http://greencoastrecycling.com

As the tag line says, this business is “Recycling done right”. I can’t name how many pro-bono cleanup projects the company has been involved in — fund raisers, beach cleans, Masonboro, music events — THOUSANDS of hours of good will for the Cape Fear area.

The owners seem like great people, and spread it around by hiring, in my experience, serious and extremely hard-working young washers, by writing irreverent and funny and sometimes useful information on their little lightbox, which faces along CBR, by offering nice extras but also lots of no-nonsense service, by remembering you or seeming to, taking care of you while you wait. Good stuff.

But I guess that’s part of his schtick, to be controversial, and to make the column all about him instead of the films he’s reviewing. The online version tallies the number of people who have read the review. When I visited the count was 127. I bet 100 read the first paragraph and moved on. Too bad they can’t track that.

You register your cell phone with the service and can then dial an 800 number, enter your the slot where you’re parked and the number of hours. You can even refresh your time from the beach, or away from the car. It’d be *great* for downtown. It keeps you from having to lug quarters and is just a neat idea. It’s “M-commerce”!

But lately it hasn’t seemed to work except maybe on Stone Street, the main east-west drag there. The robot on the telephone says he can’t complete the transaction, or there’s been an error, or that number was not understood. I called support and they weren’t very helpful. Too bad.

According to Wojciehowski, the idea was kindled under the imagination and leadership of former AIA Wilmington president Phillip Humphreys late in 2006 in advance of AIA 150; a national celebration in 2007 commemorating the 150 year anniversary of the AIA. A key element to the success of AIA 150 was a national mandate for local chapters to give something back to their respective communities. Noting that there are already sporadic bike trails in the nearly 7 mile trolley right of way and understanding the public desire for a connection to Wrightsville Beach, The Trolley Trail “vision” was designed to inspire local authorities to focus on developing a 5-10 year plan to provide this much-needed infrastructure. Among the stated goals of the vision are a reduction in the use of automobiles, health benefits, direct connectivity between existing city parks and consequently, greater bike and pedestrian accessibility to destinations such as the Cameron Art Museum (Grove Project: The Problem of the Cameron) and UNCW. Notable parks that would be connected by the Trolley Trail include Hugh McRae Park, Empire Park, Wrightsville Beach Park and Dramtree Park. The Trolley Trail would intersect the Cross City Trail (http://www.capefearcyclists.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=2) creating a network of trails in multiple directions. The local AIA has worked extensively with local agencies to finalize its proposal. Government partners include City of Wilmington Planning, New Hanover County Planning, the Wilmington Historic Commission and the local Department of Transportation.

As is true with any great public enterprise, the Trolley Trail vision clearly has some obstacles to overcome. The problems begin with the fact that the historic trolley line right of way only extends from the intersection of Castle and 17th St. to Bradley Creek. Connecting the head of the trolley right of way to downtown Wilmington proper would involve making Castle St. an “alternative transportation corridor.” Capitalizing on its popularity among antique collectors, Castle St. offers the opportunity to be a major hub within the Trolley Trail network directly connecting the trolley right of way to the east with the Riverwalk to the west by way of Dramtree Park. Crossing Bradley Creek is a far more precarious hurdle since there is currently no bridge wide enough for a dedicated pedestrian lane. Therefore, only two options remain. The first is to build a dedicated pedestrian bridge over the creek and the second is to have the D.O.T. include a pedestrian lane in any future plans to replace the existing aging motor vehicle bridge. Neither of these scenarios is ideal and will likely prevent a speedy completion of the project, but Wojciehowski remains optimistic that there will be adequate momentum to propel the vision forward.

The final form of the Trolley Trail proposal will be a volume of paper documents which will be accessible to the public via www.trolleytrail.org. The organization’s website already contains a wealth of information about the project. Costs incurred in assembling and delivering the final proposal have been offset by generous contributions from local businesses including Network Community Wireless, Mellow Mushroom, Gallery of Oriental Rugs, Lumina Station, Pomegranate Books, Alpha Counseling Center, Wilmington Yoga Center, Alternate Phone Systems and Massengill Electric and Construction.

In addition to its Trolley Trail “blueprint”, the local AIA offers community outreach programs to promote understanding and interest in the architectural profession. Past outreach programs have included sponsorship of high school design competitions and summer introductory architectural programs in conjunction with the Family & Neighborhood Institute (FNI) geared toward young children. This year’s high school design competition will culminate with an award ceremony on Saturday May 17th at 10:00 am at the Cape Fear Museum.

I can’t remember who tipped us off to them a couple of years ago, but you sure do want to find a place to just call “the garage” when you get somewhere, and this family-run garage sure feels like it.

Randy’s Auto Service
3615 Carolina Beach Rd (map)
Wilmington, NC 28412
Phone: (910) 395-0877

Movie-Going

• Too expensive
• Too many commercials/previews
• Deafening soundtracks, especially during previews, which must be directed at the elderly and hard-of-hearing
• Food and drink awful and way too expensive
• Most movies suck
• Too cold/Too hot

Air Travel

• Cramped and crowded
• Too many delays
• Security overload
• No food/Bad food/Pay for bad food
• Discourteous service
• Lost luggage/No room for carry-ons
• Too cold/Too hot

These two targets are almost too easy, but if anyone has additional comments pro or con, please post them for all to read. Thanks.

The Children’s Museum of Wilmington, which moved downtown from its original location farther east on Market St., has really grown on this family. Things looked, on our first visit or two, a little random. The museum is organized into areas that engage the kids — an art activity room; a camping area with tents and rubber fish on the fire; a large, nautically-themed space featuring a pirate ship with an air-compressor canon you can fire, a theater area with a TV production basement just for media locals; and many others.

You are invited to walk around, play, manipulate, sit at mini-chair stations and construct things like bird-feeder-goodie-necklaces with Crackin’ Oat Bran. There are all sorts of objects to engage you, strewn haphazardly — costumes, fake vegetables and checkout stands in a Lowes-sponsored shopping corner, glow-in-the-dark snorkeling goggles, exotic local animals when they’re in season. There’s a giant, overused Thomas the Tank Engine train set on the main floor that subverts all the kids away from the more museum-like projects.

That’s the thing. The requisite sponsorship flags are everywhere, there are flyers and color themes and people in official vests, but the place just seems…odd the first couple times you go. Odd and expensive. Tentative. This is a kids’ museum?, you want to ask. The first time we went the “toys” and objects to play with in the shopping area were empty macaroni boxes that had been taped back shut and used milk cartons.

But you can really warm to the desultory, paint-outside-the-lines feel. We have. More like a very interesting friends’ house than a cordoned gallery, the place is casual but always full of good stuff, always changing. It uses its resources, doesn’t seem interested in any sacred museum cows, for kids’ museums or otherwise, and most of all is bent on doing rather than looking.

And is the occasion for my posting some pictures from our walk downtown.

View of Front Street from the parking deck

Nope. An all-too-common sign downtown:
This one says the store has stopped opening on weekdays, and is now open only on Saturdays and by appointment.

South Front Street

Old retail space that’s just been renovated and is available to rent for anyone but bars and night clubs!

Scruffy and pleasant Ron Paul supporter exhorting us to legalize the Constitution

Civic debate

[where: 28401]

If you have not been to Pomegranate, go now. If you can’t go now, check it out on-line at http://pomegranate.booksense.com

See you there

4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 452-1107

[where: 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403]