• Laurie Humble: Take Your Watercolors From Flat to Dimensional
• Morgan Samuel-Price: Plein Air Magic
• Ingrid Lederer: Watercolor: Painting on Yes! Canvas
• Christine MacLellan: The Discover Series, Acrylics or Oil Painting
• Dominic Vignola: Oil Painting without Drawing: Tonal Impressionism

Maybe one of those First Fridays shows will feature your work one day!

map it

The camp will have two instructional camps on either side of a one-week, three-on-three, pond-hockey-style tournament. The first week, from July 28 through Aug. 1, will be a developmental (skill development) camp intended for players with three or fewer years of hockey experience.

The second week, Aug. 4 through Aug. 8, will feature the third-annual Hurricanes Three-on-Three Summer Classic. The event, which sold out last year, allows participants freedom in pond-hockey-style games.

The third week, Aug. 11 through Aug. 15, features the elite-level camp, targeted at more advanced players looking to take their games to the next level. With intense on-ice instruction, the elite week should help any travel hockey player prepare for the upcoming season.

The Beijing Olympic games begin August 8, 2008.

For tickets and more info, see usabaseball.com.

The complex is in all likelihood the building at the bottom of the photo featuring the scaled down North Hills East project. (scaled down when compared to the renderings on this page). The project was originally planned to be bigger, provided tax increment financing could be secured. (The TIF debate was a key topic with the Raleigh City Council last year, but ultimately did not receive support from many council members).

Flythe battled prostate cancer for many years, but finally succumbed last week. He was 94.

McDonald’s is usually known for its incredible site selection. Few of the stores actually close and one of the reasons is their ability to scout a site and pounce before everyone else does. In fact, some businesses simply save money and follow McDonald’s coattails when choosing a site.

Celebration at Six Forks is a 1980-born shopping center in a huge area of Raleigh that has gone a long time without a McDonald’s. Currently the nearest stores are the drive-thruless Falls Village store, the former McCafe store at Spring Forest/Falls of Neuse, the Six Forks/Wake Forest Road store, and the Millbrook/Glenwood Ave. store. Certainly a chain as large as McDonald’s would be interested in a stronger North Raleigh presence. This particular section of North Raleigh, though, was long-since pioneered by McDonalds’ chief competitors. There is a Wendy’s virtually across the street. A mile or so to the north, at what was once the six forks (hence the name), Hardees, Char-Grill, and Chick-Fil-A have all staked their claim.

Not only is McDonald’s late to the party, they picked a treacherous site formerly occupied by the free-standing Record Bar/Tracks store. Because the property is secured by a 15-foot retaining wall, it towers beyond effectiveness over Six Forks Road.

Ultimately I’m sure this McDonald’s store will do fine. However, it will be interesting to watch the chain built on its consistency overcome an inconsistent site selection.

map it

The rooms in the North Hills Renaissance will be outstanding. Each will have free wired and wireless high speed internet access, a 37″ high-def TV in the room (with jacks for accessory connectivity), a 15″ high def TV in the bathroom, refrigerator, safe, and 300 thread-count sheets. The hotel will have complimentary parking as well as 7,590 square feet of meeting space and a 5,430 square foot ballroom. Hotel guests will also have direct interior access to the adjacent Gold’s Gym Athletic Club, and to Natural Body Spa, a European-style day spa.

The exterior touches are coming together, and it appears that many of the Alexan’s features, such as window proportions, moldings, and colors, will be continued in the Renaissance. One welcome difference is the use of a textured, artificial stone. Hopefully the color selection and textures will prevent the complex from becoming a “beigemoth”. A material mockup of the exterior can be seen from the middle parking level of the old JCPenney deck.

Unconfirmed reports say that the penthouse level to this hotel will not only offer superior views of downtown, but will also feature short ceilings and countertops in an attempt to cater toward chic, wealthy dwarves. Word is that these rooms will actually carry no room charge, and will be referred to as the “Stayfree Mini-pads”.

Currently the restaurants participating are Bogart’s, Dos Tacquitos, Frazier’s, Glenwood Grill, Irregardless, Lynnwood Grill, Michael Dean’s, NoFo, Oliver Twist, Porter’s, Red Room, Riviera, South, SONO, The George, Globe, and The Mint. Prices per person are $15 for lunch and $25 for dinner. No tickets are necessary. Simply visit the participating restaurants. (Reservations, if applicable, are recommended).

Please see the TRW website for more details.

Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in advance by cash or check at the Raleigh Urban Design Center at 133 Fayetteville Street. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets also can be purchased the day of the event.

The Tesla is the first wide production all-electric sportscar. It boasts acceleration of 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds and tops out at 125mph. Delivery time is currently 15 months for the $109,000 cars.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to eat at Foster’s Market in Durham, make some time, especially for a lunch outing. The salads and sandwiches are fantastic. A Tennessee native, Foster went on to do the NYC thing, then on to being one of Martha Stewart’s catering chefs. After a stretch in Connecticut, she and her husband moved to Durham to open a market with “great seasonal prepared foods to eat in or take out, specialty grocery items, locally roasted coffee and select wines”. There is now a location in Chapel Hill, too, but don’t bother with it unless it is decidedly more convenient to visit that location.

map it

• May 7 - Good Morning America
• May 8 - The View
• May 9 - ABC Nightline, The Today Show
• May 12 - Tonight Show with Jay Leno
• May 16 - Rachel Ray, Jimmy Kimmel Live
• May 20 - Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson