News & Record editor-in-chief John Robinson has joined the fun.  Sez Robinson, "OK. I'm climbing on this rocket ship. Let's see where it goes." (Link via Binker)

Editorial page chief Allen Johnson called me the other day about some old stadium.  He indicated that he, too, might... just might, perhaps consider... maybe starting a blog in the near term.

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What is UP with Wendover Avenue?  Last month crews came out at night and ground down pavement on the road's edges then another crew came in and raised the manhole covers - all of the things that roadworkers normally do to prepare for new pavement.  But then... work just stopped.

What the Department of Transportation has left us with, for about 30 days, is a gauntlet.  In an effort to avoid the reverse pot-holes, drivers weave back and forth to avoid the obstacles the department created.  If drivers didn't do the shuck & jive, Wendover Avenue would be littered with car suspension parts.

Lex, Mark, Sam?  Look into it will you?  My pristine 1977 International Scout II is getting wooped-up on.

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With blogs, folks who leave comments to posts are de-facto bloggers, too.  Sometimes, however, important and well thought-out comments to posts don't get the attention they deserve because they are not here on the "front page".

Such is the case with a comment entered yesterday to a post I made on the dearth of leadership here in Greensboro.  The comment was posted by community leader Fabius Maximus.  Obviously Fabius is not his real name but most of you would know him if I broke his anonymity - which I will not do.

Here is his take on Greensboro's leadership, or lack thereof

" Here's my searing -- searing! -- analysis of why there's a leadership void in our city.

Greensboro is about evenly divided between red-state and blue-state people. The blue staters are hanging out at the Green Bean or the Cafe Europa on weekends, and think that spending money on amenities like the Coliseum is a good thing, 'cause they like the bands and cultural events.

They are generally pro-historic districts, pro-scenic corridor, pro-DGI, and mostly think it's appropriate for local government to spend money and regulate quality-of-life issues like these for the sake of making Greensboro hipper and more cosmopolitan.

The blue-staters care more about taxes and are deeply suscpicious or openly hostile to the stuff mentioned above. They're rugged individualists and are strongly committed to maximum property rights. Many of them are small business owners who see local government as mostly onerous. They think that if the Coliseum, DGI, etc. can't make it on their own, then they should fail like any other business.

The third factor is race. G'boro's black community doesn't really trust either side, and unfortunately its leaders are relatively ineffective: some have been tainted by corruption, some are still trying to fight long-past battles, and some are just tired. The Simkins PAC has devolved to selling the black vote to whoever offers it the best deal.

Of course, a lot of people straddle these lines. But in general, G'boro is a microcosm of the good ol' USA. It will take an extraordinary leader to take it in a particular direction."

What do you think?  Post your comments - under your real or assumed name - by clicking "Got something to say?" below.

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Greensboro's Historic District Commission meets tomorrow as they do on the last Wednesday of every month.  One of the Commission's main tasks is to decide if proposed alterations to the exterior of structures lying within Greensboro's three historic districts follow the Historic District Guidelines (PDF file).  If they deem the proposed changes as being appropriate, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is issued and work can begin.

Of late their mission has been a little different, however. 

Many of the items that have been coming before the Commission over the past several months are not for proposed work, but for work that is already underway or completed.  In other words, someone has altered an historic structure - got caught - and were told by the city's staff that they must apply for, and seek a ruling to obtain, an after-the-fact COA.  If they refuse to do so, fines can be levied until the property owner comes into compliance. 

Here is this month's COA agenda:  Click on the address for pictures of existing structures and the actual COA.

3.   Public Hearings on Applications for Certificate of Appropriateness

a)      1001 N. Eugene Street - replace 3 exterior doors (continued)
b)       930 Walker Avenue (St. Mary’s House) - Replace windows (continued)
c)      112 E. Hendrix Street - Removal of porte-cochere; tree removal (after-the-fact)
d)      200 S. Mendenhall Street - Replacement of bathroom windows (after-the-fact)
e)      201 S. Mendenhall Street - Replacement of bathroom windows (after-the-fact)
f)      314 Jackson Street - Construction of driveway
g)      916 Walker Avenue - Replacement of windows
h)      224 South Park Drive - Construction of retaining walls (after-the-fact) 

With this much non-compliance, the City is going to have to put some real effort into getting people educated about what it means to live in an historic district and impose a little financial pain on those who flaunt the rules. 

The Guidelines are not hard to follow and are no more onerous than the typical restrictive covenants that many planned developments place upon people who buy into those neighborhoods.  The Guidelines and the Commission are important tools to preserve the character and distinctiveness of historic structures and neighborhoods.

One suggestion came via email from a former Historic District Commission member:  The application process is currently free of City fees.  She proposes for the City to impose an application fee only on property owners who submit their COA application after-the-fact   That sounds to me like a resonable idea.  Break the rules - pay some money

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