May
21
We Hardly Liked Ye
By
AC-T:
The wedge-shaped sign in front of Pack Place that survived aesthetic concerns when it was installed 10 years ago will not overcome electronic ones this year.
The sign will be removed in the next few weeks because the electronic equipment that produced changeable text and graphics no longer works, and repairs would be too expensive, the head of Pack Place’s board said Wednesday.
Use the Pack Place Sign Generator while it’s still relevant!
12 Comments
May 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Thank God a technical glitch will remove the eyesore. Too bad no one had the common sense to remove the damned thing in the first place.
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May 21st, 2009 at 10:17 am
Finally! I thought it was a terrible and out of place addition to downtown when the electronic horror was put up years ago. It was a waste of spending then and continued to be so and now…it can’t be fixed? Sheesh! I’ve never seen a place waste tax dollars, energy and time the way we do downtown. I remember when Pack Square was “renovated” and thought the fountain was a nice addition. We all paid for that to happen and then 20 years later…it gets torn up for yet another renovation. We need to have city council members in office who manage the town as an asset not to be easily toyed with and think beyond dollars when making decisions. Dollars will come and go, but the flavor and feel of a place, the things that make it special, can be so easily destroyed with poor civic planning and the quest for what seems at the time to be easy money. We need to preserve our jewel and work to keep downtown Asheville special for all the right reasons.
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May 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am
Yes, it’s never been the most beautiful thing downtown, but as a longtime worker at Pack Place I can tell you that it has served an invaluable purpose. You would be amazed at how many people still cannot find Pack Place or have any idea what is inside it – the sign helped us advertise special events, shows at the theater, ongoing exhibitions and more. The sign will be replaced with banners on the building itself; they’ll be a lot more attractive, but y’all will actually have to come inside to find out what events are going on and coming up. Please do!
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May 21st, 2009 at 11:52 am
Fliss…I thought it was a great way to promote upcoming events but it was out of place with the surroundings. Basically a giant flashing informational light pole, but could be better placed against the facade of the building? It was just so out of place when constructed. We’ll still come see you!
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May 21st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
oh please let it be replaced by one of those blinding super-bright fast-moving digital signs like you see on the interstate right before the permanent multi-car pile-up.
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May 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I kind of like it. Reminds me of The Jetsons.
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May 21st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
First to go were the public restrooms.
Next the public payphones
Now the public power sign.
What’s next? Paid admission into our new public park?
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May 22nd, 2009 at 7:56 am
The bottom line is that it was in violation of our sign ordinance. Now there’s only one blinky sign in violation (at the intersection of Biltmore and Charlotte).
Regardless of the sign’s utility to tourists, or any one person’s aesthetic, we should be able to count on City Council to demand uniform enforcement of the rules. That is how we create a level playing field for businesses in our community. Instead we get two illegal electric signs, three illegal Staples’ signs, an illegal Wallgreens development, an illegal Greenlife use of a residential street, illegal development at the Sayles Wal-Mart site … and on, and on, and on.
Equal protection under the law and equal enforcement of the law are essential to representative democracy.
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May 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Beep… beep… beep…
Here’s a sign I made: http://tinyurl.com/p5hgn2
beep… beep… beep…
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May 22nd, 2009 at 11:25 pm
The “bottom line” is obviouslvy not representative of true democracy Cecil. I heartily applaud your Montaigne approach to our regions dilemmas.
The “bottom line” happens behind closed doors.
The real bottom line however, the one behind the reach of the accountants and controlled media, nature itself, is unfolding as we blog and comment, and I’m guessing it’s a wait and see approach.
Know Nothing
Bear Witness
Embrace Loving Action
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May 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 am
It was hideous from the start, everyone knew it. When I heard of its demise on the radio today, thanks 880 AM, I couldn’t help laugh that it had been here almost ten years. Old is as old does. It gave us a familiar and reliable reminder that we have a vibrant, passionate downtown museum. It was just a shortsighted design. I think I’ll miss it until we get something cooler.
They should just employ a wide variety of street performers to sell the message and take their time to get the cutting edge tech stuff right for the final display. Maybe it will even include that street performing dynamic that carried the load while the tech system was being developed.
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May 23rd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Today and yesterday I witnessed two separate throngs of people holding up signs as people drove or walked by.
One group stood in front of Pack Place denouncing intervention in the free movement of immigrants.
The other stood in front of the Asheville Mall denouncing homosexuals and sinners destined for Hell.
This afternoon I cut rosebuds from two separate bushes then dethorned and arranged them into bouquets for my daughters in praise of their performance at the Bebe theatre.
Dance………
Damn this traffic jam.
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