WOLVERINES!

68 Bradhurst is another real estate blog but it is not by a broker, developer or renter but by a homeowner.

In the words of the blogger.

68 Bradhurst is a gossip site and publishes rumors, conjecture and opinions, as well as accurately reported factual information. The site may contain errors or inaccuracies. We give no assurance or guarantee regarding the accuracy, timeliness or applicability of any of the contents. Links to external or third party Web sites are provided solely for visitors' convenience. Links taken to other sites are done so at your own risk and 68 Bradhurst accepts no liability for any linked sites or their contents. 68 Bradhurst will try to correct all factual

This bloggers discusses the wacky hijinks that have occurred since moving in.

It ranges on the system of kickbacks

Chances for misappropriating building funds are not limited simply to fudging expenditures and writing questionable checks. Being on the board means interacting with vendors who supply many types of products and services necessary for your building's continuing operation - and therein lies another opportunity for malfeasance: bid-rigging and kickbacks.

To dealing with threats from the board.

A Threat

I received a letter last night around 6:30 pm from the building manager (it's Friday night, she should be off enjoying her weekend). I thought it was the $225 check for the phone jacks. Instead, it was a letter from the board threatening to take me to court. For what? I have no idea. Just another scare tactic, I think.

To me, a lawsuit-happy board bringing frivolous lawsuits against owners can be costly and drive common charges up for the building. Taking someone like me to court with a baseless claim is most likely gonna end up pissing other owners off in the end.

What's funny is they would rather go to court than to just answer some simple questions that I feel I have the right to ask. I just can't understand why they don't want to answer these questions:

1. They said extra security cameras were put in place. Where are the security cameras located?

2. What is Resident Pilot and how will it benefit me as a homeowner. How much does it cost? Were there any proposals from other vendors? If so, who?

It is all rather amusing to me. Maybe this blogger is a little nutty, but I think we'd all be mistaken for some type of pistachio if we were in that type of situation.

October in New Bern

In New Bern, October is a month of fun and festivals. We just got back from the Chili Festival which is always a fun filled event held in Havelock which is about a 20 minute drive from New Bern. Chef's from all over the state come in to see whose chili will be chosen number one by a panel of 12 judges. Many other types of food were prepared by various non profit organizations and sold to raise money for the charities they represent. Many performances, including Community and High School Bands, College choirs, professional wrestlers, and Civil War re-enactment soldiers entertained the thousands of visitors.

Also held this weekend was the Neuse River Run. This year's event had over 800 contestants who competed in 5 and 10 K runs/walks. The run begins in Bridgeston and proceeds to the Neuse River Bridge and finishes in downtown New Bern. All proceeds from the event go to 12 non profit organizations.

The Mum Fest was held in downtown New Bern last weekend. This annual event is rated one of the top 20 festivals in the South and grows each year with new vendors and performers. Click the link to learn more about the Mum Fest http://www.mumfest.com/

New Bern's Ghost Walk will be held October 26 and 27. This years Ghost walk will give you a chance to experience the Civil War Years in New Bern at the 17th annual New Bern at Night Ghostwalk. The Ghostwalk tour features historic homes, churches, and the town’s oldest cemetery, dating back to 1798. This year’s event transports you to the Civil War Years, with Confederate and Union soldiers, spies and other “spirits” that disclose their intriguing stories. Guides are available at each site to give the history of homes while the “ghosts” tell the story of the Battle of New Bern and share other tales of what the town was like during this turbulent era in American history when brother fought against brother.

Oh say can you see

The 4th of July is all about fireworks, small town parades, friends, family and cookouts. This year I managed to experience a little of all the above. I started the day by attending the Riverbend 4th of July parade. This is a great event to attend as it typifies a small town 4th of July celebration. The parade is only about 3 blocks long but the enthusastic crowd cheers their local celebraties, Fire departments, and civic organizations. The parade ends at the town hall where they have pony rides, games, food and drink and a country rock band.

After leaving Riverbend I rode to Havelock to join some friends, retired Marines, for their annual 4th celebration that comes complete with barbeque, watermelon, cole slaw, and pepsi cola. Havelock is the home of Cherry Point Marine air station and there are plenty of former Marines that attend the party. The air was filled with patriotism as you might expect. Great time but I had to leave early to get back to New Bern and prepare my boat for a fun filled evening on the water with friends. We, along with everyone else in the area with a boat, boated to Union Point and watched the awesome fireworks. What a sight. We enjoyed it throughly and will no doubt be back next year.

New Bern regional airport

Last Saturday I had to go to the airport to pick my wife up. She was coming in from Philadelphia. I was suprised when I walked in the the airport to see so many people, some getting their luggage, 2 lines, one Delta, one US Air, both of which weemed to be full. New Bern, and all of Eastern NC, are fortunate to have an airport with such outstanding service. We have 8 US Air flights daily to Charlotte, 3 Delta direct jet flights to Atlanta, and several weekly flights to Philadelphia. Thats hard to beat for a small county like craven, Pamlico, and Cateret.

Lake New Bern

Last night my wife and my son spent the afternoon at Lake New Bern. Lake New Bern is a 60 acre, 40' deep absolutely beautiful lake located in the center of New Bern. We set up a tent, started the charcoal, and proceeded to enjoy the afternoon reading, walking-me, and fishing. After I walked around the perimeter of the lake, around 2 miles, I checked to see how many fish my wife and son had caught. The sum of their catch was 0. So I asked if they would mind if I gave it a whirl. First cast and bang, I hooked a nice large mouth bass.

Humbly I unhooked the fish and walked away.

Fun at the Palace

The photo on the left shows New Bern's Tryon Palace during a concert held Tuesday June 4. What a wonderful evening. Over 1000 people showed up to hear the North Carolina symphony. Afterwards there was a spectacular fireworks display courtesy of one of our local corporations. All this for free. Great evening and I hope they will do it again soon.

Happy on the river in New Bern

Happiness is being on the Trent River in New Bern with your grandson and your two best friends, Roscoe and River. Doesn`t get much better than this.