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Prior to waking up this morning, I had this dream about trains. I think my love of them, namely Amtrak, started at the age of five when we left the 80s-era Greensboro station bright and early in the morning, then popped out of the tunnels at Union Station to find my aunt and uncle right in the middle of one of those grand halls. At five it was all confusing, but I was hooked. In this dream, the train station was a smaller town version of Union, with two awesome bookstores.
Who knows where the dream came from. Maybe it was because I can see the Greensboro station from my window. Maybe it was because my current firm has rebuilt both the Greensboro and Burlington stations. Or possibly it was from attending another meeting of the Transit Alliance of the Piedmont(more info on that coming soon). Nevertheless, the dream was a great way to get started into another Friday. Now here’s the news:
News from Around North Carolina
Last night in Greensboro, over 200 people came out for a public meeting on the next steps for the Renaissance Community Co-Op, which include a possible purchase by Self-Help Ventures of Durham, which primarily helps nonprofit ventures get on their feet. If you still have ideas, remember to send them via this link.
Also in Greensboro, Action Greensboro is moving somewhere else downtown and the popular Cheesecakes by Alex is expanding into their space…Interactive Resource Center Executive Director Liz Seymour is stepping down in June…residents in Glenwood and UNCG working together to address neighborhood issues arising over campus expansion…Guilford Technical Community College students can now transfer directly to Guilford College…Guilford County Schools presented their State of Schools report Thursday night, emphasizing an increased focus on literacy…Downtown Greensboro, Inc. wins an award for putting on First Friday from the International Downtown Association…neighbors and leaders also met to discuss the potential “Project Haystack” development on the current prison farm…the state has yet to select contractors for the infrastructure work at PTI Airport.
Elsewhere around the state, former Governor Bev Perdue has launched a digital learning initiative…former Durham County commission Becky Heron dies…coyotes are hanging out in Downtown Raleigh…why the buildings collapsed near RDU Airport earlier this month…some state workers getting raises to prevent turnover and no in-state tuition for DACA students….white-tailed deer welcome on Cherokee lands….Delta Airlines’s DC-9 will spend retirement at the Carolinas Aviation Museum…a new parking deck at Charlotte-Douglas airport may command more parking fees…EpiCenter development in Uptown Charlotte for sale…Duke Energy wants to pay less for rooftop solar…green energy jobs growing statewide.
News from Around the Nation and World
The American Planning Association has named its best cities for business travelers.
Ten things this guy learned about Clevelanders.
Former urban player and current Compton mayor Aja Brown enthusiastic about her city in this CBS interview.
A cat café is coming to San Francisco, similar to ones very popular in Japan.
Making eight rooms out of 420 square feet.
A new study from Harvard states that economic mobility has not really changed. The Washington Post and the New York Times have interesting spins on that concept.
The 50 most beautiful libraries in the world.
Some cool maps of Super Bowls past and present. Also, the case for a cold weather Super Bowl.
An idea to end class warfare in San Fransisco and a tangible proposal in the Bronx.
Pittsburgh area schools dump Teach for America.
Finally, a snowblower broke the windows (essentially the front and sides) of a New York City Apple Store.