Flute mural painted black -- like bummer man!

Maybe my favorite public mural in Chapel Hill-Carrboro was on the side of the Franklin Street building  that houses Andrea Reusing's expanding Lantern Restaurant. You probably know it well:

Not any more as someone painted over the mural with black paint.

The News & Observer had a big article about it, lamenting the loss and noting artist Michael Brown's disappointment. Local officials like my friend Jeff York, public art director for the city, were dismayed. As I am.

But I can't say I approve of the innuendo from the article that Andrea Reusing had something to do with it. Here's the opening line of the article:

The artist is sick about it. The town is upset about it. And the restaurant owner isn’t talking about it.

Later we learn that Andrea hadn't returned calls. Excuse me but she's pretty friggin' busy these days, being a James Beard finalist and running a famous restaurant. Instead of sensationalism, the article should have stated facts without the snide insinuations based on basically nothing.

And if it turns out that Andrea and the restaurant had something to do with it, I'll be pissed, even though it's the owner's legal right. At this point though there is no reason to make unsubstantiated accusations about someone who has a been a valued member of the community and a wonderful chef for the last decade or so.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/21/2766542/franklin-street-girl-with-flute.html#storylink=cpy

Food can be art, right?

Core Sound Seafood is a CSF (community supported fishery) along the lines of a CSA (community supported agriculture) system.  They are in the signup period for the 2011 Fall shares.  There will be 10 pickup days starting Thursday, September 2011.

CSF works with a team of fishermen and women who fish in the Core Sound of North Carolina.  You can buy full and half shares with weekly or bi-weekly deliveries.  They have drop off locations in Raleigh, Durham and Carrboro.  The Carrboro pick-up time is from 4:30-6:30 pm at Carrboro Shopping Plaza off of Hwy 54.  Here's their description of what they do. 

Core Sound Seafood was started as a way to connect the fishermen of Down East Carteret County, North Carolina to a viable, local market.  Most of the fishermen that make up this coastal community have been fishing all their lives – often they can trace their fishing heritage back four or five generations. Sadly, these fishermen are increasingly leaving their life on the water as global markets, community economic loss, rising fuel prices and decreasing buying prices threaten their livelihood.  Our goal is to provide a market to these fishermen and their families by offering locally caught, fresh seafood to the Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Raleigh community through weekly CSF (community supported fishery) shares. We also utilize locally owned, Down East businesses to help provide items like hand-picked, fresh crab meat to shares. 

Eddie, Alison and Anna are great folks and doing a wonderful job bringing delicious and sustainably harvested seafood to us while supporting the fishing industry by cutting out the middlemen.  Highly recommended!