Luna Tick

 

 

Dryer Ice Unit Broken

 

 

Attention To Detail

 

Wrapping up the downtown upgrade.  Filling in a crack.

Holey Go-Go-Gadget!

 

 

Rainbow Crack

 

 

New Slant On Brinkerhoff Street

If you're used to level areas between the sidewalk and the curb watch out for spots like this.

Splash The Spectrum

 

 

One Way Today

 

One Way Today

 © 2023 Luke T. Bush    PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY 

Back in the mid-1970s the first mall opened in Plattsburgh Town. JCPenney & Montgomery Ward, major stores in downtown Plattsburgh City, abandoned the area to go where the action was. After that there were plenty of open parking spaces on the streets.

The city left in the coin fed parking meters which didn’t help since the mall offered free parking. The response to compete with the mall was to widen the sidewalks (making the area look more empty) and also to convert Margaret Street to one way. 

Years later the one way change proved to be inconvenient and Margaret was returned to its original traffic flow. With all the one way streets it was difficult to give directions to someone seeking a downtown shop. One had to remember with which streets were one way or partially two way. It was easier to tell someone to take a right turn and go to the mall.

With the recent upgrades to Margaret Street one section has been converted to one way from Court to Brinkerhoff streets. What is confusing is that those streets are two way for one block before changing into one way. Add this new one way section and giving directions to a downtown business is even more difficult. So don’t be surprised when Margaret Street is completely returned to two way traffic. 

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed.

Halloween Hungry

 

 

Bright Spot

 

 

New Tree Spot

 

 

Vibrations

 

 

Concrete Cloud

 The downtown upgrade continues. Cutting out the old for the new.

 

Eye To Eye

 

 

Beedy-Eyes

 

 

Pollinating Pair

 

 

Defiant

 

 

Beware: Bad Batteries

 © 2023 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY - 9/21/23

The first time the fire department arrived the fire was put out.  It seemed the defective lithium-ion rechargeable battery for an electric bicycle would no longer be a hazard.

But a few hours later the battery reignited in the dumpster, the heat so intense that it melted the bin's covers.  Once again the fire department extinguished the blaze.

Due to the rising popularity of electric bicycles and scooters defective rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the third cause of New York City fires.

Consumers are advised to look for batteries with the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) label but there are counterfeit batteries out there with counterfeit UL tags.  Fireproof bags are available to cover a lithium battery during charging to contain any fires.  The owner should at least be present during recharging, keeping an eye on the energy cell in case a problem should arise.

How To Fix A Hole

 

Solar Aura

 

 

Small Hairy Deal

 

 

Fueling Up

 

A butterfly seeks out flower nectar for energy to fly.  Along the way it happens to pick up pollen, helping to fertilize other flowers.

The Eye

 

 

Arts Fest: Chalk It Up to Concrete

 

 

 

Arts Fest: Lake City Mural Dedication

Guest speaker NYS Assemblyman Billy Jones talked

about the importance of the arts to the community.

 

 

Amy Guglielmo, Outside Art: Plattsburgh Art Project,

coordinated the massive endeavor.

One of the mural artists dressed especially for the occasion.

A Cut Above: Downtown Upgrade

 

 

Condylostylus - 2 to 6mm Long

 

 

Beegone

 

 

Devil In The Details

 

Unearthed pipe.  Downtown renovation.

 

POW!

 

 

Stop Staring, Human

 

 

Relaxing

 

 

Raindrop Refraction

 

 

Replacement Time

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY - 7/23/23

And as downtown street rehabilitation continues more items show what has been underneath for too long...

 

 

Dome

 

 

Banjo Doodling

 

Sitting at this favorite spot Ryan Casey plays parts of different tunes to see what he can create.   He relaxes, his free form playing akin to doodling.  

 

 

Courteous Service

There's a restaurant that has complained its business has slumped due to the downtown reconstruction. This evening I went in to see if I could get take out. Three different employees saw me but said nothing like “How may I help you?”  They just walked by me.  If it was too late to order someone could have told me that. I left after waiting a few minutes. They can stuff their gyros up their backsides until it comes out their noses. Gee, am I being discourteous?

 

Sunburst

 

Transformation

 

 © 2023 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY -- 7/13/23

From beer cans, cigarette butts and rotting banana peels to tomatoes, peppers and polychromatic flowers.

Two stone walls form the entrance to the parking lot on the corner of Court Street and City Hall Place.  They were designed to hold soil to create garden beds.

Until last summer the garden beds were empty, used as elongated garbage cans.  For the second year two volunteers have beautified the neglected spots.

Ryan Casey lives near the walls.  He likes to sit on a wall and play guitar.  Since he didn’t own any land he decided to make use of the dirty fallow beds.  With his partner Jesse they have cleaned and replenished the soil.  One garden bed under Ryan’s aegis is for tomatoes and other edible plants.  The other features a variety of flowers planted by Jesse like snap dragons, irises and carnations.

The mayor had been approached about upgrading the garden beds but he said the city had no money for the project.  This created an opportunity for Ryan and Jesse to fix the unsightly spots.

Ryan says the renewed garden beds have acted as a catalyst for great conversations with passersby.  Since the project is for the community he says people are invited to take ripe tomatoes.

Besides adding a splash of beauty the flowers are great subjects for close up photography as evinced at this blog.

 

Lifelines

 

Grotesque Inside Beauty