Canopy crisis comes to end

The Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: May 22, 2008

Phew! Crisis averted.OK, so loss of the canopy at Barracks Road Shopping Center wasn’t the biggest controversy in town.

But what sets this disagreement apart from many others is that this time “the people” won. That doesn’t always happen.

Shopping center owners had proposed removing the continuous canopy that shelters strollers from Panera Bread to Richey & Co., and replacing it with individual awnings over each store.

That would have given the store fronts a fresh look, helped differentiate them and made them more individually recognizable.

But it would not have been good for business.

The one-piece canopy now protects shoppers from rain, sun and, to some degree, wind.

Had the canopy been replaced with individual awnings, shoppers would have been exposed to the weather each time they stepped from store to store. And that would have discouraged customers, who could easily take their business elsewhere — such as to a climate-controlled indoor mall.

Merchants and customers alike protested the proposed change, and the owners relented.

The people’s protests don’t always provoke the desired results. Sometimes we feel as if we’ve been steamrollered by the big guys.

This time we were heard and heeded.

Safe, happy holiday

Granted, nobody likes getting a speeding ticket.

But the practice of issuing tickets saves lives and property, because all too often it takes the long arm of the law to force drivers to slow down and drive safely.

And so the Albemarle Police Department’s May 19 crackdown on speeders was a very good thing.

Police issued 142 tickets to 126 drivers during six hours, most for speeding.

Maybe next time the ticketed driver will think twice and reduce speed. And that next time may be the very decision that prevents an accident.

The crackdown also reminds the rest of us to slow down, too.

Police will be stepping up enforcement for the upcoming holiday weekend as well.

So drive safely, everyone. It’s the best way to ensure that you enjoy your holiday.