed to the superior court of Union County, and I imagine as far up the judicial system your money will take you.

Kinds of work

As currently drafted, the kind of work that wouldn't require permission from the WHPC council members includes:

* Painting a previously painted surface
* Replacing a deteriorated baluster with the same design and material
* Replacing a fence picket or section with the same design and material
* Repairing damaged siding with the same design and material, or
* Replacing damaged shingles with the same design and material.

"Minor work" would require the approval of the aforementioned bureaucrats. This includes:

* Replacing storm windows or doors
* Replacing or removing gutters and downspouts
* Replacing asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofs
* Installing an exterior light fixture
* Repairing or repointing masonry and chimneys, or
* Replacing missing siding or trim

I'm not sure how many denizens of the proposed historic district would be interested in signing away their rights to quickly modify their property in a way they deem fit. But let's continue...

And since "minor" projects require approval of the WHPC, of course "major" projects require the same approval. This currently includes:

* Replacing doors and windows
* Replacing a roof with a different material
* Rebuilding a porch or storefront
* Installing new siding
* Installing a walk, steps, patio or driveway
* Rebuilding a foundation or chimney
* Painting a previously unpainted surface
* Erecting a sign
* Building an addition, deck, garage, etc., or
* Building a new building

Immediate but minor question: does this require approval for political signs in the yard or is this referring to signs on the historic structure in question? It's currently vague enough to restrict political speech in this manner or so it seems to me. And don't even think about painting a previously unpainted surface without prior approval, lest the bureaucrats will stick it to you, perhaps in triplicate.

The process

To obtain your "certificate of appropriateness", the town recommends setting up a "pre-application review meeting" with the Preservation Commission Liaison/Coordinator (not sure if this position has been assigned at this time) prior to filing your formal application to make modifications to your own property. Your formal application must include the following information:

* Property address
* Applicant and owner information
* Description of work to be undertaken
* Detailed information on repair/replacement materials (design, dimensions, color, texture, material, etc.), including any needed specification sheets or samples
* Pictures of property and work area
* Names and addresses of adjoining property owners

It seems like a lot of hoops to jump through for "minor" modifications. It makes working with a homeowner's association look like a walk in the park.

Additionally, applications for "major work" must be received thirty days in advance of the Preservation Commissioner's monthly meeting and may require a filing fee of some sort.

My thoughts

While I have no doubt the WHPC and the powers that be mean well by trying to protect the historic charm of Waxhaw, I do not think these proposed regulations are the way to achieve such protection as property rights would essentially be a thing of the past for those homeowners in the ultimately decided upon historic district. In fact, I cannot imagine a plurality, or even a significant minority of property owners who would willingly submit themselves to these new regulations.

Unfortunately because these onerous regulations would affect only a small minority of property owners, this is exactly why I think it has a much better chance of passing than if these new regulations applied to all of Waxhaw. Those looking to get these regulations put into law may be able to round up support from subdivisions outside the historic district. These residents of Waxhaw, who wouldn't have to deal with the hardships imposed by the current draft, might be more interested in protecting Waxhaw's charms than protecting the property rights of a few.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Hope you stayed inside yesterday

Because Waxhaw was in the thrall of a veritable crime wave, strangely all of them occurring from 11am to 6pm

My notice from CrimeReports.com that evening detailed four different crimes: vehicle theft, theft from vehicle, misdemeanor marijuana possession, and my new favorite, the perfectly-worded "secretly peeping."

Interestingly enough, CrimeReports has this incident occurring across from the post office on the other side of North Broome Street. And I'm fairly certain there's nothing there, so no word on what our perp was secretly peeping on.

OT: World Cup 2010 stickers

This isn't Waxhaw-related of course, but thought I'd check to see if there's anyone else in the Waxhaw area who was trying to collect all of the Panini 2010 World Cup soccer stickers.

My boys & I bought a couple boxes, but we are still 122 stickers short of completing the album. Lots of doubles to trade if anyone around is collecting them.

The only place I was able to find the stickers locally was at the soccer shop at Plaza Fiesta, although I ended up finding them cheaper online. And it's a little bit more of an investment than I remember; I dare say the price on these soccer stickers were 4x the price of baseball stickers I collected as a kid.

Lori Bee on historic preservation

I happened to check over at Lori's occasionally updated blog (link on my sidebar) this week & stumbled across an recent post on the new historic guidelines that are currently in the works by the town powers that be. (I've referred to town efforts to protect its historic structures for better or worse here, here, and here.)

The main idea in her words:

I DO totally agree that the new proposed ordinances/laws regulating the appearance of structures within Historic Waxhaw, is totally an infringement of private property rights.

During these turbulent economic times, adding additional costs to esthetically improve the appearance of structures, while not necessarily being energy effiicent or most effectively maintain structural integrity (classic example is windows), is ludicrious. To add this financial burden to home and property owners, is not wise, and I do understand their desperation to get everyone to understand their plight. It's asking a whole lot more of them than to just preserve history. It's asking them to potentially give up the financial ability to even own & maintain their homes, some of which have for generations.

But read the whole thing.

The available documents from the town can be found at the following link, but the draft guidelines (PDF) are located here.

Here's the the most significant info ripped from the PDF document for those interested:

Recommended Practices

1. Retain existing porches, windows and doors. The original materials and construction contain design features that are important to the overall look of these elements on a building.

2. Repair deteriorating elements using acceptable methods that will preserve the original materials and detailing. See list of resource information for discussion of some common repair methods.

3. If materials must be replaced, replace with materials that are of like kind with the same detailing. Carefully look at the design, proportions and detailing of the element to be replaced. Match the existing material; if it cannot be matched, look for similar detailing. Remember, the design details and proportions make a difference!

4. If a window or door must be replaced, do not enlarge or fill in openings. The dimensions and profile detailing of an existing window or door contribute to the overall look of the building and the feature itself. Match sizes of these features, as well as replicate trim profiles, sash dimensions and glazing patterns.

5. Add decoration to porches, window and doors only where there is photographic evidence that it existed originally. Simple elements like shutters, sidelights or decorative trim may not be appropriate to the architectural style of your particular building.

6. Substitute materials may be considered, but only if they truly match the characteristics, design profi le, size and confi guration, texture, planar relationships, durability, etc. New building technologies may offer alternatives; however, the detailing and durability is extremely important.

7. Remove inappropriate design treatments where applicable and restore features where they can be documented with pictures or expert advice from an architectural historian. Ensure that these treatments have not acquired significance over time; in some instances, modifications that have been in place for many years are important to the history of the building.

8. Place any window air conditioning units on the sides or rear of a building, rather than the front elevation. This preserves the main facade which is most visible to the public.

9. Repair or replace porch columns and balustrades using elements that match the original. Replicate the dimensions, profiles, spacing and attachment to the flooring, columns, stairs, etc.

10. Small tips that make a difference:

* Always use covered risers when adding or replacing stairs to porches and building entrances. Install porch lattice appropriately.

* Historically, lattice work was painted and displayed horizontal and vertical features, rather than diagonal.

* Appropriately attach balusters to top and bottom railings rather than directly to the floor framing or skirting; this may be appropriate for more modern residential decks, but it detracts from porches and stairs in historic settings.

New Waxhaw Gazette available

The new issue of The Waxhaw Gazette was released today with pieces on the derailment, local traffic, and new plans at the Museum of the Waxhaw. Check it out.

But the big bombshell is that John Tiley, the man behind The Waxhaw Gazette, hails from the Buckeye State and from Cleveland specifically. The recent Lebron James hubbub apparently compelled him to out himself, although he appears slightly chagrined to do so. I scoured the piece twice over and since there is no evidence within suggesting he's a Ohio State fan, there's no reason for him to feel that way.

Me personally, I'm not ashamed to be a carpetbagger, but I always figured it was assumed I was in the first place. Of course, I'm not from Cleveland.

Since we're talking about Cleveland, here's a link to a series of videos explaining how to save Cleveland, hosted by none other than famous Clevelander, Drew Carey of his eponymous show. I thought they were pretty compelling, but I'm not a Clevelander. Heck, I've only flown into their airport one time.

New bar & grill coming to Waxhaw

My closest source informs me that a new bar and grill is headed to Waxhaw.

Called The Stuffed Olive, it will soon reside in the Food Lion plaza at the former location of that breakfast place I cannot recall the name of. Maybe it had "Java" in the title. (Broome Street Blues - all the specific details you've come to expect & more!)

It's obviously been awhile since I've been on that side of the plaza. In fact, I remember that old breakfast place being a little on the smaller side, a little too small for a bar and grill in my opinion. But it has been awhile since I've been there.

Hwy 75 looks to stay closed today

Hwy 75 was still closed when I headed into the office, but also noticed a handful of construction workers and trucks.

I suspect they're gearing up to get some kind of work done today there.

UPDATE 3.30pm: The town's twitter feed confirms my earlier soothsaying abilities.

Hwy 75 should open Monday morning. Railcars being removed now. Town will update website, facebook, and twitter with a more accurate time.

The town estimates that removing the rail cars will take approximately 5 days. Given that time length, I'm guessing they will begin the scrapping of the rail cars on-site to make them easier to transport given that time period.

Hwy 75 closed once again

Per the town's twitter feed:

Hwy 75 is temporarily being closed due to the possiblity of approaching high winds on the stressed trees. Will post when reopened.

I drove by the rail cars on my way to work today and got to see them for the first time.

It was quite a sight to see the wrecked gray rail cars laying alongside the tracks and propped up against trees. I think the general dreariness of Monday morning would've made it quite a photograph had I been within reach of a camera.

Maybe tomorrow morning.

UPDATE 11.15pm: Hwy 75 still closed. At this point, I'd just bank on it being closed tomorrow morning.

Rumor has it an enterprising yet strangely handsome blogger was able to take some pictures of the wreckage this evening and got away with none the wiser. Rumor also has it his wife got shooed away from checking out the wreckage later that evening by a local police officer.

Hwy 75 open

At least for the most part.

Per the town's latest Twitter post:

Highway 75 Reopened. Some railcars still not removed, do not stop along the area. Extra patrols will be in place to keep traffic moving.

And the mayor provided some clarification via Facebook:

Highway 75 has reopened! Some of the railcars have not been removed so please do not stop along that area. Police will provide extra patrols to keep cars moving. The railcars will be removed in the near future and that will require temporary closure of the highway. Hopefully, we'll get a schedule from CSX tomorrow on the remaining work.

Road construction crimping Southsiders' style

Southsiders had a series of Facebook posts indicating recent construction at Broome Street and South Main Street (and no doubt the recent train derailment) has caused problems for potential patrons.

For the benefit of those who don't follow them on Facebook:

Open letter to Rep Curtis Blackwood
Dear Representative Blackwood:
While I understand and know that the repairs at rout 16 & 75, today being Saturday, I’ve noted ZERO activity today. I understand that this project will take up to 5 weeks perhaps longer.

And then:

I guess I can understand not working at night (though that would help in fact working around the clock would turn a five week project into less than 2) but to not work on Saturday during the day vexes me.

Vexes? It appears I'm not the only one vexed by elements of Waxhaw.

As a small business, we struggle to make ends meet anyway but having 2 main throughofares cut off is killing our business. We have several employees most are single moms who are working very hard to support their families.

And then:

We’ll have no choice but to cut their hours. Again we understand the need for these improvements but on behalf of our employees and for ourselves we’d like to see everything that can be done being done to whittle that 5 week completion date back as far as we can. Regards,Mark & Patte KennedySouthSiders Public house

And finally:

Remember - it's an open letter to Rep. Blackwood-I'm just trying to get some movement 5 weeks 1 shift per day 5 days a week for a major artery is out of line.

I imagine the continuing poor economy is playing at least a small role as not everyone can afford to go out as often as they'd like.

Although it seems a little premature to play 'we're-gonna-have-to-cut-the-hours-of- single-moms' card in my opinion. And along those lines, I'm not sure if there's an ideal time to play that card.

I suspect business will pick up a little now that it appears the derailment fiasco has run its course and word filters out that the alternative routes to Southsiders (eg. Church and South Main) are open.

I'd be surprised that anyone wanting to visit Southsiders for a beer, dog, or sandwich will be put off by having to travel one block farther.

Waxhaw lucked out?

A friend of mine heard this from one of the police officers manning the roadblocks near the derailment: while there were no hazardous materials on the cars that derailed, there were multiple cars containing acid and ammonia on the train.

If true, I think it's safe to say that we lucked out.

I submitted a request for clarification on this to CSX, so if I hear back from them, I'll update accordingly.

CSX: Hwy 75 may remain closed through the weekend

Per the town's latest Twitter update a few minutes ago:

Update from CSX: Highway 75 may remain closed through the weekend due to unforseen circumstances. Will update if situation shoud change.

For those of us who rely on Highway 75, I guess we'll have to stay tuned as to when it finally opens.

Highway 75 closed into Saturday

WBTV has an article up indicating Highway 75 could be closed through Saturday afternoon.

WAXHAW, NC (WBTV) - Waxhaw's town manager says it could be Saturday afternoon before a section of Highway 75 just west of downtown reopens.

Also of note, early suspicions on the cause of the derailment are the heat. Although apparently it's standard operating procedure to have a camera attached to the locomotive, which may help determine more specifically what caused the derailment.

A CSX rail official said the derailment may have been caused by the heat affecting the tracks.

CSX says The locomotive pulling the trains had a camera attached to it.

"We'll be able to see exactly what the locomotive engineer saw before the train derailed," said Harry Hopes, manager of hazardous materials with CSX out of Charlotte .

The folks in Magnolia Ridge are apparently having to park in the Captain's Galley plaza until Highway 75 reopens. According to my source, the hazmat team has made the front of that neighborhood their headquarters.

Enquirer-Journal cleaning local clocks

The Enquirer-Journal has done a pretty thorough job keeping up with the local train derailment. While they were unable to go live before an enterprising local blogger (but seriously who could reasonably expect to do so?), they were at it most of the evening providing updates here, compliments of Magnolia Ridge-based intern Dan Wiser.

It looks like they may have called it quits for the night.

Updates of note:

* Route 75 closed for at least 12 hours.
* Both tracks running through town have been damaged. I've seen no word on how long until track repairs are completed.

Train derailed in Waxhaw

My most breaking news update ever: according to one of my closest sources, a train has just derailed right outside Waxhaw. It was heading towards South Carolina when it derailed, but the cars on the long train back up into Waxhaw.

My understanding is that the good folks of Magnolia Ridge and others in that general area are left extremely inconvenienced, as left onto Route 75 has been blocked. Adding to the headache, the construction at Broome and South Main has shut that intersection down for the next month.

Police were routing people down Rehobeth Road for some reason, essentially not letting people take advantage of the alternate Broad-Givens-Caldwell route around the Broome-South Main intersection.

Since it's happened so recently, no word on what the train was carrying. Hopefully for the locals, no hazardous materials are involved.

I'll try to update later, but I'm guessing the local news will be all over this shortly since they've already begun arriving on scene.

UPDATE 6pm: Apparently no hazardous materials were involved according to WBTV. Link includes a video of the aftermath shot via helicopter.

Intersection work starting Tuesday

Per the town's website, work on the intersection of Broome Street & South Main Street is finally set to begin.

NC16 and NC75 Intersection Improvements to Begin

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2010, NCDOT and the contractors for the project will begin closing the NC 16 & 75 intersection. It is anticipated the closure will last from July 6 thru August 8. This will cause delays moving through the detour so please allow additional travel time. Large truck traffic is encouraged to use Grey Byrum and Waxhaw-Marvin roads to avoid congestion on Downtown streets. Detour routes have been posted by NCDOT. When complete the streets will provide larger turning radius from NC-75 to NC-16, safer pedestrian crossing areas with pedestrian signals, mast arms for the signals allowing for a more pleasing appearance, improved railroad crossing and signalization and new pavement and storm drainage upgrades.

Some rather dated details of the work to be done can be found here. Note that these are just proposed changes, so what percentage of this is still accurate is anyone's guess.

No word on the left turning light for those turning left from South Main Street to Broome Street, although my wife has informed me there is now a left turning light for those coming south on Broome.

I'll wait until everything is said and done before I contemplate grumbling about it.

June's Crime Report

Here's June's Crime Report, which doesn't look too bad based on my recollection of previous months.

And we're definitely no Monroe, which had approximately 13x the crime in June.

First Friday flyer

For those interested, here's tomorrow's First Friday flyer, with the rundown as to what's going down. Thanks to Gavin of the STMSPPC for the info. I must admit that the STMSPPC is my favorite Waxhaw government-related committee. Best acronym ever?

I just wish I could've gotten it up a little sooner.