[Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...

Barry Ragin bragin at nc.rr.com
Fri Mar 4 21:10:18 EST 2011


Ken - you may want to check into who has purchased the three houses i 
mentioned, and how many other vacant properties this particular entity 
currently owns in town, as well as learning what their plans are for 
many of them.

It will be enlightening, i assure you.

I can say, with complete confidence, that not every property owner in 
Durham has the best interests of the community in mind.

Barry Ragin

On 3/4/11 8:48 PM, Ken Gasch wrote:
> Let them eat cake?
>
> This brings me to another point. While well meaning, the city's policy 
> of giving properties to non-profits hurts and area's ability to pull 
> itself up by its boot straps.
>
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 9:43 AM, Melissa's yahoo <mmr121570 at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:mmr121570 at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
>>     I think that DPS, ROTC, or other after school programs should
>>     lease these spaces (at a much reduced rate, which should be
>>     possible since the investors aren't making any money off them
>>     when they are vacant, and have truly small class sizes, as the
>>     charters are tooted for having, or they should be given for use
>>     (free of charge) to nonprofit groups -- boy scouts and girl
>>     scouts troops could use places to meet like these, and they could
>>     fix them up as part of their badge projects....eagle scout
>>     anyone? Right now my daughter's violin group is paying to use
>>     church space...wouldn't it be nice if they could pay to use one
>>     of these vacant buildings instead...
>
>     Melissa
>
>     Sent from my iPad
>
>     On Mar 3, 2011, at 10:34 PM, Ken Gasch <Ken at KenGasch.com
>     <mailto:Ken at KenGasch.com>> wrote:
>
>>     Boarded up windows scream: "Hello squatter, please consider
>>     prying a board loose on my back side and coming on in. As you can
>>     see by my boarded up windows, I am empty and nobody will bother
>>     you for weeks at a time."  Artwork will do the same thing.
>>
>>     Boarding up homes is a bad policy.
>>
>>     Homes should be lived in.
>>
>>     I have had to keep squatters out of houses scores of times.
>>
>>     For starters, go in a few times and throw all their belongings
>>     out. That usually keeps them from coming back.
>>
>>     Empower the neighbors to watch the house for you. I have one
>>     project where a neighbor ran off some would-be looters/squatters
>>     with a 12-gage, double barrel shotgun.
>>
>>     Get temporary power on and play music and keep a light on or two.
>>     Put lights on timers.
>>
>>     Sign a trespass agreement with the police and post "no
>>     trespassing" signs. My sign is not big and neon orange. My sign
>>     is very small. It does not scream: "empty house."  It is in
>>     12-point type and says: "No Trespassing. Durham Police
>>     Department, Pursuant to NC General Statute 14-153.13 (1),
>>     I hereby authorize any officer of the Durham Police Department to
>>     arrest and remove any intruder found upon these premises.  I will
>>     testify in court as to my power to delegate this authority.
>>      Please do not hesitate to phone me at any time of day or night.
>>      Thank you, Ken Gasch 919.475.8866."
>>
>>     Do not board up houses!!!
>>
>>     Ken Gasch
>>     REALTOR®/Broker
>>     Seagroves Realty
>>     www.KenGasch.com <http://www.KenGasch.com>
>>     C: 919.475.8866
>>     F: 866.229.4267
>>
>>
>>
>>     On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:24 PM, Barry Ragin <bragin at nc.rr.com
>>     <mailto:bragin at nc.rr.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         You know, for a city that's on everyone's list of the top ten
>>         places to live in the US, we sure seem to have a lot of
>>         vacant and abandoned houses in this town.
>>
>>         I can't for the life of me understand why that should be.
>>
>>         Barry Ragin
>>
>>         On 3/3/11 4:30 PM, Melissa's yahoo wrote:
>>
>>             Maybe Durham would consider hosting a contest where
>>             artists paint a board to be permanently displayed in
>>             windows that are broken/in disrepair. Durham could give a
>>             small cash prize and/or display the winning board at City
>>             Hall or something like that. It would be great publicity
>>             for the many artists in Durham and the Triangle. If this
>>             doesn't float, maybe we can make it a contest for schools
>>             or school aged children and give the winner a $200
>>             savings bond - this is what they did for the Durham
>>             America Recycles Day contest this year. Or the winner's
>>             school could get a raingarden installation or something
>>             like that, which we want to see done anyway...
>>
>>             Melissa
>>
>>             Sent from my iPad
>>
>>             On Mar 2, 2011, at 7:13 PM, "RW
>>             Pickle"<randy at 27beverly.com <mailto:randy at 27beverly.com>>
>>              wrote:
>>
>>                 Since this is a current topic of a new committee,
>>                 those involved (as well
>>                 as anyone else interested) should view the recent
>>                 window treatment
>>                 (instead of plywood or other materials) used by NIS
>>                 on a house located on
>>                 Holloway Street. The house is located on the right in
>>                 the first block
>>                 (going out Holloway from downtown past the Public
>>                 Library) just past the
>>                 Dillard Street intersection. The house is white and I
>>                 believe it's the 3rd
>>                 or 4th on the right as you head out Holloway that
>>                 way. This is a window
>>                 treatment that offers security, yet looks like a
>>                 window. The house also
>>                 has fresh straw in the yard from reseeding (just to
>>                 help you locate it).
>>                 It has much better curb appeal than plywood and just
>>                 casually looking, it
>>                 looks like windows are in place.
>>
>>                 Randy Pickle
>>
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>>
>>
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>
>


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