May 11, 2008The end is nearNot THAT end, folks. The end of Hillary's sense-of-entitlement, self-annointed ascent to the presidency. Here's what I think. Obama can't beat McCain. Hillary has made sure of that with all of her talk about working-class whites not voting for him. (In case Hill hasn't noticed, blacks aren't exactly lining up to push the touch-screen for her, either.) If by some miracle that the superdelegates lose their minds and make Clinton the nominee, she can't beat McCain, either. (see above paren. That won't change in the general.) So here goes the regurgitation of the "dream-team" talk floating out there in cyberspace: A Obama-Clinton ticket in the general. Such a ticket would clean McCain's clock, because all segments of the Democratic base would have a dog in the fight. But I don't think Hill wants to be the No. 2 of the man she has trashed --- and intensely --- for the past several months. She's not going to play second-fiddle to a perceived newbie interloper. What do y'all think? Loving court case took laws off loveAubrey and Michelle Wright embody the typical boy-meets-girl American love story. On Thanksgiving Eve 2002, she was out with her friend Susan at Corned Beef & Co. in Roanoke. He was out with his brothers. The couple met, and they hit it off immediately. They made plans to meet at the same spot two nights later. Eight months later, they married. "It was love at first sight," Michelle said with a smile one evening last week as she recalled meeting her husband. One thing, however, distinguishes their love from most American couples. It reaches across racial lines. Aubrey, 32, is black. Michelle, 33, is white. May 10, 2008It's unclear if Bowers can walk the walkThe sixth time was the charm for David Bowers. After defeats in his last five political outings, the former Roanoke mayor and councilman captured the mayor's office in this week's municipal election. Once considered the Bill Clinton of Roanoke's black community, Bowers became 2008's Comeback Kid on Tuesday night. Bowers seized on sources of residents' discontent and exploited those to victory. He rallied to the side of firefighters disgruntled over budget cuts, Forest Park Elementary parents unhappy about the pending closure of the school and dismayed Mill Mountain advocates who are fighting a proposal for a restaurant in the park. He also pledged to oppose an amphitheater on the old Victory Stadium site. Candidate Bowers made a slew of promises. But can Mayor Bowers deliver? Continue reading "It's unclear if Bowers can walk the walk" » Mailbag is full of kudos, criticismsAfter almost eight months, the mailbag overfloweth on subjects as varied as Jeremiah Wright, Boones Mill, former city Councilman Alfred Dowe, a restaurant on Mill Mountain, the Roanoke police department and parental responsibility. Before I get to the electronic mail, I'll share a recent voicemail I received from an anonymous caller annoyed by my column citing the need for any restaurant on Mill Mountain to have a view: Miss Flowers, pack up your rent-to-own furniture and move to Pittsburgh. I don't rent my furniture, but it's probably time to buy something a little more up-to-date. My basement, with its dated white, overstuffed leather sofa and chair, looks like a throwback to the disco era. As for a move to Pittsburgh, don't tempt me. It's a very cool city. May 4, 2008Kids need help when they move schoolsThe deed, as we expected, is done. Forest Park Elementary School will close in June, and its 265 students will be dispersed to three other elementary schools this fall to make room for an overage academy. Impassioned parents and their advocates condemned the proposal in a show of support for the school during a meeting Wednesday evening at Lucy Addison Middle School. But the next morning, school officials approved the measure. With a divided 4-3 vote, the Roanoke School Board elevated the proposal to policy. Now, for the sake of the children, let the healing begin. May 1, 2008Relish the prom; just don't regret itDear promgoers: Elsewhere in this paper is the tragic, life-changing story of a young, underage drunken driver. Kids and booze. Booze and kids. They don't mix. Oh gawd, how many times have you had to listen to that? But just hear me out, particularly as many of you kick off prom season this weekend. Let's be real: There's something about tuxedos, prom gowns, bracelet corsages and rented Hummer limos that make some of you forget your home training. April 29, 2008Tennis players court councilFor five years, Pam Forrest-Hurt has played tennis several times a week on the city-owned courts at Eureka Park. And for five years, she has put up with the declining condition and spotty maintenance of the courts in Northwest Roanoke. The wide cracks that can throw off the trajectory of any bouncing ball that lands on one. The hit-or-miss lighting. The overgrown grass along the fence. All that is bad enough. But what pushed the calm, soft-spoken woman to her breaking point was the response she received three weeks ago when she called the city and asked someone to please come repair a raggedy net. What Forrest-Hurt found when she returned to play was a plastic clamp -- about the size of the twist-ties used to seal loaves of bread -- holding the net together. "That was kind of it for me," Forrest-Hurt said Sunday evening. April 27, 2008Complex tension sad, but not newWhat's happening at Maple Grove Apartments in Roanoke is not a new story. It's disturbing, but sadly, not new. The rock-throwing, the window-breaking, the taunting, the fear, the escalating tensions between African refugees and black Americans at the rundown complex in Northwest Roanoke make up the story of humanity. It is the story of different waves of European immigrants at the turn of the century scrapping among earlier arrivals to find their place in America. It's the story of Boston schools in the 1970s. It's the story of today's virulent call for immigration reform that would build an actual wall along America's southern border. What's occurring at Maple Grove is the story of what happens when people are intolerant of others who are different. |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
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