Finally took my historic walk

Town commissioner Joyce Blythe was kind enough to take some local Cub Scouts on a historic walk last night, so I was finally able to partake. And it was as enjoyable and informative as I thought it would be, including information on some of the older buildings in town, but chock full of anecdotes from the old days of Waxhaw.

For example, we stopped at the Duncan McDonald House (current surf shop) where the boys heard rumors of ghosts, the old McDonald hotel where we were kindly allowed to enter, and Mark Hernig's Kick 'n' Stitch broom shop among other places.

If you have even just a little interest in Waxhaw and its history, you definitely should consider slipping on your sneakers for the next historical walk Joyce does.

Construction traffic in Waxhaw

In between baseball games on Saturday, we made the decision to stop at McDonald's to grab some lunch. This, unfortunately, allowed me to experience the lengthy traffic delays that have become a staple of Waxhaw since construction began.

My wife has gotten trapped in them numerous times (including this afternoon) and I've seen the numerous Facebook complaints, but perhaps you've got to be stuck waiting to really experience not moving an inch in traffic for 20+ minutes.

I imagine I'm one of the last in Waxhaw to be stuck in construction, but from my layman's perspective, it just seems like the traffic was very poorly managed by the construction crews. We sat for close to 20 minutes waiting for the other direction of travel to clear, which surely backed up traffic all the way from CVS to the railroad tracks.

To me, the strangest thing about the construction is that neither my wife nor I thought Providence Street/Broome Street was all that bad to begin with. (At least based on Pennsylvania standards.) For the life of me, at this point, I can barely recall any potholes of significance in that stretch.

On another note, I never saw so many sign holders; stationing one at every business' entrance seems like overkill. Maybe we should be thankful that they're removing the entrance to the Waxhaw Child Development Center because the state would've been on the hook to pay yet another sign holder.

Railroad ties were being picked this afternoon

On my way home work today, I saw them collecting the railroad ties that have served as a constant reminder (eyesore?) from this summer's derailment.

I'll see tomorrow morning if they got them all (and perhaps as an added bonus, removed the dumpster that's been a staple beside the tracks since the accident).

Waxhaw Child Development Center getting shafted

I'd been waiting for the ball to drop on this for a couple weeks now. Per a WBTV article:

WAXHAW, NC (WBTV) - Parents and grandparents whose children attend a local daycare say road construction is putting kids in danger.

They feel closing the entrance at Waxhaw Child Development Center on Providence Road will hamper the flow of traffic, especially for emergency vehicles.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to remove the entrance to the Waxhaw Child Development Center at this point. It's been there for how many years with no problems.

I can't think of a benefit of removing it. Am I missing something?

New Waxhaw Gazette

And it's Friday, so a new Waxhaw Gazette has been released. It seems like only yesterday the last one came out, but I guess that's a testament to how busy I've been.

I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet, but have one question: did we really need to see the picture of the mouse in the bread? While I realize the odds of something detestable ending up in my food are slim to none, I'll still be closely examining my food for a little while. Thanks, John!

The Waxhaw Exchange Gazette: Affecting change in Waxhaw one household at a time...but only if you follow the link.

EDIT 10/12: Fixed an embarrassing typo. Sorry, John!

First Friday tonight!

In case you've forgotten, First Friday is upon us once again.

More info at this Facebook page, but here's the gist of it:

Join Stewart’s Village Gallery as they kick off the Fall season with their Fall sale and celebration. Save up to 50% on selected pottery and 20% on all jewelry. The Rachel Garcia Jazz Trio will also be performing from 6-9 pm. Refreshments served. Bring your chairs!

Watch one of our local artistic treasures at work as renowned local artist J. Patrick Deibel sculpts a piece of work at Bella Dimora. Visit with the artist, watch his hands work, and enjoy his exhibit from 6-9 pm. And while you’re there, shop their sale on select in-stock sofas, gliders, & chairs. All in-stock furniture & accessories are 10% off!

Looking for that perfect book to the next level at the Waxhaw Reading Room Used Book Store’s Scavenger Hunt. Find the hidden books throughout the store and pick a free $2.00 book of your choice! Drop by the store or call (704) THE-BOOK for the list of hidden books.

Enjoy some coffee and friendly karaoke competition at Real Life Church at 216 W. North Main Street. Karaoke to your favorite songs, tell stories, or recite poetry. Prizes awarded to the top performer in each category. Plus, hear stories about the church’s building while you chill, fellowship, and meet new folks over coffee. Doors open up at 7pm and the competition starts at 8pm.

Run down to the Bike Depot and save 10% off K-SWISS Running shoes and check out their huge selection of high quality bikes and accessories.

Don’t miss the sale at Waxhaw Art & Chocolate located at 101 N. Church Street just behind Tangles on Main. They will have artists on sale, and weather permitting, a lampworking demonstration!

Take a listen to local musical treasure, Joe Middleton, perform a blend of Americana and Rock at the Bandstand in front of SouthSiders Pub & Deli.

Plus, check out the new restaurants opening soon in Waxhaw- Maxwell’s Tavern and the Dairy Barn- both located on S. Main Street.

First Waxhaw Groupon?

I think this is the first Waxhaw Groupon that I've seen compliments of Fuzion Hair Design.

$39 for a Microdermabrasion or a Five-Layer Facelift at Fuzion Hair Design & Spa in Waxhaw ($80 Value)

Not for me, but my wife may be interested.

Hopefully more Waxhaw businesses try offering Groupon deals. I imagine it'd draw a lot of people from surrounding towns.

This deal is available through the weekend for those interested.