Get to know your streets: rural Raleigh and Airline Drive? - Updated

It's been a while since we have discussed some of Raleigh's city street names. (To review: we have touched on the Presidential names, names from across the pond and even Beatle-inspired roads, among others.) Driving to and from my daughter's elementary school this week has made me think about the genesis of some of Raleigh's street names; I'd love to know the history behind some of these streets and areas.

For instance, was there at one time a Lewis Farm (of Lewis Farm Road fame)?

And as I was doing research (aka, Google Maps) to look for other possible roads of interest, I came across a neighborhood I had never heard of before: Dairyland -- in the Lake Boone Trail area. Was this whole area once farmland? Considering these are fairly "old" areas -- at least as far as Raleigh is concerned -- it seems like the farms would have been developed over quite a long time ago.

And though not farm-related, I drove past Airline Drive today. Looking at a map, this doesn't seem to follow any sort of theme; there do not appear to be any other sky- or plane-inspired roads in the Ridge Road area.

Anyone care to chime in with some history on how these streets and areas got their respective names? I'd imagine it is fascinating.

Update: According to @ncsubrew via Twitter, Lewis Farm Road and Dairyland were likely related to a time when chicken farms (and companies like Tyson -- there's also a Tyson Road) held an interest in that part of Raleigh.

Oh, and a Winnie the Pooh-related neighborhood? That's very cool.

Raleigh retail: Old times there are not forgottin'

Quietly, Downtown Raleigh is becoming quite the spot for retail. I feel confident saying that because a friend of mine recently gave me a "where have you been?!"-type comment when I noted the number of clothing establishments that I stumbled upon during a downtown stroll. The implication from my friend was, "hey, moron. Get with it! Things have been happening for some time!"

What spurred the particular conversation was coming upon High Cotton, just steps from DECO (of which I was aware). It's encouraging to see a gift shop, a high-end men's clothier and a women's clothing store (Nora & Nicky's) all bunched together. Critical retail mass = good.

A quick look at the list of downtown retailers shows not only a nice mix of offerings, but a number of locally-based operations. (Having said that, I still say at least one big, major national box store would do wonders for Downtown Raleigh. So sue me.) Among those are the aforementioned High Cotton and Lumina Clothing Co., both of which promote their dedication and devotion to North Carolina-produced garments.

From High Cotton's website about its founding. (Warning: this is about as "Raleigh" as a clothing company can get, in my opinion):

In January of 2010, founder Judy Hill's eldest son Cameron, who attends UVa medical school, informed her that a recent study was released discouraging doctors from wearing silk neckties due to their tendency to harbor harmful bacteria. The study showed that since men rarely dry-clean their silk neckties in the first place, a doctor's necktie now ran the risk of carrying bacteria and passing it from patient to patient. To prevent bacteria from spreading throughout the hospital, doctors were discouraged nationwide from wearing neckwear of any sort.

Judy, who is one of the most outstanding Southern women you may ever meet, knew that doctors did not want to willingly do-away with their neckties, as they always seem to be 'known' for wearing them in their practices. To them, wearing a tie represents a doctor's personality and distinction, which is why she decided to sew Cameron a cotton bow tie to wear to his rotations. They found that a cotton bow tie was not only handsome, but it was also machine washable so there was no longer any need to worry about the spread of harmful bacteria.

In that moment, an idea was born. What started off as a loving gift for her son in medical school, quickly turned into something that was extremely preppy. The connection that cotton has with the South and its inherent easy-going quality makes it something that is very easy to wear, and something that is very easy to look good in while wearing.

And ...

Whether it's a Steeplechase in Charlottesville, a Cocktail in Chapel Hill, or a Debutante ball in Mobile, High Cotton Ties has just the right bow tie for you. We offer a beautiful array of classic cotton bow ties and cummerbunds that fit your lifestyle.

What separates our company is that we are committed to classic southern mainstays such as tattersalls, ginghams, and madras plaids. It is our goal to present a conscientious, practical alternative to our customers who like the timeless element of a cotton bow tie and love its comfortable feel.

Perhaps (hopefully?) tongue-in-cheek, High Cotton has chosen the boll weevil as its emblem. This seems to follow the same line of reasoning for naming sports teams after horrible things that have happened. (See Hurricanes, Carolina; Avalanche, Colorado.)  But in all seriousness, the company seems committed to its charter and to its 100-percent cotton goal.

Lumina, just like High Cotton, appears to have gotten into the retail game via the neckwear route. From its website. And, like High Cotton, the company is focused on that old money crop of the South:

Our ultimate goal is to have our entire operation in NC. For now, we are happy to have everything made in the USA. Our shirts are made in South Carolina or Chicago and our ties in New York. Our pants are also made in Chicago. Our home base is in Raleigh, NC in which we are continually trying to help build a larger fashion presence not only for ourselves but for others.

...

Aesthetically, we will continue to strive to build a brand around the NC heritage and the industries once in our state. This means durable work wear inspired clothes, with a strong modern focus. The name LUMINA, is a play on the traditional cotton loom, which once drove much of the textile industry in our state!

As someone who grew up near Erwin, N.C., the long-time "Denim Capital of the World," I can appreciate this nod to our heritage.

Lumina and High Cotton are just a couple of examples of the surge in DTR retail. There will be ups (Raleigh Denim, Stitch, etc.) and downs (like Kindred Boutique) as Raleigh goes through growing pains. But there appear to be WAY more ups then downs at the moment. I am figuratively raising my mint julep glass to that.

My first journey to "camp"

Aside from being a day student at Campbell University's world-famous soccer camp, and being an overnight camper at Jim Valvano's basketball camp, I can't claim to have been a summer camp kid back in my youth. Honestly, at that age, the thought of going away from home for several weeks probably terrified me -- and my parents. Certainly going to a place like Camp Sea Gull or the now-defunct Camp Morehead -- where members of my extended family camped -- seemed out of the question.

Here in Raleigh, going to camp is a big deal. Or it at least seems to be. Soon I will do my first venture (sorta) to camp when my daughter's Y Guides tribe heads to Camp Seafarer. Yes, it's just for a weekend, but I'm interested to see what all the fuss is about.

It seems like camps like Seafarer and Sea Gull are almost extensions to Raleigh's Inside the Beltline culture. In an effort to get a feel for what Seafarer is like, I decided to do some research -- so I hit the internet, of course. Along with nice photos of campers sailing and shots of the cabins and facilities were Google results from the Urban Dictionary. I had no idea that there were entries for things like camps on the Urban Dictionary. But oh, there is. (It's often hard to decipher which entries were genuinely submitted by camp alums from those that are satirical.)

Here are some of the entries. Take them for what they're worth. A lot of these are redundant. (As you can see, I did little to change the formatting. Deal with it.)

Camp Sea Gull

Camp Sea Gull is home to the hottest, funniest, and dorkiest southern boys ever! they're the only boys in the world who wear belts and collared shirts to the mess hall, without shoes! they sing us Camp Seafarer girls lullabys everytime they visit.  A phrase meaning, "something preppy and hot." Kelly: "Seth Cohen's picture on the OC Season 1 DVD is really preppy and hot." Jessica: "Yeah it's like wicked Camp Sea Gull" Best known for;  .lacoste shirts with popped collars  .seagull belt  .knot in swimband  .having at least one pair of rainbows  .being excellent sailors  .sending letters with cologne sprayed  .dancing in the cage to southern music  .trading shorts with seafarer girls on the pier  .being hot and preppy  .never taking off sunglasses, croakies

Camp Seagull (same thing but wrong spelling)
where all the guys sail all day long 
3.a place where its ok to go to meals without your shoes, but still have your shirt tucked in 
4.were the formal atire consits of rainbow flip-flops, a popped pink collared shirt, a pair of the signiture seagull shorts, and a pair of croakies 

Camp Seafarer
Camp seafarer is the best camp of all thats right uh huh o yeah! Well duh any seagull kid could have told you that. 

A Southern camp in North Carolina where only the coolest girls go.They're sweet girls, yet they're adventurous and crazy- shaving cream fights, hardcore sailing,spirit and screaming,and not to mention their boys camp across the Neuse-(See Camp Sea Gull)where the absolute hottest guys are. THE BEST CAMP OF ALL THATS RIGHT UH HUH OH YEAH!!

Camp Seafarer is the greatest place on the earth. me and my friends refer to it as our second home. Each year we await that amazing day when the gates open and we drive in and are assigned to our home for the next month. after swim testing, the first thing to do is to check out a beautiful scot with your scot skipper friends and sail all afternoon on the neuse. where fridays mean candy night and movie and saturdays of course mean shaving and shagging with the best looking guys who attend camp seagull in the cage. i miss camp seafarer so much and i love it and every girl there to death!! i love yall!! 


(And, for comparison's sake) Camp Cheerio (which has a much smaller entry)

A camp in roaring gap, north carolina hidden in a bundle of mountians. usually where all the skanks go to camp while all the ]preppy], cute girls go to camp seafarer. used to be a fun camp until it was flooded with north Raleigh - Cary skank wannabes

boy: I want to start going to camp cheerio. it's where all the skanks go so maybe I can get my first hookup while I'm up there.

There you have it, people.

Oh, and here is proof of my attendance at V's camp.

Town vs. Gown: DTR edition

Though I was just a wee lad when my sister attended then-Peace College in the mid-1980s, I remember that we had to go to Cameron Village to do most of the shopping for her day-to-day needs -- there just wasn't anything right around the college, save for a sandwich shop across the street and, I believe, a steakhouse of some sort on the other side of Peace Street.*

Roughly two decades later, when my wife and I moved into our house in the Oakwood area, not a whole lot had changed. Peace College, historically a two-year, women's-only school, was on its way to becoming co-ed AND becoming -- tah-dah! -- William Peace University. But there still wasn't a large sampling of retail or restaurants in the general vicinity of Peace, or the neighborhoods of Oakwood and Mordecai, for that matter.

That all changed with the creation of the shops at Seaboard Station. Sure, Logan's nursery had established itself over several decades, but the creation of places like J. Betski's, 18 Seaboard, Tyler's Taproom, Peace China, Seaboard Wine, Seaboard ACE Hardware and more, gave folks in the Oakwood and Mordecai (and even State Government) worlds places to shop, eat and just "live." Presumably, Peace students have also enjoyed this resurgence.

This is why it's so troubling to read (is it fact? is it innuendo?) about Peace U.'s plans to gobble up Seaboard Station so that the school -- which is admittedly landlocked -- can grow. Some say Peace needs more athletic fields. Others dorms. Regardless, there aren't many options for the school to grow.

The irony is the actual shops and restaurants at Seaboard are thriving -- thus the area around there has energy that it lacked for many, many years. And that energy has expanded. There is no doubt that the success and growth along the Person Street Corridor is related to the success of this little area adjacent to HPU.

Winding its way through this whole process is an ongoing town (or, in this case, neighborhood) vs. gown standoff. Going back more than a decade is conflict between the school and the surrounding residents. I don't admit to understanding it all, but there has often been quite a bit of "he said-she said" back-and-forth between the neighborhoods and the school regarding foot traffic, safety and rights-of-way. No matter what Peace says its intentions are, almost always it is speculated that their real reason for doing just about anything is further growth for the school and not the best interest in the area around the school. In short, there is a HIGH level of mistrust between the two.

All of this is unbelievably unfortunate; a school like Peace would do well to open its arms to the surrounding areas and residents. To its credit, the school has appeared to do more of this in recent years. A good example is a recent benefit concert held on behalf of an Oakwood couple whose home was broken into and they were assaulted. It was a very nice gesture on the part of the school.

Unfortunately, that's  not enough to undo decades' worth of gossip and mistrust. It doesn't look like that will be ending anytime soon. And caught in the crossfire could be business owners who took a risk -- and succeeded -- on downtown retail. The students at Peace, in my humble opinion, would suffer as well.

It's a long walk to Cameron Village.



*My memory ain't great. Am I dreaming this?

Al Gore is lazy

By Jordan Rogers
You can follow Jordan on Twitter at @BlackFalcon_net


Global Warming can be used in some really cool ways. First, it makes a great pun. Second, it provides fuel for intellectuals’ favorite pastime: making points that can’t be disproven.

Let’s be clear, this essay isn’t about Global Warming. It’s about why discussions like Global Warming are so often overdone. It’s because they’re easy.

Just try it right now. It’s great.

“All surgery will be done by automated robots in 80 years.”

“Earth will run out of drinkable water by 2070.”

“Florida will be undersea by 2100.”

Disagree with any of those claims? Good luck. They can’t be disproved since they can’t even be proven yet.

How’s this for an unassailable narrative: a problem that may not fully manifest for a century and which will ultimately need fixing with technology we can barely even imagine (or haven’t imagined yet).

Look, no one should make light of what very well may be a serious issue caused by the sun making light. I take matters like Climate Change as serious as anyone else should — which means I occasionally think about it or buy recycled paper towels like everyone else who thinks they care about Global Warming.

But, I do think about it. And that’s the point. I think.

In a 2005 speech given to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., author Michael Crichton argued that the mistake of over-concentrating on Climate is that it’s akin to a 1900s-era Teddy Roosevelt attempting to predict (and solve!) problems in the 2000s. Notably, Crichton thought it was flatly immoral to spend so much research on quasi-future issues when a third of the globe is starving.

But the point here is that discussing the immediate problems in the world isn’t as easy as forecasting future ones. With relatively short-term issues, there are results to be seen. You can’t just toss predictions into the crowd. Ideas have to go into action. Stuff has to get done.

—Like traffic. America has a traffic problem. And it isn’t just about missing out on some beauty sleep. Productivity matters. It was recently estimated that patrons of the nation’s worst trafficway, the Beltway in Washington, waste almost $1,400 dollars and 70 hours per person a year sitting in traffic. (While texting probably, am I right?)

But, it is also about beauty sleep. Enter the Beltline in Raleigh — something that directly affects my life. Our lives.

When is the last time Climate Change affected your daily life? We often hear in the media that people forget about Global Warming because it doesn’t directly “affect their daily lives.” But maybe that’s an important point. Maybe we should first fix the problems that do. You know, like whether we should have a playoff in college football.

Seriously though, unless you generally have no idea what the hell you’re doing (and based on our traffic, many people don’t), you’ve noticed the Beltline around our great city is losing the battle. My work (life) schedule is almost totally dominated by the windows of time when I can actually get on I-40 between Raleigh and Chapel Hill without wasting two extra hours of my day. And it’s getting worse.

Every time I see another CNN article claiming Raleigh as the No. 1 spot to reside in ‘Merica, it’s just more mid-20 to 30-something people like myself moving in. Every time our economy spikes from the fabulous nightlife downtown, it’s just more Yankees relocating here to complain that Southerners can’t drive in the snow without acknowledging the fact that they can’t drive at all.

Of course, the overcrowding stems from how incredible it is to live in Sir Walter’s Raleigh. It's big-city culture with Southern charisma. There are almost as many Ph.D.s as there are sports fans. The barbecue is fucking fantastic. It’s great. I love it.

I’ll even put up with the traffic. In fact, that's sort of the problem. Everyone else is willing to put up with it too.

So what’s the endgame here? Where are the serious, ferociously creative, solutions to traffic problems in the North Carolinian Piedmont when this problem hits critical mass? The question is that simple.

—Except that it’s phenomenally complicated. This is what the writers and reporters much more talented than I should be seeking out — the short-term problems that we need fixed now. It isn’t as sexy as the long-term problems like Global Warming — or as Teflon to peer review — but it’s the small picture issues like these that actually end up fixing the big picture problems like Global Warming.

The reason relatively short-term societal problems never get talked about? They’re hard. The problems that need fixing now actually need fixing now. And that’s tough, and involves mistakes, and criticism, and original thinking. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan for problems down the road, but it also doesn't mean that we should forego solving the problems that we already have the technology to fix — like, childhood poverty and the pollution directly related to metropolitan gridlock.

So. Should we hire think tanks of the world’s best and brightest? Should we put college students on it? Engineers? Would it be publicly or privately funded?

We need people with the intellectual capacity to get this done. More importantly, we need people with the intestinal fortitude to get this done.

And most importantly, it needs to be someone other than me getting it done. Am I right?


Jordan Rogers is a sports editor at WCHL and created theblackfalcon.net. He lives in Raleigh, drinks in Carrboro, and writes in Chapel Hill.




Image from RaleighSkyline.com 

What we already knew: Fayetteville Street is a 'Great' Main Street

For those of us in Raleigh, we have had the pleasure of seeing a great metamorphosis along Fayetteville Street over the years. Now others are taking notice.

From a city of Raleigh press release:

Fayetteville Street is often called North Carolina’s Main Street. Add another moniker for the Downtown Raleigh thoroughfare: Great Main Street. As part of its “Great Places in North Carolina” program, the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NC) has designated Fayetteville Street a “Great Main Street.”
Winners of the 2013 Great Places awards were formally recognized today at a news conference at the Legislative Building as part of the N.C. League of Municipalities Town Hall Day. Mayor Nancy McFarlane and other City of Raleigh officials attended the event.
“The success of Fayetteville Street shows what can happen when government works with the business community and engaged citizens to leverage public investment to set the stage for private investments large and small,” Mayor McFarlane said. “Fayetteville Street is a great public space where all of Raleigh and Wake County can come together, and we are proud to have been recognized by APA-NC.”
The redesign of Fayetteville Street helped spur the rebirth of Downtown Raleigh. In the summer of 2006, the City reopened the 100 to 400 blocks of Fayetteville Street to vehicular traffic, completing the conversation of the street from a pedestrian mall. The $9.33 million project paved the way for billions of dollars in additional public and private investment in Downtown that continues today. These investments include the Raleigh Convention Center and an accompanying four-star Marriot Convention Center Hotel, City Plaza, Red Hat Amphitheater, PNC Plaza, and other quality housing, office, retail, dining and entertainment establishments.
...

A total of five North Carolina highways were selected by a panel of APA-NC representatives for recognition. Earning designations as “Great Main Streets” --- in addition to Fayetteville Street --- were Fayetteville’s Hay Street, Davidson’s Main Street and Blowing Rock’s Main Street. Elkin’s Main Street was recognized as a “Great Place in the Making.”
The People’s Choice Awards, as determined by more than 2,000 votes cast by North Carolinians statewide were Union Street in Downtown Concord in the “Great Main Street” category and Clayton’s Riverwood neighborhood in the “Great Neighborhoods for Kids” category.
"All of these ‘Great Main Streets’ are vibrant town centers that help build community,” said Ben Hitchings, president of APA-NC. “Through this program, we celebrate some of the great places in our state and the local partnerships that have made these streets a focal point for community life.”

Obviously this is well-deserved. I love Fayetteville Street. I'm also partial to Wilmington Street, for what it's worth. 

A Capital Conversation with ... The ITB Insider

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's been quite some time since I've done one of these. I could blame it on the fact that I just don't have as much time as I used to. However, I'd like to think it's because I've been waiting for the perfect next guest for "A Capital Conversation." Suffice to say, I found that guest.

With all due respect to my previous guests, including the incomparable Ann-Cabell Baum Anderson, the ridiculously-creative John Morris, and hilarious Miami ex-pat and NCSU homer (or is he a hater?) Joe Ovies, to name a few, this time around I  hit the mother load: Inside the Beltline extraordinaire William Needham Finley IV -- also known as the ITB Insider (@WNFIV on Twitter).

This is essentially the equivalent of Oprah landing the President, or Beyonce. It may even be bigger than that. And that's not hyperbole.

William Needham Finley IV and I met at an undisclosed ITB location to conduct the following interview. Prepare to be amazed. You'll laugh.  You'll cry. But mostly you'll just laugh. And probably shake your head a little.

The opinions below are really his own.



Raleigh Philosophical Society (RPS): First of all, what do you prefer to be called? Where did your "name" come from?  

William Needham Finley IV (WNFIV): My full name is William Needham Finley IV. If you don’t know the importance of all of those family names, please stop reading this interview and move back to wherever you’re from. As a child, I thought my name was just an audible sigh of disapproval, because that’s how Dad started every conversation with me. I'm most proud of my initials because the higher your Roman numeral, the more ITB you are.



RPS: What generation ITBer are you? Better yet, are you related to Joel Lane, a York or Ira David Wood? 

WNFIV: We've been here since the beginning, 1770. So that's eight generations. I’m not related to Joel Lane, thank God. I’m not related to the York family, but I tried to ask Smedes to adopt me the first time Dad and Mom tried to legally disown me, when I was nine. Ira David Wood III was born in Rocky Mount and raised in Enfield, so no, I’m not related to him.


RPS: And what is it that you do exactly?

WNFIV: Work for Dad at a financial services, real estate, insurance empire. I'm not allowed to meet with clients though. So I just take my friends to lunch, expense it, and tell everyone I'm closing deals. Crushing it. Duh dot com.


RPS: What makes "ITB" so darn special?

WNFIV: Knowing that simply being born and raised inside of a road surrounding Raleigh makes you better than others. Being ITB allows us to live in a bubble, detached from what some call "reality." Being able to attend Broughton is also a huge reason ITB is so special.



RPS: Is it really more a state of mind? Or is it really just that freaking awesome?


WNFIV: It’s both. If you ever have to leave, you naturally carry the ITB state of mind with you, which allows you to judge others and look down on them for not being from Raleigh.


RPS: Do any of the ladies in your family NOT have double names? And if so, how has your family dealt with that shame?

WNFIV: No. Everyone has a double name. Some choose to just go by a single middle name, or “Mom”.


RPS: When is your book coming out, and does it have a title?

WNFIV: Within the next two to three months, either my autobiography, titled Saved by the Beltline or my guide to ITB, titled, How To Be ITB: A Guide To Living Your Life Knowing You're Better Than Everyone, will be finished. Seriously. I promise.

After watching Season 5 of Gossip Girl, specifically the episode arc where Dan Humphrey angers everyone close to him after writing a book about his life and the people in it, I had some second thoughts about publishing an ITB book. What would my friends and family think? Then I remembered that my friends and I are friends because we have to be. While we all constantly talk about each other behind our backs and plot to ruin each other's lives, we still have to be friends because we're all ITB. So I can basically say whatever I want about them and they can just deal with it. And my family already hates me, so it's not like I can do more damage.


(Editor's Note: Before asking the next question, WNFIV stopped me and said, "Can you ask me a question that starts like, 'Many consider you to be the voice of a generation...' and then I'll interrupt you and pretend to be humble and say, 'Oh, wow, really? They say that? That's a little much, but go on....' and then you keep asking me whatever question is next?" I told him that we'd just stick with the questions I had.)



RPS: OK, some Inside the Beltline superlatives. Best ITB neighborhood (and why)?

WNFIV: It's a tie between Cameron Park, due to its proximity to Broughton and Cameron Village, and Country Club Hills, due to its proximity to the Club. Second place goes to Five Points, due to its proximity to The Point and Churchill’s.




RPS: Best restaurant?

WNFIV: I'll go with Second Empire because it's what some consider "expensive," which allows me to remain in my ITB bubble, free from commoners, while eating my grilled premium black angus ribeye. There are a lot of other good ITB restaurants, but they haven’t been around long enough and they're always full of insufferable hipsters and "foodies" taking pictures of their food for their 18 followers on Instagram to see.


RPS: Best bar?

WNFIV: Crowley’s. Where everybody knows your name, and doesn’t care that you’re 12 years old.




RPS: Best way to get out of a DWI?

WNFIV: Look at the cop and say, “My name is _______. You know who my Dad is. I’ll be leaving now.” Then drive off.




RPS: Best late-night meal?

WNFIV: Snoopy’s. Hotbox Pizza (because the owners went to Broughton).




RPS: Best elementary school?

WNFIV: Root/Lacy


RPS: Middle?

WNFIV: Daniels/Martin




RPS: Why, in your mind, is Broughton so much superior to Enloe -- though both are, technically, ITB?


WNFIV: This isn’t something “in my mind.” Broughton is, was, and always will be superior to Enloe. Just being located ITB isn’t enough to put Enloe on our level. Now, if we’re comparing Enloe to OTB schools such as Leesville and Millbrook, then Enloe is obviously our ally. We need them for their guns and their disregard for the law when the ITB vs. OTB war starts.


RPS: Who is the greatest ITB celebrity of all time?

WNFIV: You're interviewing him. No, I'm just kidding. Actually, I'm not. But don't put this part in the interview.


RPS: Greatest athlete?

WNFIV: Pistol Pete is the greatest athlete, but Webb Simpson is the most ITB athlete. Pistol Pete averaged 44.2 points during his college career, WITHOUT a three-point line. (Would've been 57 with it). Pistol Pete did more to change the way the game is played than any other player in the history of the world.

Webb does a better job of representing ITB since golf is a much more ITB sport than basketball. I also commend Webb for not participating in any of these ridiculous "Golf Boys" videos that are making a mockery of the tradition of the game.

Others include:
Jesse Williams - Two-time Olympic high jumper. 2011 World Champion
Jeremy Shelley - single-handedly won the BCS National Championship for Alabama in 2011. Won another this year.


RPS: And does Webb Simpson even count anymore since he has made his home in Charlotte?

WNFIV: Of course, Webb counts. Have you seen his banner in Broughton’s Holliday gym? Legend.


RPS: Why are The Connells the greatest musicians in the history of mankind and the songwriters that all past and future songwriters should be judged against?

WNFIV: Because they went to Broughton and grew up in Cameron Park.




RPS: David Sedaris. Yea or Nay? 

WNFIV: Yea. I'll let it slide that he went to Sanderson, but only because he's sold millions of books. 




RPS: What is the quintessential ITB drink of choice? 

WNFIV: Liquor, from Dad’s liquor cabinet.


RPS: What is the quintessential ITBer vacation spot? And is it a tad hypocritical to even long for anywhere OTB?


WNFIV: Vacations make coming back ITB even more rewarding. Some acceptable ITB vacation spots are: Atlantic Beach, Wilmington, Lake Gaston, Charleston, Europe, Blowing Rock, and Figure 8. It's also acceptable to go to elite tropical resorts where servants, or "employees," do everything for you.


RPS: What's a more hardcore ITB hobby? Deep sea fishing or trust fund livin'? 

WNFIV: Neither are hobbies, they are lifestyles. However, I don't do much deep sea fishing since Dad banned me from his boat when I was six years old because I wore my Reebok Pumps and got marks all over the port or bow or whatever it's called. I never bothered learning boating terms after that.


RPS: OK, let's do some comparisons. Which do you prefer and why:
 Brooks Brothers or Vineyard Vines? 

WNFIV: Brooks Brothers because it was founded almost 200 years ago. Vineyard Vines was founded in 1998, making it the Cary of clothing.


RPS: The Point or Crowleys? 

WNFIV: Crowley’s. The Point has been infested with too many commoners lately. Crowley's will always be the heart, or liver I guess, of ITB.


RPS: iPhone or Droid? 

WNFIV: iPhone (the newest one).


RPS: Monograms on the back of cars: For it, or agin' it? 

WNFIV: I consulted with my ITB panel and got this response "Monograms for cars are awful! Please do not approve that!!! It's like a car tramp stamp." So, I'm against it.




RPS: OK, some quick word association. Say the first thing that comes to your mind ...
Cameron Village? 
WNFIV: Blackout (RIP Felson's).

 
RPS: North Hills?  
WNFIV: Take Lassiter Mill to get there. I’m working with (sending daily e-mail reminders to) City Councilman Bonner Gaylord to annex North Hills to ITB.


RPS: "The Club?"   
WNFIV: Second home. They raised me during the summer because Mom didn't want to deal with me and I never had a babysitter that lasted for more than three days. 


RPS: Pete Maravich?
WNFIV: Greatest basketball player of all time
.

RPS: John Edwards?
WNFIV: Ehhh.....

 
RPS: Red Dragon?
WNFIV: Sunday night, over-the-counter anxiety/hangover cure. Ten minute.


RPS: Sadlack's? 
WNFIV: Homelessness.


RPS: The Rialto? 
WNFIV: Liberal propaganda. 


RPS: Peace College? 
 WNFIV: Mrs. degree, best ITB History professor
.

RPS: Meredith College?
WNFIV: Mrs. degree.

 
RPS: Sperrys? 
WNFIV: Summer.


RPS: Gov. McCrory? 
WNFIV: Go back to Charlotte
.

RPS: Clay Aiken?
WNFIV: Second place
.

RPS: Scotty McCreery?  
WNFIV: Garner, Bojangles.


RPS: Durham? 
WNFIV: Murder, crime, violence, danger.

RPS: Charlotte? 
WNFIV: The capital of South Carolina.


RPS: What would you change about ITB? 

WNFIV: There are a lot of things that need to be changed. I lay them out in my ITB renovation plan in my book. Example: Turn the Trailwood of Tears and Western Boulevard of Broken Dreams area into an ITB landfill. Displace all of the gel heads and commoners that live in those shanties on Trailwood and move them to Durham. This will make it more difficult for them to access the Gelwood South area, which will force Solas and Mirage to go out of business because no self-respecting ITB resident would set foot in them. 




RPS: If you HAD to live somewhere else, where would it be? And why?


WNFIV: I wouldn't. My life would be over. If you put a gun to my head and made me choose, I’d be glad that you had the right to own that gun and put it to my head, then I’d say maybe D.C. because they have a beltline that they call the “beltway.” I’d feel at home at Smith Point with all the bathroom activities and pretentiousness. But like I said, only if you had a gun to my head.



RPS: And, finally, what advice would you say to those of us who were not fortunate enough to have been born into or grow up ITB? 

WNFIV: I’m sorry.


RPS: That's all? 

WNFIV: Yeah, I'm really sorry.

We want to thank WNFIV for taking time away from The Club to take part in this little discussion. As always, you can follow him on Twitter @WNFIV. Or visit his website at http://www.itbinsider.com/ .
 
(Image from of the Official Website of the BHS Class of 1968)

Lemon cupcakes, steak tacos and doulas: A Raleigh pregnancy primer

Note: As my son turns 1 this week, I thought we'd look back on some area birth recommendations we made about a year ago at this time. This was originally posted on March 7, 2012.

My lovely and amazing wife gave birth last week to our third child. (Thank you, thank you.) Whenever something like this happens, it quickly becomes apparent that it's a team effort. (No jokes, please.)

From the time you find out you're pregnant, all the way up to delivery and even beyond, a process like this can only go smoothly if you have the help of many. This time around, like the the first two times, we have had a great support system. I use the present tense because we are continually blown away by the support and generosity of our community -- and we still are. We have been supplied with enough food to feed and army. And, well, a family of 5 already feels like an army! Thank you all very much.

What I want to focus on in this post are the very many positive experiences we had during this pregnancy and delivery. Think of this as a Raleigh Pregnancy Referral post. (And I hope those of you who have recently gone through this in the Raleigh area, or about to, will feel free to post your own thoughts.) This is just one way that we are saying "thank you" to those who helped us through.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, we had a boy.


MASSAGE THERAPIST
Our little guy was stubborn; he just did not want to leave the womb and finally was born five days late. When he finally did make an appearance, he weighed a whopping 9 lbs., 11 oz and was 22 1/2 inches long. What that means is that my poor wife was quite uncomfortable in the last weeks; the Little Man also decided to rest on her sciatic nerve.

Had it not been for the services of Cheryl Hamburger at Great Blue Heron Massage in Cary, Charity probably would not have made it as long as she did. Not only did Cheryl provide physical comfort when Charity desperately needed it, but she offered emotional support and thoughtfulness as well. She was a huge help in getting Charity over the hump.

Cheryl Hamburger
Great Blue Heron Massage
200 Commonwealth Ct., Ste. 100, Cary
919-740-4630
http://www.greatblueheronmassage.com/


PREGNANCY-INDUCING FOODS/METHODS
To be honest, we tried almost all the old wives' tales in order to get the baby here. Charity tried stretching and walking, which was hard because of the sciatic nerve. Nada. We once again tried eating at Dos Taquitos (the Creedmoor Road one), to no avail. (We are 1-for-3 using this "method." Still, the steak tacos are phenomenal.) We even tried Castor oil, bless her heart. I'll just leave it at that.

Charity's good friend in Charlottesville noted that there is a bakery in C-ville that makes a lemon cupcake that is legendary for sending women into labor. Well, I certainly wasn't going to make the multi-hour trip to Charlottesville for a cupcake, even though I do love presidential history. We went for the next-best local thing. The Cupcake Shoppe on Glenwood Avenue happened to have a lemon cupcake on February 29, so I picked one up. The nice woman behind the counter had never heard this theory; in fact, one of the store's decorators is pregnant. I told them I would let them know if the cupcake did, in fact, send Charity into labor.

At about 2 a.m. on March 1, my wife's water broke and it was "go" time. Now, it could completely have been a coincidence -- she was five days overdue, after all. But the fact remains: Charity ate a lemon cupcake, and a few hours later she went into labor. For that, we say thank you, Cupcake Shoppe.

The Cupcake Shoppe
104 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
919-821-4223
http://www.thecupcakeshopperaleigh.com/


FirstMomentsOnline.com
One of the coolest gifts we received as a baby shower gift was the services of FirstMomentsOnline.com of Chapel Hill. FirstMoment's Mark Terry came to the hospital after the baby was born and took some of the first photos and videos (below) of the little guy. He got shots of our older kids with him; shots of grandparents; and some good family group photos. While some folks may have anxiety about having a stranger in your hospital room snapping photos for an hour or so, I must say it was such a relief to not have to worry about it myself.



The final products are amazing. First of all, Mark sent out an email announcement with photos to our email distribution list -- that's one thing we were relieved to not have to deal with. In addition, FirstMoments put together a video and photo slideshow -- both with songs we chose. Mark was extremely easy to work with, and we wish we had had his services when our older children had been born.



Mark Terry
FirstMomentsOnline.com
919-923-5277
info@firstmomentsonline.com



OUR DOULA
We had never entertained the thought of using a doula with our first two pregnancies, but we were introduced to Ashley Collins of Birth Right in Durham. Without getting too graphic, I'll put it this way. My wife delivered sans drugs this time around, and it wouldn't have been possible without Ashley with her the entire time. (I'd like to think some credit can come to moi, but I know better; Ashley was the X-Factor for Delivery No. 3.) And when I say the entire time, I mean it. She was already waiting for us at Rex when we arrived. She helped explain things that we didn't quite understand from the nurses, she showed me some massage techniques for when the contractions were unbearable, and she even got us drinks when we needed them. But more importantly, Ashley was a rock of support for Charity during the final moments of labor. She even stuck around for a while after delivery, helping us get moved to our recovery room and offering even more support. We could not have gotten through this process without Ashley. Thank you!

Ashley Collins
Birth Right Doula Services
919-741-3091
birthrightdoulanc@gmail.com
http://www.birthrightdoulanc.com


REX HOSPITAL
Where to begin? We are so blessed in this area to have such a top-notch hospital like Rex. With one small exception* we had a fantastic experience. (Well, I guess you can't call delivering a baby "fantastic," but you catch my drift.) The nurses were understanding and supportive, the facilities were clean and comfortable, and the food was even quite good. Apparently Rex hired a full-fledged chef a few years ago, which would explain the yummy food. We do not plan on having Baby No. 4, but if we were, we would have him or her at Rex.

*Whether it's someone learning how to get blood out of her arm, or someone learning how to do an exam, my wife always seems to get stuck with students. This time around we had a new nurse who had a hard time getting the monitor around Charity's belly to listener trainer) poking and adjusting around Charity. C'est la vie. Guess they gotta learn somehow, right?


DR. MICHAEL MARCH
Dr. March has now delivered all three of our beautiful children. He is a pleasant man to be around, and he truly cares for his patients - both adult and kids. He is a man of strong faith, which is something we value in a doctor. The fact that he IS the practice may turn some people off, but we have found it refreshing. He has always been available for Charity, and the fact that we are 99% likely to have him deliver the baby and not some stranger from within a practice is comforting. If you don't have an OB and want a fantastic doctor and human being, call Dr. March.

Dr. Michael March
4414 Lake Boone Trail, St. 311, Raleigh
919-791-1991
http://www.marchobgyn.yourmd.com/

By the way, here was how we announced our pregnancy about seven months ago. As you'll see, Little Man was a few days late. Enjoy.

Framing Raleigh's inferiority complex

Those who know me will say I can be pretty defensive about my adopted* hometown of Raleigh. Part of that is that I genuinely care about what goes on here. Another part is that I have made a decision to live and work here; I want that decision to be looked up on as a good one.  And, quite frankly, there's also a feeling that this is a VERY good time to live in Raleigh. The city has gone from being an "up-and-comer" (that famous Money magazine article years ago seemed to take everybody by surprise at the time) to a regular on the old civic and community superlatives list. In other words, Raleigh has gone from "Best Personality" to "Most Likely to Succeed" -- in a relatively short amount of time.

Obviously not everything is perfect. The city and the Triangle still has challenges, from housing issues to transit issues to public school drama. But by and large this area has not only weathered the economic storm but has flourished. Even still, I get perturbed when I see articles like this, even though the angle -- a comparison of NYC to Silicon Valley -- is a perfectly logical one. But what about us?! I whine -- at least in my head.

Which brings me to the idea of a community's inferiority complex.

I had not thought of this term until I came across some posts on the blog, The Black Urbanist, by Greensboro native Kristen Jeffers, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting on a couple of occasions. (If you're not checking out this blog by a person who is passionate about community building, you are missing out.) In one of Kristen's most recent posts, she discusses Greensboro's recent orgasmic excitement over the city's first Trader Joe's.

We spend too much time thinking we need to spend money on expensive stadiums and art centers to be more urbane. If we are over that demon, we bemoan not having an H&M, Shake Shack, Trader Joes or whatever chain store, restaurant or “hot new establishment” that likes to over-hype themselves and make us think we are less than as a city without them.

She is spot-on with this assessment. Heck, I am guilty of this. I STILL wish IKEA would come to Raleigh. I was stoked when H&M came to Crabtree Valley Mall. Let's get Major League Soccer here! Are the Panthers flirting with moving from Charlotte to Carter-Finley!?

Ahem. Sorry about that.

Instead, as Kristen says, we should recognize a city's settings and celebrate a city's unknown lights.

 I define the setting as the physical, cultural and emotional space of our cities, that other people compare and judge. It’s what already exists, but we see as being mundane or even demeaning. The unknown lights can also be mundane for some, but they are more positive activities. They are also activities that would be celebrated, if they were in a different form or from a different place.

What is Raleigh's setting?

What are Raleigh's unknown lights? (Go to Kristen's blog for examples of what she means with these.)

Understanding these will help us determine where we are, where we should be going, and how to get there. Sometimes it's not as simple as luring The Cheesecake Factory.

I leave you with Kristen's thoughts on how a city destroys that inferiority complex:

-Identify your setting and your unknown lights 

-Take one part of the setting, gather a group and work on fixing it 

-Take one unknown light and work on making it known 

-Stop over-comparing your community to the point of disrepair and accidental destruction 

-Be creative and repeat the other steps often to fix problems and encourage your community.

*I say "adopted" because I wasn't born here, nor did I grow up here; however, I have lived in the city for longer than anywhere else in my 37 years.


Be sure to check out:

Oakwood Cafe expands to about as far from Oakwood as you can get

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Oakwood Cafe had closed; however, as best as I can tell, the venerable Argentian/Cuban joint on the edge of Historic Oakwood in Downtown Raleigh is still open, thank you very much. (PLEASE, GOD, DON'T LET IT BE TRUE!)

In fact, the owners have apparently expanded to Lafayette Village in North Raleigh. The website for the Oakwood Cafe boasts -- in "sparkling" green font, I might add -- "COMING SOON! PAMPAS RESTAURANT 8460 HONEYCUTT RD." But apparently the aforementioned Pampas Restaurant is, indeed, open for biz.

Like Oakwood Cafe, Pampas is an Argentian and Cuban ("and Latin") restaurant. But whereas Oakwood Cafe is a longstanding establishment in the heart of an authentic, livable community, Pampas is a brand-new restaurant located in a recreation of a French livable community -- off a major highway. (I'm not knocking it; just making an observation. For the record: I LIKE Lafayette Village.)

I'm not sure when Pampas opened, but reviews are mixed. As with any review, take them with a grain of salt; you're better off giving any place a shot yourself.

We just found out this is Oakwood Cafe's new location. Whoo hooo.
We cant wait. Headed there next weekend. This is the best Churrasco
in Raleigh.

...

I was really disappointed in the food.  The empanadas were so small I couldn't even find them in the french fries they served them with.  The price for 2 small empanadas and fries to go was not worth it either.

...

I walked by the restaurant before my husband pointed it out to me, since the signage still says "Village Market". But on the doors it does say Pampas, with a little old-fashioned "Open" sign.  I'm not thrilled with the name, since Pampas looks like it would sound like the word "pompous". Apparently it's pronounced more like "Pampers", which is probably worse.

...

The steak that I had for lunch was thin tough skirt steak.   The black beans and rice was good. I won't be back. Food was not worth the visit.

...

I love that the owners where able to expand and open another restaurant.   I have been a customer at the Oakwood Cafe sense they opened its great to have another place to enjoy with the same great food and service. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Welcome to ... Steelers Country?

The Triangle has always been an interesting place to live, particularly when it comes to the various sports allegiances. Thirty years ago, the only game in town was Atlantic Coast Conference basketball (and football, to a degree). The proximity of the three area schools (four, had Wake Forest not sold out to Big Tobacco!!) has resulted to this day in an area that has divided loyalties.  Throw in the immigration of graduates of Virginia Tech, Michigan, Florida, UVa and Ohio State*, to name a few, and you have a veritable Sports Melting Pot called "Raleigh-Durham." (Of course, no one really calls it that, now do they?)

The Carolina Hurricanes have given Triangle rooting interests a team that everybody can seemingly get behind. Even UNC and Duke fans seem to get past the idea that the Canes share an arena (and colors) with State. Heck, with the exception of last weekend's State-Carolina game, the loudest moments in the ESA/RBC Center/PNC Arena's life have been during Hurricanes games.

The Canes have also managed to make some converts from transplanted Pens, Flyers and Devils fans. (But I doubt any of those dastardly Sabres fans have seen the light.) Of course, this is pure speculation.

The same cannot be said, however, for the Carolina Panthers, who play a few hours away in Charlotte. According to this map, which looks at Facebook data, a great chunk of NFL fans in central North Carolina are Steelers fans. Yes, Steelers fans. (This also holds true for most of South Carolina.)

You could jokingly blame this on the fact that former Coach Bill Cowher played at NC State and has tremendous Raleigh ties. But it's more likely because the Steelers, like the Packers, represent a throwback to "old school" football and blue collar ways. That's why you'll see Pittsburgh rated as the most popular team in many spots across the nation, including parts of Nevada, Oregon and Mississippi. It probably also has a WHOLE lot to do with transplants from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

As for the Panthers? Carolina does seem to be the most popular team in the state, but New England is not far behind Carolina and Pittsburgh. Interestingly enough, the Washington Redskins barely register on the map; Carolina was, in theory, 'Skins country for many, many, many moons.

So what does this say about our area? Probably not much; the Triangle is not that different from other fast-growing areas in that there are varied loyalties. (Good Lord! Look at Florida!) If there's any takeaway, to me, it's that the Panthers would be well-served to try to expand their footprint in the state -- but especially into South Carolina. Oh, and any store that sells Terrible Towels could make a killing around these parts.


Sports and Geography
But this discussion about the map also brings up another discussion: how important is geography and proximity to the success of a team ... or a sport?

I had this conversation on Twitter recently involving Major League Soccer. MLS currently does not have a team in the southeastern United States+, despite the demographic changes and the success of college soccer. For those of us in North Carolina, DC United is logically the team to support, but lack of success in recent years and a reportedly abysmal stadium experience doesn't exactly call for an explosion of interest.  After #DCU, there is not really a close team to follow^. But does that matter?

Here is some of the discussion from Twitter, where I asked which MLS team should I follow, considering there's not one close by. And should proximity even matter?:

@thejohnpollock: But there can be more reasons to support a team than region. 

... A favorite player, style of play, coach, supporters group, vacation spot, heck colors or mascot.

MLS needs to get to the point where it is ok/normal for someone in FLA to support the Timbers.

@RyanDickey: I'd just enjoy the whole league until the SE gets a team (Miami? Raleigh?) then invest in your scarf

Fandom correlates to geography in every other sports league I can think of. SE needs a team

most people who root for a team outside of their geo were raised to like them or once lived close

@JMadfour: Matt, I've been struggling with this as well. I live in WV, right in the middle of #DCU and #crew96

@CandayCakes:  so hard to justify driving 9 hours to the nearest team.

@jasonadams76: I live in Mississippi and have adopted FC Dallas because it's the closest.

Only followed MLS the last year and 1/2. One FCD game so far, Labor Day. 6 hrs one way is rough.


As the map referenced at the top shows, you don't necessarily have to live in an area to follow that team. TV certainly helps; MLS has A LOT of games on TV these days; however, the ratings are pretty poor.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Do I pick an MLS team to follow? I like the atmospheres in Portland and Seattle and KC. I like the play in L.A. I like the cool Latin slogan on the kits in Philly. (I'm a history buff; so sue me.) Maybe I should just support the entire league, as @RyanDickey suggested.

I could always use the method I used for picking my favorite English Premier League team: which team more closely resembles my absolute favorite team, N.C. State? So by that logic, I have become a Liverpool fan. The fact that I've never set foot on English soil (if you don't count Gibraltar!) has not stopped me from following the Reds -- so maybe I've answered my own question.



*Is there a larger sports diaspora than Buckeye fans? My buddy Doug -- admittedly a Michigan guy -- says they spread like roaches. A coworker of mine, an Ohio native and tOSU fan, tends to agree: "We are smart enough to move the heck out of Ohio" being her rationale. Oddly enough, this same person said about Steelers fans what my Michigan buddy said about Buckeyes --with a slight change: "They spread like the plague."


+South Florida had a shot with a couple of MLS franchises which, like many S. Fla. sports franchises, failed miserably.


^We are lucky in that we have the Carolina RailHawks as a second division team, based in Cary. Not only are the RailHawks good, but the organization appears committed to growing soccer in the area. If MLS was ever to offer the Triangle a team, Carolina could easily make the jump -- especially with the seemingly ever-expanding WakeMed Soccer Park, which has been called one of the best parks in America.

Our safe, supportive community

A horrible, horrible event happened in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago when two lowlifes went into a couple's home on Lane Street early in the morning, held them at gunpoint and assaulted them - all for some money. The wife was taken into another room for God-knows-what. When her husband fought back, he was shot, resulting in him being  paralyzed. But because of his bravery, his wife was able to escape to a neighbor's house, where the police were called.

While I personally have not heard any negative comments, I do know of friends and neighbors who were subjected to comments like, "well, what do you expect from living downtown?" or "these things don't happen in the suburbs."

But here's the thing: these things DO happen in the suburbs. In fact, the two accomplices were practicing this same devilry (apparently a stun gun was in their arsenal, meaning they kinda-sorta hoped people would be home) all over Raleigh. These weren't just guys from Raleigh's inner-city targeting an adjacent neighborhood.

Allow me to brag about my community for a bit. The Oakwood/Cooke Street/Mordecai/Hungry Neck area certainly isn't perfect, but a number of things happened because of and after this horrific event that brought home to me just how special it really is. First of all, it was because of the brave efforts of a neighbor, who heard noises that morning and actually ran outside in time to read part of the license plate number of the getaway car, that the two bad, bad men were apprehended later that morning.

Almost immediately there was an outpouring of support for the young couple. Meals were organized. A prayer service was held at the church literally at the end of their block. A foundation was set up. This coming Wednesday, William Peace University's Singers will host a benefit concert at Trinity United Methodist Church, during which a love offering will be collected.

Now, I know that just about any neighborhood would come to the aid of those in need. But the outpouring of support for a couple -- relative newcomers to the neighborhood -- is reassuring. As far as I know, no one moved out. No one called for an "Us vs. Them" discussion between the poor and the well-off.

And then there's this: In the days that followed, while the respective downtown neighborhood list servs were working overtime to discuss alarm system referrals and additional security measures, someone noted that the oldest of the two accomplices, who is 26, has two small children and a third on the way. The premise was that even in times like this, we should remember the innocent victims on the "other" side of the battle line, so to speak. Yes, what happened to the young couple on Lane Street was a nightmare and was absolutely terrible, but we must remember that there will likely be three children who will grow up without their father around. I wouldn't be surprised if the same community offered to take care of them too.