Jolly’s Closing After 130 Years
Today WRAL reported that one of Raleigh’s oldest retail business will shut its doors. Jolly’s Jewelers opened its doors in 1881, but Frank Jolly Ragsdale is retiring, according to the report, and the business will close.
I have mixed emotions here. I was always a big fan of Ragsdale’s brother-in-law, the late Jerry Young, and followed him from Jolly’s in North Hills Mall to his own store in Cameron Village. He sold that store to Rocky Mount’s Clyde Bailey, and it still remains an excellent store. In the face of Cameron Village’s shift toward more chain retailers, Ragsdale moved Jolly’s to a showcase location in the new North Hills as one of the center’s first tenants. The location was highly visible and made a great statement about both the quality of shopping in North Hills and the center’s dedication to local retailers. However the interior of the store always felt awkward and cold, and I only entered one time.
Emotions aside, it is easy to believe that the jewelry business is terrible now. The price of gold (chart) has skyrocketed more than 700% in the last ten years. Couple that with a poor economy and you get a one-two punch that is sending many local dealers out of business.
Some also ponder the viability of brick & mortar retail in a shopping center like North Hills which is notorious for high (really high) rents. We recently saw Tyler House’s closing, and one has to wonder if the dam isn’t finally breaking on the backs of many other high-end retailers.
What comes next for the space in North Hills? Another Italian restaurant? Just kidding. I always thought that corner would have been perfect location for a two-story Barnes & Noble as nice as Triangle Town Center’s. Alas B&N’s mistaken evaluation of the market (even before Amazon starting slicing them to pieces) concluded that the pitiful Crabtree store is enough for this part of Raleigh. Ironically a private book store just opened next door to Jolly’s, but I wouldn’t bet on their ability to expand into Jolly’s space.
Most likely another jeweler will take the space. Until that time, Jolly’s will begin their store clearance sale tomorrow.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Coming to RBC Center
David Menconi just reported that on Friday, January 27, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will return to the RBC Center. Reports are that the Peppers were good on the last tour (in stark contrast the the incredibly awful concert at Walnut Creek in ?2000? when the Foo Fighters blew them out of the water. Whatever happed to that “Taste The Pain”, Fugazi-covering band we loved so much, anyway?).
No Mo – Canes Pull Trigger
Today the Carolina Hurricanes released coach Paul Maurice. The first and third coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, going 384-391-145 with the team for 920 games. Word is that Kirk Muller will be the new hire coming later today.
Joel Lane Hosts “Colonial Christmas”
On Saturday, December 3, 2011, the Joel Lane Museum House will present “A Colonial Christmas” Open House. The house will be decorated with traditional greenery and will reflect the very different way in which colonists and early Americans celebrated the Christmas holiday. Information about the house and grounds will be offered by costumed docents; re-enactors will demonstrate scenes of 18th-century life; the sounds of live music will fill the air; and other interpreters will entertain children using colonial games and crafts through the “Hands-on History” program.
The event runs 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is free (donations requested).
Worlds Toughest Rodeo Returning to RBC Center
On Saturday, January 21, the Worlds Toughest Rodeo will come to the RBC Center. Tickets are on sale and range from $15 to $90.
City of Raleigh Collecting Used Cooking Oil, Grease
From the City of Raleigh website:
Looking for a way to get rid of all that cooking oil and grease left over from your Thanksgiving dinner? You can take advantage of the City of Raleigh’s curbside grease collection program.
For the third consecutive year, the City of Raleigh is collecting used grease and oils from residences and places of worship in the Capital City during the holiday season. To arrange for curbside collection of these materials, call the City’s Solid Waste Services Department at 996-6890. The department is closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday but is open the rest of this week including Friday.The City of Raleigh is collecting the unwanted grease or cooking oil at no charge. The collected grease is converted to biofuels by Triangle Biofuels Industries.
The goal of the curbside grease collection program is to protect the environment by keeping cooking grease out of the City’s sewer system and preventing sewer overflows. In order to be collected, the oil must be placed in a sealable and preferably clear plastic container marked as “used cooking oil.” The curbside grease collection program ends on Jan. 13.
Lady Antebellum Coming to Raleigh
Mark your calendars! On Friday, June 8, Lady Antebellum will play an undetermined venue in Raleigh.
Clarkson/Nathanson Coming to DPAC
On January 31 the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, will play the DPAC in Durham. Matt Nathanson opens. Tickets start at $68.
Herbie Hancock Coming to UNC
On Thursday, March 22, modern jazz great Herbie Hancock returns to the area. The show will be at UNC’s Memorial Hall. It appears tickets are not yet available to the public, but the information should appear here when they are.
Elvis Costello Reschedules DPAC Date
There is good news for those hoping to see Elvis Costello back in September. He has rescheduled the concert to April 29. Tickets are on sale now.
96 Rock Tweaks Format, Changes Name
Yesterday 96.1FM made some changes. Instead of playing guitar-driven rock catering to young males, the station is now playing a much more diverse playlist of somewhat softer rock songs. For example, the last 10 songs they played were:
- “Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd
- “Tempted” – Squeeze
- “Black Betty” – Ram Jam
- “Born In the U.S.A.” – Bruce Springsteen
- “What It’s Like” – Everlast
- “Highway to Hell” – AC/DC
- “Beautiful Day” – U2
- “Something To Believe In” – Poison
- “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – Blue Oyster Cult
- “Selling the Drama” – Live
One thing the entire extended playlist has in common is that the songs are all more than 10 years old. While this is a more varied mix that isn’t likely to repeat songs ad nauseum during the workday (eg. Adele, The Script, Train), these are songs that have been played and played and played and played and played. This isn’t an assault on “Alternative”. It’s an assault on anything remotely creative.
Curtis Media Group also has rebranded the station to “Radio 96.1”. While it isn’t a major shift in format, it is a big enough change to warrant new branding.
What makes no sense…NO SENSE, however is the dismissal of Bob The Blade, a great personality in this market for, what, almost three decades now? If we have to endure “Don’t Fear the Reaper” for the 80,000th time, at least do it with a personality that so many people enjoy like a sibling. He was one of the bright spots in a dismal, embarrassing radio market.
If Curtis Media and Clear Channel controlled the production of food and restaurant menus, we would still be eating Pot Roast, Hamburgers, and Hot Dogs. We are one of the best places to live in America, but it surely isn’t a result of local radio’s work.
Wicked Returning to DPAC
On Wednesday, May 2, WICKED makes its triumphant return to the DPAC. There will be 32 performances spanning the entire month of May, so there is no excuse for not seeing it this time around! Tickets go on sale Monday, February 13.
Needtobreathe Coming to Memorial Auditorium
If you enjoyed Taylor Swift’s opening band, Needtobreathe, then you’ll get a chance to see them do a full show. On Thursday, April 26, the band will play Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium. Ben Rector opens. (Hopefully they won’t omit “The Outsiders” from their set this time around!)
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