hburgnews.com

It’s been about 8 months since the last one. Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance announced they are planning a second speed dating night for Saturday, November 10 8 at Clementine.
For at least one couple, the last event was a success. A reader wrote to us, “I met my honey bunny at the first one they held in [...]

Even in the midst of what looks to be a major economic crisis on Wall Street, Rosetta Stone, the language learning software company with a large office in downtown Harrisonburg, is moving ahead with plans to become a publicly traded company. From MarketWatch:
Rosetta Stone Inc. late Tuesday filed to raise up to $115 million in [...]

One of the most fascinating blogs I’ve ever come across has to be PostSecret. For years, readers have been mailing their anonymous secrets on a postcard to Frank Warren, who posts them on his blog. PostSecret has gained a huge following, and become one of the top 30 most popular on the Internet. I recently [...]

The banner that went up across the former church/clothes closet building on the corner of Market and Mason last week reads: “Open Soon. Franklin’s Cafe & Wine Bar.”
I contacted the owner, Howard Wiener, about the new addition to downtown. He said he was looking to start something a little different; something Harrisonburg didn’t have [...]

By the Side of the Road Bed and Breakfast on Garbers Church Road recently made the BedandBreakfast.com list of “Great Places to Sleep With Ghosts.” I’m not sure how being a “dead and breakfast” is supposed to boost business, but the listing states:
When the [Side of the Road] innkeeper went to turn off the [...]

As I wrote last week, Norfolk Southern is repairing tracks throughout the city, causing temporary street closures.
Today the city sent out a notice that Norfolk Southern will close Maryland Avenue tomorrow (Wednesday) between Central Avenue and South High Street. The street is expected to be closed to traffic from 9:00 am to approximately 3:00pm.

If you’re wondering why it’s been a little quiet here lately, I recently started a new job, I’m starting work on a new documentary, and I’ve been packing up to move across town. So, I probably won’t be able to devote as much time to hburgnews as I have in the past. But that might [...]

File this story under bizarre.
ClickZ, an online marketing trend tracking site, reports Obama ads “showed up on an array of local Clear Channel rock radio station Web sites [including Harrisonburg's 98Rock] featuring content some would consider inappropriate for a radio station, much less a presidential campaign.” A screenshot of 98rockme.com features Obama’s ad alongside [...]

VDOT just launched their “new and improved” 511 phone system and website for up-to-date info on wrecks and construction on the roads. I’ve used it in the past for email updates, but the interface was very web 1.0. I couldn’t get information specifically for Harrisonburg, and I didn’t care for the deluge of emails about [...]

Back to school season has descended on the Valley and the Virginia State Police have made several suggestions for improving the safety of area children.
Perhaps what is most disturbing are statistics from the 2007 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts indicating that juveniles accounted for 404 pedestrian injuries and 260 biking injuries statewide. For fatalities, seven juveniles [...]

A reader informed me that unappetizing photos of Harrisonburg Public School lunches recently ended up linked from Digg to a lowbrow blog about “girls, gossip, and gear for men.”
The thing is, those photos were taken off the school’s website years ago. I’m told some of those items, like chicken fryz, are still on the [...]

WSVA is reporting that owners of Taste of Thai have purchased the old Spanky’s building.
[Eddie] Bumbaugh says they closed on the building last Thursday and plan to open a new restaurant.
The new owners say the restaurant, expected to open Summer 2009, will be totally different from Taste of Thai, which will remain open.

East Market Street between Main Street and Federal Street will be closed from 7 to 7 tomorrow, August 20. According to a release just sent out by the city, the closure is related to work associated with the downtown streetscape project.
Following on the heels of that was another news advisory regarding the wooden [...]

There’s a story in today’s DNR about the opening of Our Community Place.
About 75 people - a hodgepodge of volunteers, the needy and homeless folks - chowed down on sloppy joes, corn on the cob, stewed tomatoes, onion rings, squash casserole and garlic bread.
Those that know Ron Copeland, formerly the man behind the Little [...]