Story by Hal Goodtree | August 8, 2009 | Tags: asian, cary, Editors Journal, Food, nc, Opinion, parks, recreation, shopping, walnut street park, william bowden
~ Week Two comes to an end at the Cary Citizen. Here are a few stories we worked on that didn’t make it onto the web but are noteworthy nonetheless ~ The Editor
All photos this page by Hal Goodtree
Cary made the national news this week when David Bowden of Maynard Road spray painted his own house with the message above.
His beef is that the renovation of Maynard has caused runoff of Biblical proportions, flooding his crawl-space everytime it rains.
We visited Mr. Bowden at his house on Tuesday. Nice enough man. There certainly seems to be an issue with how the driveway drops ten feet from the street and debauches into his garage.
We decided not to run a story at that time because the area’s major media had been swarming the poor man and we had nothing really new to add. Since then, the ACLU has weighed in affirming Mr. Bowden’s right to spray paint his own house. The Town of Cary cannot fine him for a sign ordinance, taking away their most potent weapon in the spat.
We’ll see how it all plays out. But here’s the question: Is Mr. Bowden justified in his somewhat extreme form of protest, or is he a wingnut who’s lost his grip?
Tell us what you think.
The new Walnut Street Park officially opens today. We dropped by yesterday to check it out for ourselves.
For us (I took one of my kids), the highlight was some futuristic playground equipment. If your child likes to climb strange web-like structures or spin around on bean-pod constructions of tubes, this park is sure to please.
There’s also a small field and a modest trail for a stroll. If you like a good hike, go to Umpstead or Hemlock Bluffs instead.
Hand-painted birdhouses dot the park, adding a little spontaneous fun as you walk around. A central promenade has been constructed of brick in the shape of a long knot garden.
Parking and rest rooms on site. The Park cost the town $1.5 million dollars. It’s located at Walnut and Lawrence just before Route 1.
Tucked around the back of the Magnolia Marketplace shopping center at the corner of Walnut and Cary Towne Blvd is S-Mart, a new Asian supermarket.
Fancy a snack of dried snow peas or maybe a black of black rice? S-Mart has it. How about some instant Miso soup or a dried squid? This is the place.
Clean, friendly and reasonably priced, S-Mart is a welcome addition to Cary even if you weren’t born in Pusan. We picked up a few treats and some fresh vegetables including a bag of garlic stems (pictured above). S-Mart also has a cafe serving quick and tasty lunch.
Got news? Want to write about Cary or take pictures? Contact us - we’d love to hear from you.
Brent
August 9, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Interestingly, two of the stories featured here (August 9 Editor’s Journal) are related in a way that many people might not notice.
Mr. Bowden, of the “Screwed by Cary” house-painting fame, is being fined daily by the Town of Cary for violating Cary’s sign ordinance (that message on his house, apparently, is on the wrong side of Cary’s sign law, even though the ACLU has threatened to sue Cary if they continue to enforce this).
The opening of the Walnut Street Park is a celebration for Cary. The Editor’s Journal features the sign for that park. Did you know that the Town’s sign ordinance specifically exempts the Town itself from having to follow the sign laws? In particular, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources division wanted signs that would otherwise be illegal, so the Town is allowed to put up signs that would be illegal at private businesses, including the Town’s “dynamic message” pole signs and signs for parks.
This might be an interesting line to pursue for a future story.
Hal Goodtree
August 9, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I did not know that the town opts out of its own sign ordinance. Nor see the parallel between the two stories. Thanks for sharing, Brett!
It seems a stretch to use the sign ordinance against Mr. Bowden. But a friend on Flickr noted that she was almost in accident due to rubbernecking in the vicinity of Mr. Bowden’s home. Perhaps Cary should slap him with a public safety violation instead of the flimsy sign ordinance.
Of course, a rational way to deal with this would be to send a hydrologist or some other specialist to examine his claim that the damage was caused by a lack of proper storm water drain off.
Hal Goodtree
August 12, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Town Councilman Don Franz met with Mr. Bowden prior to the new paint job. He had some very interesting insights which he shares in his blog.
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