What, pray tell, is 'The Wood Pile?'

I was looking up directions to somewhere the other day when I noticed on Google's map of Raleigh -- almost smack-dab in the middle of the city -- a featured location dubbed, "The Wood Pile." I had never heard of a neighborhood or a part of Raleigh called that.

A quick search shows that maybe it's an apartment complex? But The Wood Pile also boasts its own list of events on this "neighborhood" page. However, this link shows that it could be a development company downtown.

What gives? Who knows what's up?


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The mystery of 'The Missing Major'

I'm quite the fan of North Carolina ghost stories and mysteries. I spent many an hour in the elementary and middle school libraries reading the works of Nancy & Bruce Roberts and their collections about the Brown Mountain Lights, the Devil's Tramping Ground, the Maco Light and others.

Most of these stories take place in rural North Carolina -- then again, when all of these instances originally took place, almost ALL of N.C. was rural. There appear to be few "urban" ghost stories or mysteries, and Raleigh rarely is mentioned. We have discussed some in the past, including the Capitol, the Executive Mansion and even a story that involves an older home (somewhere downtown - Oakwood?) where "a portrait ... has been on the walls for as long as anyone can remember. There's a reason for that. Whenever someone tries to take it down, eerie music -- coming from nowhere -- begins to play. It stops as soon as the portrait is put back in its rightful place."

I recently picked up John Harden's 1949 book, The Devil's Tramping Ground and Other North Carolina Mystery Stories. In it is a tale about "The Missing Major," about which I had never heard.

The story recalls the "baffling" mystery of Major Robert R. Clark, who left Raleigh for Fayetteville back during WWII and "melted into thin air," writes Harden.

Clark was 33 back in 1944 and lived in the home of John A. Park, publisher of the Raleigh Times. But he never was heard from again when he left for Fayetteville. He either "disappeared by design, was murdered, or was possibly kidnapped. Investigators agree on these points."

Harden writes that all anyone knows is that Clark was last seen eating lunch on Fayetteville Street, near the Capitol, on March 17, 1944. He told a friend he intended to leave for Fort Bragg that day but return to Raleigh to prepare for a 16-day tour of duty at an army camp.

"His manner was entirely normal. There was no hint of anything weighing on his mind. He got up, paid the cashier, opened the door, and stepped into what has become one of the state's deepest mysteries."

Seventy-two hours later, Clark was still a no-show at Bragg. The search was on for the 5-foot-9 Clark with dark brown eyes and metal-rimmed eyeglasses. Folks even looked for his 1941 Dodge coupe.

Everyone was in on the search: SBI, FBI, military police, etc. The investigation dug up nothing. Clark was an efficient employee in past jobs, and he was said to be intelligent, quiet-mannered, agreeable and the like. It was even believed that the Army meant everything to him, questioning a motive of making himself disappear as to avoid combat.

One thing kept coming back: the idea that he may have suffered from amnesia. Harden writes that acquaintances stated that twice Clark had been hit by tragedy: his father had committed suicide when Clark was a young boy (and Clark found the body); and on the death of his mother a few years later.

Seven months into the search, a break.

While hunting in Hoke County, one Robert Parks discovered a Dodge coupe "almost completely covered over with leaves, pine-brush, vines, and army blankets." The license plate showed it was Clark's car. Military experts stated that whoever hid the car had done a marvelous job of camoflauging it. A rifle and a handgun were also found.

Still, no sign of Clark (or his body). The search continued nationwide.

"One novel theory," writes Harden, was that Clark faked his death and then forged Army documents to get service overseas. Harden himself says that theory is "far-fetched."

A $2,000 reward was offered by Clark's uncle with a committee made up of Park, Mayor Graham Andrews and LeRoy Martin, vice-president of Wachovia Bank, to rule on the claims of the reward if the case was solved.

"Months passed and the $2,000 'bait' attracted nothing."

As far as I can tell, the case was never solved.

Now, it should be noted that this book was written in 1949. Does anyone know more about this since? Has Clark's disappearance been solved?

Get some pie: PieBird opens March 29!

After a "soft" opening, PieBird is ready to fly!

PieBird restaurant in downtown Raleigh announces official opening date

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 23, 2011) – The much anticipated opening of PieBird restaurant by foodies in Raleigh and across the Triangle area is about to come to fruition. You can almost smell the wafting scents of pie now, as PieBird plans for an official opening Tuesday, March 29, 2011.

Located between Krispy Kreme and Person Street Pharmacy at 618 N. Person Street in downtown Raleigh, PieBird will be dishing sweet and savory pies for lunch and dinner from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. The menu of regular and featured pies will be complemented by local brews (Big Boss and Mother Earth, for starters), bottled beers, wine and a full liquor bar with seasonal cocktails, as well as a custom PieBird coffee blend created by Durham, N.C.-based Counter Culture.

The idea of PieBird was hatched by owners Sheilagh Duncan and Krishna Bahl just about a year ago. Duncan had been baking pies for friends in the nearby Oakwood neighborhood and looking for a partner in a venture to serve her popular pies in her own restaurant. She and husband George had already found the place -- the space that housed the former Conti’s Italian Market.

“I put a post on the PieBird Facebook page sort of seriously and jokingly asking if anyone wanted to become a partner,” Duncan says. “Krisha replied, but I was so sure she wasn’t serious, I deleted her comment!”

Not dissuaded, Bahl, also an Oakwood neighbor, called Duncan from her travels in New York City. “I always said our neighborhood could use a bakery, bar and a place for people from all over to gather. What Sheilagh had in mind for PieBird was that very thing -- it was a perfect fit.”

Chef Kristine Ashwood and two assistant chefs from the Wake Tech Community College Culinary Arts program join the team of PieBird Chicks in the kitchen and at the bar. Former owner of Hilltop Cafe in Pittsboro and Fearrington Village chef, Ashwood focuses on using local and seasonal ingredients in determining PieBird's menu. (These aren’t your grandma’s pies.) Early favorites are the Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie, French Onion Soup Pie and Chicken Curry Pot Pie, but they will have some steep competition from the first planned specials, Korean Short Rib Pie and Tamale Carnitas Pie topped with jicama. A variety of equally appealing vegetarian options also will be among regular menu and featured pies.

Fittingly unique along with the pie menu options is the restaurant’s decor in funky blues and greens. What some would call “modern-minimalist” and others “Portland comes to Raleigh,” the design features exposed brick, sliding barn doors, chic yet comfortable furniture, cozy nooks, and yes, a fireplace.

No RWO this year

Citing the economy, and probably not helped by the fact that DTR construction is rather stale at the moment, the city has announced it will not hold Raleigh Wide Open this year.

The City of Raleigh announced Tuesday that they are canceling this year's downtown celebration [according to WTVD].

Officials say due to the economy, Raleigh Wide Open has been canceled for 2011.

They say the economic downturn is requiring every non-essential expense to be scrutinized.

City Manager J. Russell Allen says the $150,000 to $180,000 that the City averages on spending for the event needs to be saved.

This would have been the sixth year of the celebration.

Raleigh among America's cleanest cities

Raleigh has been ranked No. 3 among America's Cleanest Cities. The City of Oaks edged Orlando and Las Vegas, but was just nudged out by McAllen, Texas (No. 1) and Little Rock Arkansas (No. 2).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines toxic substances as "chemicals or compounds that may present an unreasonable threat to human health and the environment." In terms of toxicity, the EPA's goal is to "identify and reduce the risks from toxic substances," collecting a plethora of toxicity-related data as it relates to land, water and air.

For our Cleanest and Least Cleanest Cities lists, we started with the 80 largest MSAs for which toxicity data is available. These include namesake cities as well as the counties neighboring them, as defined by the U.S. government's Office of Management and Budget. We then ranked these geographic areas based on five equally weighted measures of pollution and toxicity.

Here are Raleigh's numbers:

No. 3: Raleigh, N.C.
MSA: Raleigh-Cary, N.C.
Air quality rank: 41
Water quality rank: 1
Superfund rank: 24
Pounds of on-site toxic releases (2009): 492,000

Get your free on in DTR

Kudos to Crash & Co. over at Raleigh Downtowner for putting together this nifty list of all the free things you can do this Spring in Downtown Raleigh.

Spring has finally sprung. The dogwood trees are blanketed in a soft cap of white blossom, flowers are beginning to slowly peer out from their wintery slumber and the air is warm enough to enjoy without being bundled up like a mummy in a North Face parka. Downtowners are ready to break free of their cold weather shackles, step outside and enjoy this welcoming warm NC weather.

Ahh ... it is SO nice to be able take a walk AFTER work, come home, eat dinner and it still be light (and pleasant) outside. Now to finally take a tour of the Capitol ...

42nd Street at RDU among Frommer's 10 best airport restaurants

(Note: Thanks, D.N.)

USAToday ran a piece recently that noted that Frommer's has picked the 10 best airport restaurants in America, and RDU International Terminal 2's 42nd Street Oyster Bar made the list.

Times have changed. Some airlines are offering nutritious items in the air, and airports are increasingly featuring local restaurants with high-quality, healthy food.

"Airports are trying to improve the experience for travelers, and part of that is bringing in restaurants serving fresher, local foods," says Rick Lundstrom, editor in chief of PAX International, a trade magazine that covers airport dining trends. "Airports want to create an atmosphere of the city they're in and make the airport more of a destination for shoppers and diners."

Here are the top 10.

•Atlanta: One Flew South (Terminal E)

•Baltimore: Obrycki's (Gate B-11)

•Boston: Legal Sea Foods (Terminal A, after security, has Legal Test Kitchen; Terminal B, before security, has Legal C Bar; and Terminal C, before security, has the traditional restaurant)

•Chicago O'Hare: Tortas Frontera (Terminal 1)

•New York-JFK: Deep Blue Sushi (Terminal 5)

•New York-LaGuardia: Custom Burgers by Pat LaFrieda (Delta Terminal)

•Los Angeles: Encounter at LAX (center of airport before security)

•Minneapolis: Ike's Food and Cocktails (at The Mall near Concourse E)

•Raleigh, N.C.: 42nd Street Oyster Bar (Terminal 2)

•Seattle: Ivar's (central terminal)

Lowe out as Wolfpack coach; who takes/wants the job?

In the end, it was one of the worst-kept secrets in college sports. Sidney Lowe resigned today as N.C. State's men's basketball coach. Despite his ties and passion for the school, Lowe just never could get over the hump. Nonetheless, Lowe deserves to be commended for stepping up and taking the job five years ago. He will always be loved by the Pack.

Now on to the "silly season" of message boards, flight path records and coded statements. Who wants the job? Who has a big-enough ego to literally go toe-to-toe with two future Hall of Famers in his backyard?

For the most up-to-date info over the next couple of weeks, we recommend WolfpackWire.com. There you can see all the best State-related blogs: StateFansNation, RiddickandReynolds.com, BackingthePack.com and more.

Stay tuned. Should be fun.

State drops the hammer on itself

N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson has tried to stop the economic bleeding at his university by self-inflicting some cuts.

State is "considering cutting about 600 courses and some 'less effective' programs for both undergraduate and graduate students," according to WRAL. "Those who study at State could also see larger class sizes in the future."

The move is part of Chancellor Randy Woodson's strategic alignment plan, designed to make the university more effective and efficient in anticipation of a reduction in state funding.

Woodson said Tuesday he has not set a target for how much to cut from the university budget. That will be determined when the state legislature approves its budget, he said. "We don’t know the severity of the budget constraints we are under, so we can’t give you a final number at this point," he said.

There will positions cut, he said, but he hopes to limit the number of people who lose their jobs by cutting through attrition, turnover and early retirement offers.

One faculty member who was at Woodson's announcement stated that there was even talk of the university not growing anymore. "Thirty-five thousand students are big enough," was the sentiment.

Best cheap (or free) places to get married in Raleigh?

As the weather turns warmer, many young people's thoughts turn to their wedding locations. My wife's brother is getting married, and they are looking for a cheap (or better yet - free) location in the Raleigh area for their nuptials.

So, Oak Town People, where are the best public/cheap/free places here to hold your wedding? Is there a great city park where you can do it on the cheap? Maybe a private residence that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? (It sounds like even most churches aren't exactly inexpensive these days.)

And "the courthouse" is not an answer we're looking for.

HotBox Pizza coming to H-boro Street

HotBox Pizza will be opening up a franchise at 2304 Hillsborough Street. The building is about to undergo a $135,000 renovation, according to sources.

No word on when it is set to open.

HotBox has several locations, mostly in Indiana. The Hillsborough Street location will be the first in N.C.