iss over asheville

iss over asheville, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

great bright transit of the ISS at about 2050local SW to NE or so, nearly straight up

If you missed it, there will be another bright one like this on Wed Sept 9 at 8:04-8:09p.m. local time.... email me or call 828 423-0028 if you want help spotting it or need info taking pictures of it.

It is fun to see this.

MEDFORD Guilty

I am amazed.
I would say my faith in the judicial system is restored, but that might be taking it a bit too far.
Justice, it seems, has been served.

Thoughts on Mr. Medford's Trial

I have read everything I can on this, the Buncombe County 'Trial of the Century', Federal prosecution of our ex-Sheriff, Bobby Medford.
Now it appears the case is headed for the jury tomorrow or Friday.
All partisan politics and such aside, I find the whole affair sad on many levels.
The man clearly had a problem with gambling. Even a simple background check would have shown that. Certainly other law enforcement professionals such as Asheville Police Chief Hogan, District Attorney Moore, and other federal officers who worked with Mr. Medford should, SHOULD, have noticed something was amiss with this guy.
Did they do anything? Say anything?
If not, why not?
As it stands now, it is pretty clear to me which way I would vote were I on the jury. What the jury will do is another story.
He is a sick, old man, with problems most of us could not even begin to understand.
I would not be surprised to see him walk out of the courthouse next week moderately vindicated.
If so, justice will not be served.

Where y'all at?

Looking to be a part of the next great thing?

Welcome to AshevilleMedia.us , otherwise known as The Asheville Community Media Movement.

Here is Gordon looking for, well, you.

Our next meeting is Saturday, April 26, 2008 upstairs at 747 Haywood Road.

We are on the verge of making this thing a reality...whatever "it" is.

For an invitation, and more information, click on this button...

Buncombe County Commission, Again

Just when you thought it was safe to ignore the imbeciles in charge of policy direction in Buncombe County, they go and do this.

Oh, sold some of the land which is part of the largest city public space project in a century? Well, as Gantt says heh, heh, "We screwed up." Oops. Sorry folks. Nothing to see here, we are working on making it right. Pay no attention to the man on the second floor of the court house.

Okay. So what happened? Apparently, the County Commissioners approved the sale of a "little bit" of the still-developing, ever-expanding in expense Pack Square Park to Stuart Coleman (Asheville Mall) for about half it's appraised price.

Well, no one told the Pack Square Authority it seems. Of course, as an "Authority" it seems to me they should have been on top of this bit of legislation, but that's just me demanding that people do their jobs. I digress.

For that matter, why did the city government miss this?

When they got caught, urhem, it became public, everyone was falling all over themselves to explain, and they are still in that mode.

Maybe they hope everyone will kill enough braincells at Bele Chere and forget?

Thoughts on Zoning... Zoning Out Thoughts

I have to admit, I am torn on this issue. I can see the arguments of both sides, and both sides have horror stories and successes they can point to.

Last night was a split decision, or a set of split decisions, between the county and city. At neither of them was there a voice for the wilderness. There rarely is.

This morning I took a drive up Chun's Cove Road, to Vance Gap Road (soon to be closed, made private by city edict) to Town Mountain Road. It ain't pretty what we are doing to the hillsides, even in this area of large tract, "green" development.

It is insane, and our grandchildren will curse us for allowing it.

Even here in my West Asheville neighborhood, where one would think there are all the houses there could be (incorrectly, it seems) we have houses going up on stilts on steep slopes on Grandview Drive, and on State Street.

Stilts. Wonder how those are going to be to heat with all that airspace underneath.

But, it seems the City Council is determined to fill every empty lot in the city with some kind of housing, no matter how inappropriate. They have said so over and over.

Density is their mantra.

And I would say, by extension, their mantra clouds their foresight.

This Thursday, if you need a note to miss

Drinking Liberally, they can be obtained at... here

Thursday, March 1st
Utilities 101: Understanding Utilities and Utilities Reform
A Free Talk by Michael Shore,
Southeast Air Quality Manager,
Environmental Defense
Thursday, March 1, 7 PM
West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
West Asheville, NC 28806

If you don't come, Pat McHenry will eat a kitten!

See you there.

10% here, 10% there

You know, it seems as if 10% is a magic number in electric power politics. That number seems to come up all the time... 10% of our capacity, 10% increase in usage, 10% shortfall due to contract problems, 10% limit on run-time.

Well now it appears that 10% of our energy needs can be met with renewable resources. Mountain Express has this bit on Representative Susan Fisher's battle against coal, which is a great thing. They are quoting a N&O article which stated, in part,

The article notes that an energy consultant’s report in December concluded that 10 percent of the state’s energy needs could be met by renewable sources and efficiency programs.

I have it on good authority that she, Representative Charles Thomas, and US Representative Heath Shuler are coming down against the 10% Woodfin Diesel plant as well.

I wonder if that is the same 10%, or if there is a different 10% for us greenies? And I wonder if that consultant knew that at the same time their report was issued, the Buncombe County commissioners (well, some of them anyway) were secretly (and illegally?) meeting with Progress Energy 10%ers to sneak a 10% plant on 100% of us?