For the north side of Broad Street where angled parking is on the sidewalk side - how is backing a car towards a crowded sidewalk safer? Especially for large cars, SUV's and trucks with limited rear sight and the ability to easily hop the curb? How many parents will be grabbing their child in panic to avoid being hit by a tailpipe or rear bumper?
Every environmental scientist in North Carolina will tell you that aquifers aren't unlimited, and we are already at the point where you have to drill deeper and deeper to hit water. The problems become exponential if when empty the aquifer - agriculture will fail, sinkholes, land collapse, the whole doomsday scenario.
Maybe it's time to wake up to the fact that drinkable water isn't a limitless resource and just use less. Since more than half the world gets by on less than 25 gallons a day, doesn't our average daily use of 152 gal (figures from the United Nations Human Development Report in 2006), seem a little gluttonous?
Start with conservation, and go ahead and raise the price, that will cause a decrease in use as well as plan for the future.
Drill, baby drill, is idiotic in any instance.
What draws visitors and new arrivals to this area isn't the chain build-up on Rte1 or 15-501, it's the small downtown areas themselves.
The price points of most locally owned restaurants is comparable to the chains, and locally owned restaurants will allow their workers to eat without threat of firing them, sit down when it is slow [rather than requiring them to stand for almost the entirety of their 10 hour shift], not force them to work with the public when they are sick [thus spreading illness, especially during flu season] and the management have the freedom to make best business practice decisions for THIS area.
Any decision you make with where you spend your money affects the local economy, and we are lucky enough to have these choices. But as a result of your choices now, you may not have to opportunity to make these choices later, as the small local businesses can no longer survive - and then the small towns in this area will all look like downtown Maxton.
Shift focus to that of a visitor's. There are so many entrances to downtown Southern Pines that it makes more sense to have the Welcome Center in the actual downtown area. Finding your way around our curvy streets that change names and one-ways systems that suddenly start and stop isn't easy. We all like this area well enough to be reading and commenting on The Pilot, let's share that joy and some hospitality with newcomers, be they visitors or new residents.
Like the elephant analogy, let's take this one bite at a time. Would downtown business be ready to throw in $5 a month each? Asked nicely and warmly, why not? Starting with the attitude you hope to engender helps -if we want people to stay to explore our area for several days we need to give them a little guidance.
dirtundermynails 11 months, 1 week ago
About Sea Level
It's kinda sad to be living in a state with such wonderful universities and research facilities - and this is the best that our state government can come up with? Even Scientific American is making fun of living here! http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2012/05/30/nc-makes-sea-level-rise-illegal/
dirtundermynails 1 year, 2 months ago
SP Advisory Panel Considers Sites for Back-In Parking Trial
For the north side of Broad Street where angled parking is on the sidewalk side - how is backing a car towards a crowded sidewalk safer? Especially for large cars, SUV's and trucks with limited rear sight and the ability to easily hop the curb? How many parents will be grabbing their child in panic to avoid being hit by a tailpipe or rear bumper?
dirtundermynails 1 year, 2 months ago
County, Robbins Looking at Water Deal
Every environmental scientist in North Carolina will tell you that aquifers aren't unlimited, and we are already at the point where you have to drill deeper and deeper to hit water. The problems become exponential if when empty the aquifer - agriculture will fail, sinkholes, land collapse, the whole doomsday scenario.
Maybe it's time to wake up to the fact that drinkable water isn't a limitless resource and just use less. Since more than half the world gets by on less than 25 gallons a day, doesn't our average daily use of 152 gal (figures from the United Nations Human Development Report in 2006), seem a little gluttonous?
Start with conservation, and go ahead and raise the price, that will cause a decrease in use as well as plan for the future. Drill, baby drill, is idiotic in any instance.
dirtundermynails 1 year, 8 months ago
Support Local Eateries
What draws visitors and new arrivals to this area isn't the chain build-up on Rte1 or 15-501, it's the small downtown areas themselves.
The price points of most locally owned restaurants is comparable to the chains, and locally owned restaurants will allow their workers to eat without threat of firing them, sit down when it is slow [rather than requiring them to stand for almost the entirety of their 10 hour shift], not force them to work with the public when they are sick [thus spreading illness, especially during flu season] and the management have the freedom to make best business practice decisions for THIS area.
Any decision you make with where you spend your money affects the local economy, and we are lucky enough to have these choices. But as a result of your choices now, you may not have to opportunity to make these choices later, as the small local businesses can no longer survive - and then the small towns in this area will all look like downtown Maxton.
dirtundermynails 2 years ago
Coffee and Crepes: What a Pair
Awesome crepes, sweet or savory, to go with great coffee!
dirtundermynails 2 years, 1 month ago
S.P. Welcome Center Seeks Funding
Shift focus to that of a visitor's. There are so many entrances to downtown Southern Pines that it makes more sense to have the Welcome Center in the actual downtown area. Finding your way around our curvy streets that change names and one-ways systems that suddenly start and stop isn't easy. We all like this area well enough to be reading and commenting on The Pilot, let's share that joy and some hospitality with newcomers, be they visitors or new residents. Like the elephant analogy, let's take this one bite at a time. Would downtown business be ready to throw in $5 a month each? Asked nicely and warmly, why not? Starting with the attitude you hope to engender helps -if we want people to stay to explore our area for several days we need to give them a little guidance.