The composite of photographs of the Color Wall seen above was created by Libby Levi (College of Design '07) for the summer 2007 issue of the NC State University alumni magazine, NC State. The photos were taken by Daniel Kim, CALS Communication Services.

A partial restoration in 2005 brought the colors back to life, but by the end of 2007 the Color Wall had once again gone dark — this time due to an irreparable breakdown of the 35 year old mechanical system.  Acquisition of a modern, computerized digital switch system was underway last fall, but the worsening statewide budget crisis effectively prevented public funds from going toward the restoration of the Color Wall. The new system was estimated at the time to cost in excess of $6,000.

Our readers’ response to that article has been overwhelming, with offers of repair and financial contributions coming in from all corners. So, after much behind the scenes work, we are proud to announce that Goodnight Raleigh has teamed up with with the NC State University Libraries Advancement Office in an effort to raise funds for purchase of the computerized switching system. Thus,  this treasured work of public art, Color Wall, might be  restored on a permanent operational basis.

Goodnight Raleigh has set up a Web page dedicated to telling the Color Wall story, and through which online donations may be made  to the NCSU Libraries’ Art Preservation Fund toward the purchase and installation of the new switching system. Designate your tax-deductible contribution “Color Wall.”  To learn more about the Color Wall, and how your contribution will help to restore permanently this important work of 20th century public art, please visit www.TheColorWall.org today!

This is how the Color Wall looks today. Won't you please help turn the switch back on?

Lake Johnson by moonlight

A couple of days ago, Mayor Meeker proclaimed July to be “Parks and Recreation Month” for the city of Raleigh. The Parks and Recreation department launched an initiative to highlight some of the wonderful resources available to residents.

The Reedy Creek Greenway Pedestrian Bridge

A few of the suggestions on ways to enjoy Parks and Recreation month:

• Check out the Pullen Arts Center Gallery “Watercolors” Exhibit
• Enjoy the wonderful Capital Area Greenway Trails
• Take a Historic Narrated Trolley Touron the Raleigh Trolley
• Full Moon Hike at Lake Johnson
• Youth Open Play at Halifax Community Center
• Take a ride at Pullen Park Amusements
• Family Fishing Day at Lake Wheeler
• Sunday in the Park Concert Series at Fletcher Park
• Plant a tree and volunteer with Raleigh NeighborWoods
• Skate around at Marsh Creek Skate Park
• Bring the dog out to visit Carolina Pines Dog Park
• Enjoy natural settings at Durant Nature Park
• Game, set, play a match at one of the 117 tennis courts throughout the city
• Dodge Ball Tournament at Biltmore Hills
• Hop on a swing at your local playground
• Enjoy a walk through the Rose Garden
• Rent a boat at one of our four lakes

The Rose Garden

The upcoming Sunday in the Park Concert Series at Fred Fletcher Park includes the following shows:

July

12 Sandbox fun, twangy, interactive children’s music the whole family will enjoy!

19 Raleigh Concert Band marches, Broadway, show tunes  & more

26  The Blue Notes Dixieland Jazz Band traditional Dixieland band playing Dixieland favorites

AUGUST

2 Bill Barney and Bill Stonehouse Popular music of the 60s, 70s & 80s   billstonehouse.com

9  Down By Avalon writing & performing pop & rock elegantly distilled from diverse influences of the  60’s & 70’s

16 “Remembering the King” Kiley Holder, Elvis tribute  artist, will perform hits from all eras of  the King’s career.

23 Raleigh Concert Band marches, Broadway, show tunes & more

30 Midlife Crisis Band blues, classic rock & oldies

Raleigh Little Theatre

For more information, visit the City of Raleigh Parks and Receration web site.

Theatre in the Park

Compiegne Park

You can also view the promotional flyer listing events and links.

On Friday from noon until 2 p.m. Steve Salevan (aka DJ Steve-O) of WKNC fame returns to the airwaves, with co-host Rachael Oehring on Raleigh-based taintradio. Together, they’ll will host a show that is somewhat similar in style to the one Steve hosted on WKNC for many years, The Local Beat.

I sat down with Rachel and Steve to discuss what listeners can expect to hear on the new show. In between conversations involving Star Trek: The Next Generation, horribly tasting foods, computer games from the mid-1990s, and varying levels of geekdom, I began to get an idea. We’ll see (or hear, rather) more witty banter, culinary delights (and horrors), local cuisine, an expanded scope of local music, as well as a canvassing of topics that are deemed inappropriate for terrestrial radio or are otherwise prohibited by the FCC.

Steve and Rachel developed their working relationship about 4 months ago when working together on Neckbeard Records, but have known each other for a much longer period of time. Fittingly enough, they were introduced to one another by Bryan Reed (Indy contributor as well as Neckbeard Records partner) at a Red Collar show about 3 years ago at the Cat’s Cradle.

This won’t be the first time the pair are together on the air. On many airings of The Local Beat, the two would banter about a wide range of topics–sometimes relevant to local music and sometimes not. This would later serve as inspiration for their newest project.

One thing I’ve come to expect from Steve while he was on the Local Beat was something unique. He didn’t ask guests or bands the same old questions time after time. With the unrestrained and unregulated nature of Internet radio, you can expect an even more diverse range of topics and discussion. You should also expect to have your vocabulary levels broadened by a level of verbosity rarely heard in radio, FM or otherwise.

The two have big plans for the show in the coming months, including a tour of various culinary destinations along the eastern seaboard in the month of August, including Steve’s favorite pizza joint in his hometown of Newark, DE. They plan on recording the show while on the road, a luxury unavailable through traditional broadcast radio.

If you’re looking to learn more about the music and food within driving distance, listen to Taint Radio on Fridays from noon until 2 p.m. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Not only will your horizons on music, food, and wordiness be expanded, but you’ll get a good laugh and be enlightened as well.

West Lenoir serves as the quiet street on the South Side of the Convention Center.

Installment two in Raleigh Calling (images taken via cellphone). This one will probably be easy for anyone who spends much time downtown. But maybe you’ll have a hard time recognizing it because it’s so sway-y. Or not.

As in installment one, the winner is the first to identify the building above. The prize is a 5″ x 7″ print of the image. Additional prints will be awarded for providing either the year in which it was built or how may floors it has.

According to an email sent out to the distribution list, 1304 Bikes is being shut down by the city due to zoning issues. Operating a non-profit out of a residentially zoned area is against the rules, and were threatened with daily fines and/or eviction if they had continued to offer free bikes, workshops, and repairs to the community.

I’ve pushed or carried my bike there for repairs on several occasions. Not only did resident experts show you how to fix it yourself, but they offered advice on preventative maintenance and upkeep.

This is a very sad day for Raleigh.

The full text of the email:

For the folks that haven’t heard yet, here’s the deal. We at 1304bikes are having to close our shop at its current location. In short, it is all a matter of zoning. We were operating a non-profit “civic club” out of a residentially zoned building. In order to stay in the current space, we would have to get a “change of use” permit from city council, as well as get the management company of the building to bring the building up to commercial code, neither of which is going to happen. That being said, we have until the end of June to move our bikes off the property, and cease all operations. This not only includes 1304bikes, but all activities that occur at the ACRe (Action for Community in Raleigh) Space including Food not Bombs. If we continue to operate, it will mean possible eviction for the residents upstairs, as well as enormous daily fines.

This does not mean that 1304bikes is dead. We have dispered all of our current inventory of bicycles to worthy causes, such as other NC bicycle Co-ops and Bikes for the World. We will put some bikes as well as our parts and tools into storage for when we do find a new space. In the meantime we have plans to start loading up trailers and doing mobile bicycle clinics and repair days. This will give us a chance to outreach to other neighborhoods that we have never worked with before. We will also continue our search for a new space.

Ideally our new space will be centrally located (preferably downtown), and will be much larger and more well suited to our goals. It is our hope to find a space that will allow us to continue the programs and services we offered before, as well as to expand our programs and do more. We are working right now to find a new space as well as plan some fundraising events. We will keep everyone updated via our website and blog as to what we have planned, and what we have going on.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us in the past, and hopefully this will only be a temporary setback that will lead to better things.

A few days ago I was intrigued when strolling by Scooterz Inc. on Hillsborough Street and noticed Ryan (above) tooling around the parking lot in this unique combination of cold beverage container and electric transportation device. He mentioned that they just received the one in the photo above.

The first thought that comes to my mind is a perfect mode of transportation for tailgating. What other uses can you think of for an electric scooter/beer cooler?

Above are Carla and Jenny, riding one awesome scooter on Hargett Street in front of the Heilig-Levine Building (Sitti) on a warm weekday afternoon.

Earlier this year, uliveandyouburn beautifully documented the underbelly of the Boylan Avenue Bridge. Hidden from street-level view, the area serves as a transit point and temporary shelter for freight riders, hobos, and taggers. A few hundred feet away at the intersection of Mountford Avenue and Cutler Street is a smaller bridge, which tells many of the same stories.

Graffiti under the bridge in early 2004

I’ve found myself near or under this bridge on several occasions  (mostly when train spotting) since first discovering it early in 2004 . Each visit provides something new to look at — mostly graffiti, but artifacts of hobo life too.

Graffiti under the bridge in early mid 2009

The scenery changes, but the story remains the same –  discarded food containers, piles of clothes, blankets, car parts, remnants of campfires, and shoes — there are always piles and piles of shoes.

One likely reason it remains so popular for those seeking shelter (despite being almost within eyesight of a guard tower at the State Prison) is because of its proximity to the Wye, where passing freight trains provide an exit to far off places. It is central yet almost completely hidden and away from any sort of pedestrian traffic, except for the occasional curious explorer.

Each of the items tells a story, and often the gaps must be filled in with your own imagination. Some defy all, however, such as the 2009 Pug Calendar pictured above.

I refer to it as a “bridge to nowhere,” as it no longer serves as a path to anywhere. The bridge once led to the old prison’s main  entrance and the prison youth facility, both now demolished. The youth compound had been abandoned for many years prior to the compilation of this video I made from still images I took in 2006. About a year ago, to the annoyance of many area residents, the state began work on a $160 million hospital project on the site.

Now the bridge sits blocked with a simple “Road Closed” sign.

Construction on the hospital continues today, and two large tower cranes sit not far from the disused bridge.

The Bloomsbury Estates condos are within sight, passing motorists over the Boylan Bridge can be heard, and prison construction audible in the distance. Meanwhile, the quiet hobo camp continues on in the same way it has for decades–providing shelter and protection from the elements for those without any other place to sleep or rest.

If you’ve ever listened to This American Life on WUNC, you can thank Reader’s Corner for being able to hear the program. The store known for the large selection of books for 10 and 25 cents on the west end of Hillsborough Street paid for the show to be brought to North Carolina Public Radio. Over the course of the past couple of decades, they’ve donated several hundred thousand dollars to the station from the proceeds of the books out front. There’s quite a bit more to this used book store than the inexpensive books available 24/7, though.

In 1980, Irv Coats (above) took over Reader’s Corner after it had been in business for five years. He didn’t like the name at first, but over time began to like it and decided to keep it. He had been retired (from a career as a research physicist) for a few years by that point.

For being retired, he sure stays busy. He rides a bike to work every day, doesn’t go on vacation, and works 7 days a week.

This is my retirement, and it’s better than any vacation! There will be plenty of time for lying around when you’re dead. I can’t wait to get up in the morning and come to work.

- Irv Coats, owner of Reader’s Corner

One of the more interesting things about this place are the items you’ll find on the walls. All are things that have been found in books, and range from the antique (above, a receipt from 1872), to the comical, and the bizarre. Perhaps most common are photographs. As I was asking about some of the more unique items that have been found, I happened to notice my friend Amanda in a couple of photographs on the wall. I later asked her about it, and she said that she was just as surprised to discover it while browsing some time ago. Staff members sometimes pass on the really interesting pieces to Found Magazine.

Todd Morman, local celebrity and host of Monkey Time on RTN.

Tim over at Nice Guy Syndrome recently talked with Irv about the state of used book stores, internet sales, and the effect of the economy on the individual seller:

Able to spare a few moments between logging internet sales and heading for home, Irv–sitting at his desk in the back room of the Reader’s Corner–started out by telling me, “The conventional wisdom has always been that used bookstores would thrive in a bad economy. Well, the experiment is now testing the hypothesis.” In his own case, the hypothesis is being proven correct, as his store is doing well. … but added: “Internet sales are really putting the squeeze on the brick and mortar people.”

– Tim Botta

You can find some of the inventory from Reader’s Corner online too. Only about 1% of stock is available, but it’s the more expensive and more difficult to find items listed. The sales from these books often offset a period of slow business and keep the shop profitable.

The store has a few simple rules that they ask you to abide by.

I continued with Tim’s line of questioning about the future of print and the individual bookseller. I asked what the future of book selling may look like in 10 years:

Will ebooks put me out of business? I don’t know. I’ve got a kindle. I use it to read the New York Times every day, but it’s not the same.

I don’t see us changing. We’re in the business of books and the experience of it. The store is now what I always dreamt it would be when I started. It’s finally doing now what my business plan was. I’ve fulfilled it completely. I don’t intent to change it, I’ve got what I want.

–Irv Coats

He mentioned that he recently purchased the building after having to rent it for nearly 30 years. The original owner refused to sell, but was finally allowed to after ownership changed hands this year. My guess is that the recent purchase of the building was the final piece missing from the puzzle.

I said it almost two years ago, and will say it again: Reader’s Corner is my favorite book store.

3201 Hillsborough St
(919) 828-7024