Save the Mauldin Open-Air Market!

At left: Joel Ann Chandler, owner of the Mauldin Open-Air Market, presents Mauldin (SC) City Council with 2800 signatures of her customers, as well as others who value local small business. (Monday night, Sept, 19, 2011) Chandler has operated the market for 30 years, and the land has been in her family since the 20s.


We attended the Mauldin City Council meeting last night, to help a popular local businesswoman try and SAVE her business, which also happens to be an indispensable upstate treasure. Democracy in action! Well, we'll see how it goes.

Chandler called into my radio show on Saturday morning, and talked about the planned land-grab at length. I went to shop at the Open-Air Market myself on Sunday (check out those fabulous cherry preserves and yummy cashew brittle!) and spoke with Chandler about the upcoming hearing, and then decided to attend it myself.

Some background, from a Sept 7th news report:

Longtime Produce Vendor Takes On SC-DOT
Market Owner Worries Project Could Hurt Business
by Gabrielle Komorowski, WYFF News 4 Anchor/Reporter

MAULDIN, S.C. -- The South Carolina Department of Transportation plans to widen an Upstate roadway -- but not without a fight from a feisty produce vendor.

Joel Ann Chandler has operated the Mauldin Open-Air Market on Butler Road for 30 years.

The SC-DOT wants to widen the intersection and the nearby area where Butler Road meets Corn Road and Brides Road. The area includes the road in front of Mauldin High School.

Chandler said the changes would make it difficult for her tractor trailer to safely deliver produce. She said the SC-DOT wants to convert a nearby embankment into an access driveway.

"It's going to be hard for us to even get out in the road without red lights; dangerous. Kids are running across the road all the time over here," Chandler said.

Chandler also said much of her customers' parking space would be eliminated. "If people have that much trouble getting in and out, you know eventually they won't come," Chandler said.

Chandler has collected more than 1,000 signatures from others opposed to the project. She plans to send the signatures to Governor Nikki Haley.

Tommy Elrod, program manager with SC-DOT, said the project would make the entire area safer.

"She'll have a 40-foot wide commercial driveway and it will be well defined, so to me, that's much safer. You won't have traffic in and out of her business mixing with pedestrians standing at the corner waiting to cross over," Elrod said.

Elrod said the project is not set in stone.

"I'll continue to work with Ms. Chandler and try to come up with access that eases her concerns," Elrod said.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin next summer.

Mauldin mayor Don Godbey listened politely, but sounded rather tepid in his response, assuring Chandler at the Council meeting that he had "advocated on her behalf" at a recent Department of Transportation meeting. And that means what exactly? One of the Godbey's associations is with GPATS, which is one of the culprits responsible for this little land-grab scheme. I don't know whether Chandler knows that or not, since I just discovered it myself, doing a websearch on GPATS. In light of this fact, I find it a bit disingenuous, that when Chandler mentioned the organization in her comments to Mauldin City Council, Godbey stayed silent and didn't see fit to let folks know that he is in cahoots with them.

City Councilman Michael Reynolds took the time to thank Joel Ann (none of the other council members did) and complimented her for doing everything correctly. He sounded sad, though. I think he sees the handwriting on the wall. I am also quite skeptical, since I know how Greenville County is, when they want some ordinary person's land: ruthless. But I am hopeful... Joel Ann is a good person who has done much excellent work in the community and has many friends. Chancey Lindsey-Peake of Banana Manna breads, made a statement of support, explaining that Joel Ann has provided a working livelihood to many local vendors and small businesspeople like herself.

Complaint: Conservatives frequently purport to believe in small business, and yet, do not actively support businesses that reflect the culture of the south; the community itself. They will let Walmart destroy my neighborhood, but they won't go out of their way to stop this insanity. Why? Where were all the conservatives last night? And in truth, it wasn't only them: Why was it up to two Green Party members to represent the Left? Where are the Democrats and other progressives who claim to believe in BUYING LOCAL?

It is these kinds of sneaky, incremental moves and land-grabs that have Walmartized the country. If we want to roll that back, we have to start supporting people like Joel Ann. Please shop at her market and let her know that she has your support.

SAVE THE MARKET!

Another Random Dead Air photo gallery (with necessary spelling correction)

Featuring the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Reedy River Falls, Liberty Bridge, South Carolina Farmers Market, and all the usual suspects.

Announcement: The lovely tree at left is a CRAPE Myrtle, not a CREPE Myrtle, and please accept my profound apologies that it has taken me three whole years to correct that! (eep)

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Love, Devotion, Surrender... and other stuff

The hits on Amanda Knox's infamous "Foxy Knoxy" photograph are coming in, so that's how I know there is something happening with Amanda... as I've said before, I don't even need Google alerts. And yeah, there sure is. The Italian police are suing her for slander, since she claimed they roughed her up during interrogation.

Cops can sue perps and convicts? Oh, wait, this is Italy. You know, where the Vatican is. Their justice system appears to be running on Vatican time.

If American cops could sue us simply for badmouthing them, well, there might not be anybody left to pay taxes and hence, their salaries. Italian police need to get a clue, grow up and stop being babies.

And since they had no case against Amanda (which, take note, does not mean I think she is innocent; it means the state did not prove their case), they need to TURN HER LOOSE. Let her go.

Italian "justice" ... now we see how the Mafia was born. Gotta get justice some kinda way, right?

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Everybody is mad at Carlos Santana for standing up at Turner Field and letting them have it in no uncertain terms.

Balls, Carlos has em. Or should I say cajones? :)

Needless to say, here at DEAD AIR, there is NO personal criticism of Carlos Santana allowed in any form, just like there is no criticism of The Who or the Dead or the Beatles, or musicians of that stature who have played an important part in Daisy's life. Okay? So: Watch your mouths! (seriously) If you want to argue against his position, that's okay, but we will not allow Fox News androids to come here and trash the 6th (possibly 7th; I'll argue the point) greatest guitarist in the history of the world (yes, I do rank them). This is not permitted; show some respect please.

Fox has been trashing him all day... just came from the JIFFY LUBE, where I was subjected to Fox blather about how Carlos has grown rich off the USA, when any fool knows that whoever recorded Love, Devotion, Surrender has earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants and of course DESERVES to benefit.

Now, if you'd like to argue his points, feel free. But no unkind words about Carlos.

Here is what he said:

Saying he represented immigrants, the Grammy winner said at Turner field, “The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

On Friday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill that requires many employers to check the immigration status of new hires and authorizes law enforcement officers to check the status of some suspects. The law, one of the toughest in the nation, is similar in some respects to one enacted last year in Arizona.

“This law is not correct. It's a cruel law, actually,” Santana, who emigrated to San Francisco in the 1960s, said after the ceremony. “This is about fear. Stop shucking and jiving. People are afraid we're going to steal your job. No, we aren't.

...

“This is the United States. This is the land of the free. If people want the immigration laws to keep passing, then everybody should get out and leave the American Indians here.”

If people want to have a respectful and intelligent conversation about immigration, I'm up for that. But we will not repeat the mistakes of THIS AWFUL THREAD. You must be able to account for the fact of the RICH hiring impoverished campesinos on the cheap. If you do not address that fact, it'll be the trap door for you. And no simple-minded bullshit like, "But it's already illegal to hire undocumented workers!" Yes, and monkeys might fly out of my ass... go to the rich golf course right next to my apartment building and try to strike up a conversation with one of the yard-caretakers. Just try it. Oh yeah, I'm sure they're all LEGAL as the dickens.

The rich vote for anti-immigrant Republicans, and without missing a beat, turn around and hypocritically hire illegal nannies and yard-workers. Then they watch Fox News and fuss over Carlos.

The nerve. The sheer nerve.

So, yes I'd like to have a discussion about the golfers and the other rich people like them, who say one thing and do another. Add up enough nannies, and you can see why poor Latinas climb fences to get here. It's not rocket science. If you are unable to address the DEMAND for immigrants as workers, do not attempt discussion.

But if you can, I'm listening.

More at Renee's!

~*~

Eminem, who can be a real misogynist and homophobic dolt, showed himself to be A HERO today, and DEAD AIR approves!!! (((applause))) At least he has himself some excellent CLASS AWARENESS, if nothing else... I assume it's because he comes from a good union town like Detroit. (My late father's license plate was the number of his UAW local, so yes, I am biased.)

Eminem took his millions and put his money where his mouth is. He has now earned the right (like the late Frank Zappa) to be politically incorrect and DEAD AIR will allow it, unless, you know, he turns into a serial killer or something:

Eminem Lawsuit May Result in Higher Royalties for Older Artists | Rolling Stone Music

The outcome of a lawsuit on behalf of Eminem against his record label Universal Music Group could radically change the way many artists are paid for digital sales. Eminem's suit argued that at least according to the language in his record contract, individual songs sold online count as a license rather than a sale. This may seem like a minor semantic argument, but according to Eminem's contract – and many others drafted before digital sales were realistic – it is the difference between the artist being paid 50 percent of royalties for a license or 12 percent for a sale.

And he WON, boys and girls!

I listened to a panel discussion on WNCW today, concerning the lawsuit and music licensing. This took years and teams of lawyers... only a multi-millionaire could even attempt such a thing. (Aside: It was so much fun to hear bluegrass artists praise Eminem... I imagine he is a star in all music communities today!) Short version: If your contract was drawn up before the dawn of the digital era, you are getting royally screwed. All of the older artists living off one or two hits, particularly. This means every time your song is sold online, they are keeping most/all of it, since it just wasn't covered in the original contract.

Old artists who started their careers before the days of computers? Record companies are stealing from them, basically. The resolution of this lawsuit creates a precedent and opens the doors for all of them to get what is rightfully theirs. Yeah!

Apparently this will also change the royalty-rules for other kinds of licensing, like for TV shows and movies... but I didn't hear all of that discussion. If anyone knows anything else, feel free to link in comments.

~*~

And finally, on a rather ominous note... Watermelons are exploding in China.

You think I could make that up?

Watermelons explode like 'land mines' in China thanks to chemical calamity

Chinese farmers discovered how science can go bad after fields of watermelons exploded like "land mines" after being over-pumped with growth chemicals.

The chilling chemistry calamity struck after a group of 20 farmers in Jiangsu Province used a growth accelerator for the first time during a period of heavy rains.

That caused hundreds of groaning melons to pop like balloons, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

See, this is why people eat organic.

Stuff I like

:: Natural Factors chewable Vitamin C. The Boysenberry makes me happiest!

:: Sounds True meditation music, especially the kundalini meditations.

:: The HP Lovecraft Tarot, which I want in the worst way, but not enough to spend $1000 for it (new), or even $350 (used). (I hope Cthulhu won't take it personally; it's never a good thing to be on his bad side.)

:: My surrogate son, South Carolina Boy, writes very personally about familial stress, shifting identities and transition: A Real Trans Person and Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

:: Masada bagels, particularly the Everything bagel and the Cinnamon Raisin! mmmmm

:: Theraneem products, which cured my eczema. I can't recommend them highly enough, for any troublesome skin issue you might have.

:: URBAN FARM, a magazine almost as much fun as Mary Jane's Farm. (Our local equivalent is from Hendersonville, NC: Back Home.)

:: BeeWell Honey, from Pickens County, SC. Besides scrumptious wildflower honey, the best thing in Pickens County is Glassy Mountain. (NOTE: This is not to be confused with Glassy Mountain in Greenville County, which was once stunningly beautiful, but now totally ruined by rich people, golfers and enormous McMansions; Kevin Costner and Tiger Woods are frequent visitors and investors.)

:: Barbara Lynn, known as the Queen of Gulf Coast Blues and Soul.

~*~

You'll lose a good thing - Barbara Lynn (1962)