Opinion

THORNS & ROSES: The DOT's good idea

By Bill Moss, Published: June 29, 2012

Rose — To the state DOT, for a new idea that's creative, bold and out of the ordinary.

The "diverging diamond" interchange transportation engineers have proposed for the N.C. 280-I-26 interchange would move traffic more efficiently, be safer and cost less money. What's not to like? Some people will grumble when they see a sketch of the roadway, and some drivers will be buffaloed the first time they reach a road segment that directs them to drive on "the wrong side of the road." As the engineers freely acknowledge, it looks weird from the air. But on the ground, motorists are used to following signage and pavement arrows. Yes, it's new. But it saves taxpayers' money and where it's been tried it works. Did we mention that construction is much quicker, too?

Thorn —To top aides to Gov. Bev Perdue, who faked a letter from DOT chief operating officer Jim Trogdon in an effort to steer money to state road projects that the same highway official had already said were not ready for funding. Senior adviser Pryor Gibson acknowledged in a hearing before the Senate Rules Committee last week that he and Perdue staff attorney Kevin McLaughlin had made the edits to the DOT officials' letter. "I regret that error," said Gibson, a former state House member who joined Perdue's staff in early 2011 as a liaison with the General Assembly. "I was trying to solve one problem, or one issue for a couple of legislators, and I created another one and for that, I regret it." This time he got caught because Trogdon had the honesty and backbone to call him on it. This stuff is more common than ever gets reported. At least it was exposed this time.

Rose — To Damian Duke Domingue, the Flat Rock Playhouse actor, musician and artist, who is currently starring in "Red," his 100th performance at the Playhouse. Often cast in his 20-year stage career as in a zany character part, Domingue landed the challenging role as the abstract painter Mark Rothko. Duke Domingue, who has given heart and soul to the Playhouse for two decades, deserves the ovation he's getting at the Playhouse Downtown.