High Alert!! We Can’t Lose The Imperial Centre and the Life of Art in Rocky Mount To Pay For A Lack Of Oversight

“Art is not a luxury. It stands at the essence of our humanity…” Salman Rushdie On this Main Street blog, I write about buildings, their beauty, their endurance. They tell us what a town once believed about itself, and ask what we believe now. But architecture is only one part of a living Main Street. … Continue reading High Alert!! We Can’t Lose The Imperial Centre and the Life of Art in Rocky Mount To Pay For A Lack Of Oversight →

A Barking Dog At The City Council Retreat

I have listened to portions of the City Council retreat on YouTube. The retreat carried a certain tension. The council members discussing Rocky Mount’s financial problems are the same body whose lack of oversight allowed those problems to develop in the first place. As I listened, an odd literary memory surfaced. Many people know the … Continue reading A Barking Dog At The City Council Retreat →

Rocky Mount Citizens Calling for Resignations, What Happens Next?

The long awaited state audit of Rocky Mount’s finances was released Monday, and the findings were sobering. According to the report from the North Carolina State Auditor, the city’s cash and investment balances dropped dramatically over a short period of time, falling from roughly $100 million to about $21.8 million between 2023 and 2025, a … Continue reading Rocky Mount Citizens Calling for Resignations, What Happens Next? →

Hope Shows Up on Branch Street: Rocky Mount NC

I watch a lot of the videos of lawn clean-ups and repost some on my Main Street Facebook page. With the right equipment, one or more people find a neglected, overgrown yard and offer, for free, to reclaim the property. The results are always remarkable. In a matter of hours the transformation lifts more than … Continue reading Hope Shows Up on Branch Street: Rocky Mount NC →