Washed-up Morrisville outlet mall to get Chinese makeover (via WRAL)

The calendars are available in the “Calendars” tab found at the top of the page at Gogoraleigh. Scroll down to “Carolina Railhawks Soccer 2012” and select your desired format.

This year’s NCSU team, while not a factor nationally, has many quality tools and is showing that it can do many right things under new coach Mark Gottfried. With UNC’s uncertainty since the season-ending Strickland injury last Thursday, tonight’s matchup may be one of the most interesting games between the two in decades. It is one of the first times in a while that State fans can enter this game reasonably hoping for a win, and that makes this game a lot more fun.

I’ve said all season that State and Carolina will split their regular season series, but I think that State win will come in the second meeting. Though tonight’s game should be a good one worthy of ESPN’s hype last night. The game starts at 7pm and is on ESPN.

Yesterday this followup comment was posted to SeeClickFix:

It’s no secret to anyone that Lake Boone Trail needs serious reworking. However, during my visit to it this morning it seems that synchronizing the traffic lights at the Beltline exit with the one at Wycliff Rd would go a long way to smooth traffic flow.

It does not appear that these lights are in sync now so traffic goes in fits and starts, backing up traffic to the east on LBT and also up the off-ramp from the Beltline.

What do the folks in the City’s Traffic Engineering department say about this?

Good to see that someone else is noticing the problem, which really lies with the combination of the Lake Boone Trail lights at I-440 and the Wycliff intersections. Funny that more I-440 backups are caused by the Lake Boone Trail queue spilling over than the Wade Avenue backlog, but it’s true. This is a City of Raleigh problem causing problems on The State’s road. Perhaps provincial engineers are to blame, but the bottom line is that the situation has not improved.

This will be one of two NC dates, as the band moves on to Charlotte for a show four nights later. While I’m ecstatic that the band has two dates in the state, why would they select Greensboro instead of Raleigh to balance the Charlotte date? Is it because of ticket sales in 2007? As I recall, Raleigh was added to the tour, so by the time we knew about a Raleigh date, we had all traveled to see the band. Additionally, our date was postponed not once, but twice because of Eddie’s treatment, so it’s hard to blame a public for losing confidence that the event will happen. Of course there are other factors (like promoter relationships with venues, the band’s album sales in each MSA, venue size, etc), and there is always the chance a date in between the two gets added, but I’m not betting on it.

No word on ticket sales yet.

In 2012 there will be some surprising big box store closings. There has been a concerted effort in previous years to buy local and shun the big boxes. However in 2012, larger market forces instead of grassroots organizations will probably be what shuts the doors for some of these outlets.

Here is a look ahead at the list of retail and restaurant businesses that have an aura of danger according to this one man’s senses (in no particular order, and no wishes associated):

• Best Buy
• Kmart
• Salsarita’s
• Taco Bell
• Dillard’s
• A.C. Moore
• Jibarra or Cantina South
• OfficeMax and Office Depot
• Cinelli’s (North Hills)
• QShack (North Hills)
• Fresh Market (Cameron Village)
• Charlotte’s (North Hills)
• Fiesta Mexicana
• Applebee’s (A few locations)
• Nowell’s
• Sam Ash or Guitar Center
• McCormick and Schmick’s
• Barnes & Noble (not all locations)
• The news staff at NBC17

Any thoughts or additions?

1/5/12 – Here are some more for the list:

• Radio Shack
• Pronto Pasta
• Bear Rock (Lake Boone)

1/16/12 – I completely forgot to add this one, but the last time I was in there the store was about 70% empty:

• Blockbuster Video – Townridge Square

I don’t mean to pick on these merchants, but if I had a gift certificate or significant savings coupon for any of these, I would probably go ahead and use them sooner than later.

The parade will be aired from 11am to 1pm. While NBC is the more prominent network covering the event, HGTV (TWC Channels 1350 and 350) blows NBC’s coverage away year after year. Not only is their commentary about the craft of each float superb, they also show the marching bands for more then 5 seconds each.

Take a look at the Broughton Band during their first pass of the Raleigh Christmas Parade six weeks ago:

1. RDU Terminal 2 Phase II Opens
2. Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol
3. Raleigh Hosts NHL All-Star Game
4. Business and Building Losses – This is the first year in the blogging era when significant losses impacted Raleigh, losing several people, buildings, businesses, and identities: Lorenzo Charles, John Baker, Bart Ritner, Jolly’s Jewelers (130 years old), Tyler House, Fosters/Nelsons, “Hudson” Belk, Wachovia, Restoration Hardware, Blockbuster Video (most stores), Amedeo’s North, Borders, Cold Krispy Kreme in City Plaza, Chockey’s, Duck & Dumpling, The Diner; The Brewery, The Ballantines building in Cameron Village, 1720 Canterbury Drive, The Green House and Jackpot Bar; 
5. Tornado Rips Through Downtown Raleigh
6. Local Election Yields Landslide Wins for Non-Conservatives
7. Triangle Expressway Opens as NC’s First Toll Road
8. Rembrandt Exhibit Opens at NCMA
9. Food Truck Rules Change for Downtown Raleigh
10. Webb Simpson Finishes Second in PGA Earnings
11. Jeff Skinner Wins Calder Trophy
12. Duke’s Kyrie Irving Selected #1 in NBA Draft
13. WRAL Dismisses Pam Saulsby, Hires Jackie Hyland
14. NCSU Fires Lowe, Hires Gottfried
15. Coach K Sets NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Wins Record
16. Canes Fire Paul Maurice, Hire Kirk Muller
17. Mayor Charles Meeker Retires
18. Cameron Village Chick-Fil-A Breaks Ground
19. Stall, Ward, Skinner Named to NHL All-Star Team
20. GoLive Attempts To Unite Triangle Transit
21. Glenwood South Hampton Inn Breaks Ground
22. Edison Complex Redesigned
23. Bobcats/Canes Swap Exhibition Games, Bobcats Cancel Game
24. RBC Center Gets New, Red Lower Level Seats
25. The Umstead Wins AAA Five Diamond Award
26. Ed Mitchell Leaves The Pit
27. ACC Expands to Include Syracuse and Pittsburgh
28. Verizon LTE Service Launches in Triangle
29. Rocky Top Hospitality Closes Red Room, Bogart’s, Michael Dean’s, opens Cantina South, Tribeca Tavern
30. Tommy Bahama Store Opens in Crabtree
31. Gonza Tacos y Taquila Opens
32. City Council Endorses Light Rail Plan
33. Meat House Opens in Quail Corners
34. Renaissance North Hills Wins AAA Four Diamond, Best Marriott Award
35. Mandolin Opens to Rave Reviews
36. Green Square Complex Opens
37. Fai Thai Opens, Abruptly Closes
38. First Night Brings Ferris Wheel to Fayetteville Street
39. Raleigh Restaurants Featured on LudoBites TV Show
40. 96 Rock Changes Format

gogoRaleigh Bowl Calendar

(maybe this time The Veldt will actually SHOW for a gig they $%^&ing BOOKED…but I’m not one to hold a grudge…for decades…)

The Cary McDonald’s opened in July 2009 with the restaurant’s first electric charging station, and the Dec. 3 event will showcase a newly upgraded CT 2000 Level II version. Other activities planned include free products from Burt’s Bees, holiday crafts, face painting and balloon art as well as a raffle to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Durham.

Raleigh is one of the first U.S. markets slated to receive the Focus Electric in 2012. Ford recently recognized the city for being among the 25 EV ready markets in the U.S. The Focus Electric initial markets were chosen based on several different criteria including existing hybrid purchase trends, utility company collaboration and local government commitment to electrification.

Chad D’Arcy, Ford Motor Company’s Focus Electric Marketing Manager, will be present to answer consumer and media questions about the vehicle. Additionally Crossroads Ford of Cary will also display hybrid and fuel efficient gasoline engine vehicles currently available in the Raleigh/Cary market.

map it

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.

The event runs 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is free (donations requested).

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.