Way to go, us!

On second thought, why was I even worried?

By almost all accounts, Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle did a superb job in hosting the 2011 NHL All-Star Game. The weekend even had (wait for it) ... buzz.

"Have you been downtown?" NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman asked YahooSports.

Feel free to comment on your experiences and any links that you find regarding the weekend.

Welcome to Raleigh! Please don't rip us a new one

In case you live under a rock, you know the NHL All-Star Game is happening in Raleigh this weekend. With it comes a week of festivities and parties -- and the chance to be scrutinized by international media.

Maybe it's the inferiority complex in me, but I anticipate our fair city will be criticized for a few things: lack of "big-city" nightlife; lack of "really nice" downtown restaurants; lack of retail. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with those first two; Raleigh is just fine, thank you very much. (The retail thing -- well, we need to improve that.) But every time the Hurricanes have been in a major playoff push, the opposing city's media has decided that we really are Mayberry -- even if the crowd is loud and proud.

Nonetheless, as Raleighites, what things do you think we will be raked over the coals for? And if you are visiting us, what are some things you like or don't like about the the City of Oaks?

Just be gentle, please.

Gregg Museum addition to take over NCSU chancellor's house

According to sources, the aging Chancellor's residence at N.C. State University (along Hillsborough Street) will become the home for the Gregg Museum of Art and Design.

NCSU is seeking design proposals for the $7.5 million project, which will renovate and expand the existing structure.

State is building a new chancellor's residence along Lake Raleigh on Centennial Campus.

NCSU a leader in wind studies, 'super streets'

N.C. State University has been in the news of late for a couple of pretty innovative reasons. First, the school is partnering (oddly enough) with the state of SOUTH Carolina and some S.C. institutions of higher learning (Clemson, Coastal Carolina) to do some serious wind energy research.

A decade into the 21^st Century, the United States is faced with an aging and deteriorating infrastructure and a rapidly depleting supply of non-renewable resources. And the Grand Strand is at the epicenter of a new movement to restore the country's infrastructure and economy by building on renewable resources; for residents of the Palmetto state, this means wind, a renewable, primary source of energy the Grand Strand has in abundance.

South Carolina is strategically poised to become a hub in this burgeoning industry, as up and down the East Coast, states such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia scramble to be the first in the race to develop offshore wind farms. Capitalizing on natural and manmade resources readily available in our own backyard, The Palmetto State may emerge as the big winner as teams of researchers, scientists and engineers from Coastal Carolina University, Clemson University, the South Carolina Energy office and Santee Cooper work collaboratively with industry and environmental leaders and state and local officials to harness the kinetic energy of the offshore wind industry. It's a green revolution, combining environmental awareness with economic recovery, and has the potential to breathe new life - and jobs - into our area.

The development of the silicon chip led the way for Silicon Valley in Southern California as a hub of technology in the 1970s. Could off-shore wind do the same for South Carolina, and transform "Sun Fun City" with its beaches, bikers, bars, and bikinis into a hub of green technology, the Windy City of the Southeast Coast? ...

"South Carolina is in a unique position to promote offshore wind energy development," says Toni Reale, Southeast Coastal Coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (cleanenergy.org). SACE is a regional group focused on developing clean energy solutions to global warming/climate change, solutions that promote energy independence and benefit the local economy. " ...

Paul Gayes is the Director of the Center for Marine and Wetland Studies at Coastal Carolina University and is lead principal investigator of the Palmetto Wind Research Project. The project, in its seventh year, is a collaborative effort among CCU and North Carolina State University, Clemson University, Santee Cooper, the South Carolina Energy Office and several other state and local groups, to study the possibilities for offshore wind farming along our coast. "What you have is a team, working together, each with their own specialties, to methodically document wind as a renewable energy for the state," says Gayes. "The South Carolina Energy Office did regional mapping and found very little potential on shore, but strong wind capabilities offshore."

In addition, State has gotten some serious 'Net run of late because of its research and promotion of "superstreets," which could be among the transportation waves of the future, according to US News.

The so-called “superstreet” traffic design results in significantly faster travel times, and leads to a drastic reduction in automobile collisions and injuries, according to North Carolina State Universityresearchers who have conducted the largest-ever study of superstreets and their impacts.

Superstreets are surface roads, not freeways. It is defined as a thoroughfare where the left-hand turns from side streets are re-routed, as is traffic from side streets that needs to cross the thoroughfare. In both instances, drivers are first required to make a right turn and then make a U-turn around a broad median. While this may seem time-consuming, the study shows that it actually results in a significant time savings since drivers are not stuck waiting to make left-hand turns or for traffic from cross-streets to go across the thoroughfare.

“The study shows a 20 percent overall reduction in travel time compared to similar intersections that use conventional traffic designs,” says Dr. Joe Hummer, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State and one of the researchers who conducted the study. “We also found that superstreet intersections experience an average of 46 percent fewer reported automobile collisions—and 63 percent fewer collisions that result in personal injury.”

The researchers assessed travel time at superstreet intersections as the amount of time it takes a vehicle to pass through an intersection from the moment it reaches the intersection—whether traveling left, right or straight ahead. The travel-time data were collected from three superstreets located in eastern and central North Carolina, all of which have traffic signals. The superstreet collision data were collected from 13 superstreets located across North Carolina, none of which have traffic signals.

The superstreet concept has been around for over 20 years, but little research had been done to assess its effectiveness under real-world conditions. The NC State study is the largest analysis ever performed of the impact of superstreets in real traffic conditions.

Raleigh Roundup: Lots o' stuff goin' on

(Apologies for the lack of posts of late. I have started a new position and am getting acquainted with new roles and responsibilities. And, yes, I realize some of this is old news by now.)

Red Hat to stay in the Triangle, looking at several DTR locations, among others

"Red Hat has decided to keep its trademark fedora hanging in North Carolina," said the Associated Press.

"The Linux software developer announced Monday it would keep its corporate headquarters in Wake County and create 540 new jobs over the next decade as it expands current operations and targets new technology.

"Gov. Beverly Perdue joined Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst in making the announcement in Raleigh. ..."

Wolfpack prepares for hoops centennial

"Scoring 100 points in a college basketball game today may earn a team a headline or TV highlight, but it hardly counts as a historic milestone anymore," wrote Robbi Pickeral.

"But when as many as 125 former players gather later this month for N.C. State's 100th anniversary basketball reunion, former guard Joe Harand will be able to swap tales about his role in the first time N.C. State reached triple digits.

"Now 84, Harand was a third-stringer for N.C. State on Dec. 8, 1947, when he scored the final three points in his team's 100-35 win over the Chatham Blanketeers. It marked the first time a Southern Conference school scored 100 points.

" 'When I got back to the dorm after the game, all my buddies had banners up about me scoring the 100th point, . . . then in The N&O the next day, I got more of a mention than some of the starters,' Harand said during a phone interview from his Shelby home. '. . . It was an event.' ..."

African-American monument in DTR gets approval

"A public monument in downtown Raleigh honoring the African-American experience in North Carolina moved closer to reality after the Capital Planning Commission gave it a thumbs up Tuesday," according to the N&O.

"The commission approval today at a meeting that included Gov. Bev Perdue means that the project's coordinators have been given the rights to construct the freedom monument in a half-acre of open space across the street from the Legislative Building at Wilmington and Lane streets. ..."

Raleigh 'hoods are diverse

The Raleigh Report is, uh, reporting that neighborhoods in our metro area "among the least segregated in the country, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau."

Among the country's 50 most populous areas, only Charleston and Las Vegas were more integrated in measuring black-white segregation in neighborhoods.

Data over the past 30 years shows the Triangle's two largest cities have gradually become more integrated each decade when the Census information is collected. The latest survey data was collected from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2009.

This is very good news, in my opinion.

Krispy Kreme Challenge is Feb. 5

The next incarnation of the (in)famous Krispy Kreme Challenge (the "original" one) will be held Saturday, February 5 in Raleigh. Since its creation, there have been several imitations, including Challenges in Tallahassee, Fla., and apparently there is now one in Greenville.

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is an annual student operated race in Raleigh, North Carolina benefiting the NC Children's Hospital. Beginning in 2004 with a mere 12 participants, the race has grown exponentially to a whopping 5500 runners in 2009. The race has rapidly become one of NC State University's newest traditions.

Beginning at the NC State Belltower, each runner runs 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store located on Peace St. in Raleigh. After downing a full dozen of the famous Krispy Kreme doughnuts, the runner must run the 2 miles back. All in one hour.

Sign up and take part. It is loads of fun.