Sticky Situation at the Clay Center

Hallelujah at Night

In October 2009 the Clay Center dedicated a 64 foot tall, 198,000 pound Albert Paley sculpture entitled "Hallelujah". Hallelujah has been a polarizing piece of art in Charleston since its installation last year in the center of the Clay Center's circular driveway. Many people say it looks like rusted wreckage of some kind while some are enthralled by its size and mixed-metallic finishes. Personally I like Hallelujah, although I don't think it goes well with the facade of the Clay Center. I'm sure that the museum architect groans every time he sees his work being dwarfed by the imposing presence of this huge sculpture. It looks like an afterthought - which is exactly what it is.

Hallelujah at night, isolated from the Clay Center building by darkness, takes on a completely different look. Ever since the lights were installed I have been wanting to get some photos of the sculpture against the black nighttime sky. Last evening I finally got the chance.

Pies and Pints Opening August 1

In today's Daily Mail there is a story about the August 1 opening of "Pies and Pints" on Capitol Street. I wish them well. We need more downtown evening dining spots in Charleston.

I hope that August 1 is a realistic date, that building has a LOT of problems. It is a very bad thing when an eatery advertises an opening date and then misses it. It makes people lose enthusiasm and become disinterested or even somewhat disdainful.

And speaking of delayed opening, Moxxee Coffee is showing signs of life again. It looks like they have hired Pray Construction. This is a good move: Pray is expensive but they know how to finish projects. Who knows? Maybe - just maybe -we'll be able to warm up with a hot cup of Moxxee coffee sometime this winter. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

Oh, and one more piece of news on East End openings: "Frutcake" is now open in the former location of Delish Express. If anyone has tried it fell free to leave a comment/review.

Jones, Richardson and Hardy

This should be interesting.

The article in today's Daily Mail expands on a brief mention in the weekend paper that Mayor Jones has publicly endorsed Andy Richardson for County Commissioner. This might seem surprising to some, since Dave Hardy is such a well respected and popular commissioner. Why would Mayor Jones take a chance on aligning himself with a losing candidate? Especially one from another party?

The following facts make it not terribly surprising:

First, and most importantly, Jones and Hardy had an open feud not too long ago. Anyone who knows the mayor knows that if you openly disagree with him that he will vehemently strike back. Ask any of the current or former City Council members who have ever stood in opposition to anything Danny wanted. Jones' vehemence can be heard in his statement to the Daily Mail:
"I don't think it's even close." Jones said, comparing Richardson to Hardy; "He's a seasoned person who has actually done something." The implication, of course, is that Hardy has done nothing.

Secondly, don't discount that Andy Richardson was part of the Underwood family (formerly married to Cecil's daughter) and even though he was a member of the Caperton cabinet, he is still a beneficiary of at least some of the Republican political machinery that remains. Since Jones is arguably the leading Republican in the state he might be somewhat obliged to support Richardson.

That said, Andy Richardson is certainly not unqualified for the position. He worked in the public sector for many years and served on South Charleston's City Council. While Dave Hardy has made the upper Kanawha Valley his focus, Richardson is a lower KV guy with his roots in Charleston and South Charleston. Both are seemingly well respected in the lawyer community and should have the ability to raise some major bucks.

I don't care who wins, I just hope the race is close so we can see more of Danny's meddling on display.

Giving the Devil his Due

In my last post I speculated that Mayor Jones would torpedo the resurrection of the Quarrier Diner because it will interfere with the library plans. A couple of days after I wrote that, the mayor said that he would prefer spending money on a new civic center instead of a new library. So either he made the statement before he checked with his old money friends who are heavily into the library fundraising mode or he earnestly is opposed to it. If it is the former, expect to see him crawfishing soon; if it's the latter, kudos are in order.

I love books, and I love the library, but Charleston does not need to spend $30 million on a new library. Period.

Positive News for Downtown - but wait...

Although it was by sheer accident, real downtown revitalization took a major step forward yesterday.

CURA, who has a history of creating "economic development" opportunities by creating vacant lots, paved the way for the re-opening of the former Quarrier diner by agreeing to sell a 12' strip of land to the new owners of the Quarrier Diner building. I say it was an accident, because it was only because the FBI decided against the next door site for their new office building than enabled CURA to make the transfer.

The Quarrier Diner is a beautiful Art Deco building that deserves preservation and the downtown is in desperate need of after hours dining options, so this is a win-win for downtown.

But hold on: Mayor Danny Jones is concerned -according to the article in today's Gazette - about parking for the restaurant. Come on, Mayor; most people who will eat there for lunch are already parked downtown, and the dinner crowd will have no competition for parking any night of the week. There are dozens of on-street spaces and there is a parking garage on the next block. Please, Mayor Jones, do not start your anti-business bellyaching and run these investors off before they even get started!

One might suspect that the library fundraising people will not be happy that the Quarrier Diner will remain to mess up their $30 million facade. The names on the library supporters list are also major supporters and allies of the Mayor. Could it be that his parking objections are the first indication that the administration will do whatever they can to torpedo the Quarrier Diner project?

The Lethargic Tendencies of New East End Food Establishments

It's peculiar to watch how slow new business openings take place on the East End. When Blue Grass Kitchen opened several years ago, about nine or ten months lapsed between the advance newspaper publicity and the actual opening. Then, Tricky Fish took almost two years to open. Now, the Steele's are working on their third eatery, called "Fruitcake," which will be in the former location of "Delish Express". This place was already restaurant ready, but in the two months or so since the new place has been under construction it looks like it has taken a step backward in readiness.

But lest you think it is just the Steele's that are so deliberate in opening, I submit you "Moxxee Coffee." This tiny stand alone building on the corner of Morris and Lee Streets has been under construction for well over a year. They have a Facebook page and a twitter account where they give updates on their ever more distant opening date: Last May they predicted September; Then in September they said "first of the year"; In November, they said "hopefully March". It's now mid-April and the facebook and twitter pages have been silent since February and no visible changes have been made to the building since November. Since I live about a block away I was pretty excited for a while to have a coffee shop nearby, but not so much anymore.

Besides, their logo looks strangely like a biohazard symbol to me.

Will Charleston FInally Have Minority Representation in District 31?

In 1991 a "minority influence district" was created by the legislature when they re-drew boundary lines to include census tracts that contained the largest concentration of African-Americans. This affirmative action gerrymandering was done in broad daylight and was met with approval by most Charlestonians, except for some Republicans who said it was simply a Democratic ploy to insure an extra seat in the legislature.

The move was greeted particularly well by members of the African-American community who saw it as a chance to have real representation in the state legislature. Several political newcomers tossed their hats in the ring in the first two elections after the creation of the district. They found out the hard way that it takes money and influence to win even in a small, targeted district like 31.

Unfortunately for minority candidates, the gerrymandering included the more affluent sections of the East End that has become an attractive place for young attorneys and other professionals to make their residences. This comparatively well-to-do minority of the district has dominated, politically. There has never been an African-American, nor any other minority candidate, elected to represent the district. White and affluent Carrie Webster has held this seat for several years.

But now that Carrie Webster has been named as the replacement for Circuit Court Judge Irene Berger (who was recently named to the federal bench) perhaps we will finally see a minority in the seat. In the last election Webster was challenged strongly by Meshea Poore, an African American attorney and former public defender, and Poore is being talked about as the likely replacement for Webster. To solidify her candidacy, she has already filed her candidacy papers with the secretary of state's office.

Poore seems to be a good choice for the seat, and if it had not been for Webster's incumbancy and the help of her affluent lawyer friends and donors, she might have already owned it. It would be a shame if the governor did not appoint Poore to this unexpired seat 18 years after an intentional act of the government set the stage for much needed change in representation in this, the most concentrated minority district in the state.

Do the right thing, Joe. Show us that you are abve the good ol' boy system.

Coal Country Movie Premiere

The world premiere of the long awaited (or long dreaded for some) documentary "Coal Country" was held this evening at the Cultural Center theater. The premiere was originally scheduled for the LaBelle Theater in South Charleston, but that theater's board of directors canceled the show due to "security concerns" and the Cultural Center came to the rescue. As it turns out there were no security issues, and except for some shouting back and forth during the movie, the crowd was well behaved.

Unfortunately the Cultural Center holds less than 500 people and there were probably 600 or more that showed up. The cultural center staff was extraordinarily accommodating and allowed a few people to stand near the theater doors and even rigged an extra loudspeaker in the lobby so people could at least hear the audio. Kudos to them and to the movie's executive producer who walked through the lobby thanking people for coming and apologizin for the lack of seating.

There were people from both sides of the coal mining debate present, but as you might imagine the environmentalists certainly had the larger contingent. The pro-mining folks were a little louder though, and first made their presence known when one of the producers made a special mention of Ken Hechler. "No one loves this state as much as Ken Hechler," she said and the crowd applauded, except for some very loud voices saying "we love this state, too!" Most of those were wearing the tell tale camouflaged ball caps or mining company t-shirts. After the movie began, theses folks were not shy to roar with approval every time someone on screen shared an opinion or sentiment that they liked.

The people on the other side were quick to shout "grow up!" whenever the pro-mining would get vociferous, but whenever one of their people would say something onscreen they would be just as obnoxious.

The movie was remarkably well-balanced and the cat calls were pretty much even for the balance of the movie.

I enjoyed the movie. Certainly I was expecting an anti-mining propaganda piece, and that's pretty much what it is, but it was done with grace and sincere appreciation for the miner's point of view. The movie was edited without narration, one of those "in their own words" kind of documentaries. I didn't put a clock on it, but the screen time given to those with pro-coal views were pretty much equal to the anti-coal voices, although it's difficult to say that the strength of their rhetoric was comparable; Certainly the anti-coal people were the stronger. The producers explained before the screening that they couldn't get enough people from the coal industry to speak to them on camera to have a true representation. But there were a few authoritative and persuasive pro-coal voices in the film.

Overall, I think if you drive a Volvo covered with bumper stickers you won't be quite satisfied with the strength of the anti-coal rhetoric. If you drive a truck with a "Coal Keeps The Lights On" license plate, you will be pleasantly surprised that your views are represented, but still will feel that the movie was unfairly slanted. That everyone will be a little dissatisfied is the sign of a good compromise. And while you might say that a film like this shouldn't compromise, I far prefer this approach to an in your face propaganda piece that goes to any length to win converts. This film probably didn't change anyone's mind, but it did fairly frame the discussion.

Smoke Screen in Cross Lanes

It seems that the Gazette and other media are quite content to accept Tri State Casino's 15o room hotel as payment in full for the promise that Tri Sate made to get us to approve table games in Kanawha County.

Let's review what was said before the election:

From The State Journal Monday, March 26, 2007
"We're thinking about a 200- to 250-room hotel, a spa, a huge convention space and entertainment space for shows and boxing events, other sporting events along with we're looking at a state of the art billiard center so this issue goes beyond gaming. We're going to become a true tourist desitination and resort really quickly," Adkins said.

From Lawrence Messina, August 12, 2007:
Owned by Michigan-based Hartman & Tyner Inc., Tri-State linked passage to 1,000 new jobs and a $250 million upgrade that would include a 250-room hotel and 6,500 seat arena.

And now what are they saying?

From The Charleston Gazette, June 24, 2009

Backhoes and power shovels clawed the first scoops full of dirt Wednesday as construction began on a 150-room hotel at Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center.

Adkins said Wednesday Hartman & Tyner will pay for the hotel out of company revenues.
"There is no budget for this project," he said. "What it takes [to build it] is what it takes."


Doesn't seem to add up to me.

Why I hate the Purple Onion, part 2

The Purple Onion is the primary produce dealer at the Capitol Market, the only one inside and therefore the only one in the off-season when the farmers are selling flowers, pumpkins and Christmas trees.

The last time I wrote, I said that I despised their practice of bulk packaging their vegetables because it made me buy way more than I needed. That practice has seemingly changed a little and once again I can go in and buy one turnip if I only need one turnip. So that's an improvement, but I still have two major bones to pick:

1. The Purple Onion's motto is "Buy Local, Buy Fresh." In reality the produce they sell is of no different origin than what is sold at Kroger. Occasionally they will have a basket of "W.Va. Apples" or locally grown corn, but most of the time they have the same California/Mexico/South American produce that Corey Brothers delivers to them and every other grocery store in the area. The only thing local about it is the ownership of the store, which is a good thing I guess, but the slogan is misleading.

2. The merchandised retail space in the Purple Onion is approximately divided thusly:

Fruit - 100 square feet

Vegetables - 180 sq. ft.

Beans, peas etc. - 60 sq. ft.

Assorted pre-packaged crap - more than 300 square feet.

The Onion has taken a real shine to packaging everything from nuts to cookies (even individually cellophane wrapped chocolate chip cookies) in little plastic boxes and labeled them to sell by the pound. Stacks and stacks of these things.

Every time I see the FestivALL logo I get a strange craving for Italian food

Oh, now I see...

Wanted: Ignorant Voters

I find an interesting dichotomy that has surfaced in the reporting of the presidential political landscape of this past week.

First, close to home, it seems that some politicos are seeing that the voters of West Virginia might be softening their stance against Obama. Bloggers and reporters are asking if West Virginians have decided, suddenly, that they are no longer racist, or rather if it's the worsening economy that is convincing them to vote against their racial bias and in favor of their pocketbooks.

Over in Ohio the group ACORN is busy trying to find all the people they can to load up the polls come election day. They are offering all kinds of inducements - from discount coupons to businesses to free concert tickets - to get people to register to vote. They will also be providing transportation to the polls for those whom they sign up.

Ostensibly ACORN is fulfilling a noble purpose: Getting people involved in the democratic process. Of course, in doing so they are inducing people who have zero interest in - and knowledge of - politics to vote. The Democratic Party leaders are thrilled with ACORN's efforts because they know that the politically ignorant voters in the mostly urban areas where ACORN works are going to vote Democrat 90% of the time. Of course, Republicans see this as nothing short of election fraud.

Meanwhile, back in West Virginia, our ignorant voters are going to massively support John McCain; not because they like him, but because they don't trust a guy with a name Barack Hussein Obama, who by the way is black.

So both parties are rooting for ignorant voters to show up at the polls. Republicans love our idiots and Democrats love the Buckeye imbeciles.

This dichotomy would be much more interesting if West Virginia had the same same Electoral College weight as Ohio. As it is, it really doesn't matter what our idiots do. If McCain wins W.Va., then so what? If Obama wins it will be a moot point. Ohio's idiots are much more important in this election.

This is a good argument for voter qualification. People should have to prove their worthiness to vote before they are given a voter's registration card. Some kind of test should be given that would evaluate the voter's IQ and ensure that the voter possesses at least a modicum of understanding about the United States political system before they are given their turn in the voting booth.

Oh yeah, you want to call me a bad person for saying that, but you know that deep down you agree with me.

Lots of Smoke at Blackhawk Saloon

The leader of the local fight against the Kanawha County Health Department's smoking ban is Paco Ellison, owner of The Blackhawk Saloon, a little dive off Piedmont Road just east of Charleston. Interestingly enough the place is, at this writing, burning down.

Paco's last quote in the Gazette was ironic: "I think they're bluffing," Ellison said Wednesday. "We're going to continue to smoke here until they prove to me I can't. I'm going to stay right where I'm at until they take action."

As I see it there are two possible explanations for the fire:

1. The militant anti-smoking activists torched it (unlikely).
2. Friction Fire - a bad investment rubbing up against a good insurance policy (likely).

It will be interesting to see Paco's public reaction to the fire.

What Happened to this $316,000?

From the Charleston Daily Mail, Tuesday, July 11, 2000:

State grant to fund bulk of new I-64 visitors center

GEORGE HOHMANN

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR

A new visitors center is planned for Interstate 64 in South Charleston, with the bulk of the funding coming from a state grant.

The South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the city of South Charleston today expected to receive $316,000 from the state Department of Transportation for the travel and information facility.

The leading site for the center is a triangle-shaped lot off the Montrose Drive exit of I-64. The entrance would be on Kanawha Turnpike.

More than 75,000 vehicles pass the interchange daily, according to Jerry Legg, head of the traffic analysis section of the state Department of Transportation's Planning and Research Division.

"The Montrose Drive exit appears to have the priority but certainly, in West Virginia, property is always at a premium - so I would imagine the Jefferson Road area would be an alternative," South Charleston Mayor Ritchie Robb said this morning.

Sites off the Jefferson Road exit of Interstate 64 that should also be considered include a lot on Jefferson Road, across from McDonald's, and a lot on MacCorkle Avenue, near the Red Roof Inn, Robb said.

The lot off Montrose Drive seems to have the upper hand, Robb said, possibly "because it is viewed as closer to Charleston, and the center may serve as a sort of welcoming point to the state capital. It also might be the priority because the Jefferson Road area, in the past, has experienced some traffic problems. From my perspective, we should keep the Jefferson Road exit open for discussion.

"We'll be looking to find a suitable location that will maximize the benefits of the grant," said Robb, who added that he believes the state will ultimately make the site location decision.

Gov. Cecil Underwood was scheduled to present a check for the center today at the Wingate Inn in SouthCharleston.

Bob Anderson, executive director of the South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Larry Green, chairman of the bureau's board of directors, said they hope all of the communities in the area will participate in the staffing and operational funding of the center to promote historical sites and attractions throughout the Kanawha Valley.

"I would like to see it bring additional people into our community - not just to the center itself - but so people will take the time to visit our stores and shop, visit our hotels and restaurants. I hope it will spin off visitors into the rest of the community," Robb said.

Anderson added, "This has been one of our dreams for almost 25 years.

We're thrilled to get this off the ground. It's the largest grant we've ever received. I think it will be great for the whole valley." Green pointed out that the closest visitors' centers are in Huntington and Parkersburg and along the West Virginia Turnpike. "I see Charleston flourishing from this, as well as Dunbar and St. Albans," he said.

Dr. William Crigger, a member of the bureau's board of directors, will serve as chairman of a committee charged with spearheading the project.

"Because of where it will be located, I think this will help Charleston a lot," he said.

Plans call for construction of a building with 2,000 square feet of space. According to a rendering by N Visions Architects, South Charleston, there would be room for 67 parking spaces on the Montrose Drive lot.

Total estimated cost of the project is $395,000. Of the $79,000 in local funds needed, Anderson said his organization has $50,000 "set aside, in the bank, committed to the project. We'll probably ask the city for the rest of the money." An environmental impact study and an archeological study must be done and there must be a public comment period before work can proceed, Anderson said. It will be five or six months before ground is actually broken, he predicted.

-------end article-------------

OK, first of all I remember thinking when this story broke that there was no way that a visitors center could ever be built on this piece of land; it just looked too small for a typical interstate rest area. Here's an aerial shot. The yellow question mark is situated on the prospective site:


Since I was so skeptical of the site, I have been watching for the commencement of this project. Bob Anderson is quoted in the article that it would be 5 or 6 months before ground was broken. It's been 8 years. Does anyone know where the money went?

Seriously, someone should look into this.

Happy Birthday, West Virginia!

When I was in third grade I found out that my cousins in Ohio didn't celebrate West Virginia Day.

It seems silly now, but when I was a kid West Virginia Day was a big deal in my community. People were off work and there were special things that happened around town. The radio station would play "My West Virginia Hills" and people would sing along. A nine year old kid thinks the whole world is just like the part of the world immediately around him, so I thought West Virginia Day was something that people all over the country celebrated. It never seemed strange to me that we didn't celebrate Ohio Day, because I'd been to Ohio and it was nothing special to my eyes. I had been taught my whole life that West Virginia was indeed something special and so I thought it was logical that the whole world would pause on June 20th and observe the momentous occasion of its founding.

"We're the most northern southern state," my mother told me, "and the most southern northern state; the most eastern western state and the most western eastern state." Surely that alone was a designation that was worthy of a national holiday, I thought.

And my eyes could see the beauty that was all around me, and in my travels to other states I had never seen anything as wonderful as Cranberry Glades, Blackwater Falls, Canaan Valley, Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, Summersville Lake or a dozen other places that I had seen as a young child. I was certain that the state we lived in was a blessed gift to the world and it was worthy to be celebrated.

It was only after I became a young adult that I began to realize that West Virginia was not universally loved and appreciated. At some point I began to realize that people from other places mistook our unique way of speaking for ignorance. They mistook our simple lifestyle for abject poverty. They mistook our preference for staying in West Virginia to find a way to make a living for lack of ambition. And with all of these mistaken presumptions came a negative view of our people and by association, our state.

But I know better, and so do most West Virginians. While some of our own people buy into this fatalistic self-view, I believe that many more of us are quietly counting our blessings that come with living in a place so richly blessed with beautiful natural resources and wonderful people. We grouse about our politicians like people in every state in the union, and we wax nostalgically for the good old days like people do everywhere. But at the end of the day there is no place we'd rather live and that is why we stay.

If people around this country were allowed to see the real West Virginia, I'd bet they all really would celebrate this day.

Insane Balancing Act in South Charleston

A while back I read an article about the innovative construction technique being used on the new I64 bridge from Dunbar to South Charleston. It seems this concrete structure is being poured in place, extending from the piers outward. It has been slow going on the Dunbar side, but the part of the bridge that will cross MacCorkle Avenue is growing by leaps and bounds. It's really begin to start to look scary as both sides of the cantilever have begun to extend past the limits of what looks like common sense. I really hope the engineers have done their math correctly.

Danny Jones Congratulates Special Olympic Athlete?

Or is he twisting his arm in an attempt to collect a $2 user fee?

Gazette photo by Chip Ellis.

What is the Real Story at Tri-State Casino?

Today's news that Cathy Brackbill has resigned from Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center is more evidence that things are not as they seem to be at our local casino. Let's review:

In the early days of the public relations campaign to convince the voters of Kanawha County to approve Tri-State's wishes to become a full-fledged table games casino, Cathy Brackbill was trotted out as the public face of the track. Up until that time (2006) she had been serving as Director of Marketing and it was surprising to a lot of people that she was named General Manager. Some said that she was "window dressing" and had been promoted after a focus group didn't like Dan Adkins as the public face of the track during the campaign. These same people asserted that since it looked suspicious having a person who was known as the PR person leading the effort while the real boss hid in the shadows, Brackbill was given the title "General Manager" and suddenly became the face of the campaign. She remained in that role through the campaign.

The next phase of the project was the lead up to construction - or rather the explanation of why construction wasn't happening. You see, during the campaign the track had been saying it would build a $250 million "tourism and entertainment complex" and it would begin within 60 days of the election if the measure was approved. About 59 days after the election the track, through Ms. Brackbill, began crawfishing as excuse after excuse came out as to why construction hadn't started. It's good to have a PR specialist as the point person when the questions are tough and the answers aren't very good. She continued in this role until, well, we really don't know when it changed.

All we know is that in February it came to light that she was no longer the boss, that a new person had been installed over her: Rich Tesler had been appointed to the new position of Executive Director of Casino Operations. When a Gazette reporter inquired in response to some rumors that were circulating at the track, Dan Adkins said that there had been no announcement and would be no announcement, that the employees would read about it in the paper with the rest of the world. He said there might be a change in Brackbill's title, but he wasn't sure.

As of this writing, the Tri-State website lists Brackbill as Coordinator of Community Affairs. That doesn't sound like another name for General Manager, now does it? Sounds more like a PR person, doesn't it?

I hope the real story comes out, but I think reasonable people can deduce from the facts in evidence that something a little shady has been going on in Cross Lanes. Imagine that, dishonesty from a gambling institution.

As for me, I'll go on record saying I don't think there were ever plans for a $250 million anything and that Cathy Brackbill was a pawn in an elaborate scheme to swindle a gambling license out of Kanawha County voters and officials.

Pfaff & Smith

As long as I can remember the east end of Spring Street has been dominated by Pfaff & Smith builders supply, but last week the familiar yellow and black painted sign that adorned the side of the building along Spring Street was painted over as the new owner, Arrow Concrete, came in and began the process of re-naming the business. I understand that many long-tenured employees were let go and several others quit in solidarity.

Here's a shot of the last remaining Pfaff & Smith sign. I'm sure it'll be painted over soon.

It's a sad when old businesses like this get bought out by larger competitors and we lose a piece of our local history in the process. Pfaff & Smith has supplied concrete for every major building project since in Charleston since the state capitol was built.

Alas, free enterprise vs. culture and history: Culture and history is no match.