Last December, Western Lanes began a transformation. It was sold to a group of 20-something investors from the area. While promising to retain most of the features that give it charm, they wanted to give it a minor facelift and modernize it. The first change is the name–it is now known as “The Alley”. The fate of long time restaurant staff was less clear however, as it would have to temporarily close for restoration.

Late last year, we confirmed that Theresa Fenner, bartender at Western Lanes for 27 years, would in fact stay on staff and remain a part of the family throughout the transition process. When stopping by on a recent visit to check on her and the modernization effort, I learned of very sad news: She had contracted a very serious kidney infection, which for the past month has kept her out of work. On April 17th, she was airlifted to Winston-Salem to undergo treatment. According to her husband, her odds were at 50% for surviving. She fought through it, and 11 days later was discharged.
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With all of the new restaurants and bars opening up around Fayetteville, Hargett, and Wilmington Streets, it’s easy to overlook some of the businesses that have been downtown long before the area’s resurgence. One such example is Dechen Collections, a family-run operation on Blake Street in City Market specializing in hand-made goods crafted by Tibetan refugees located in Nepal, India, and Thailand.

The store is run by Dechen Paldon and her husband Karma Tashi, both Tibetan nationals. Operating a business selling hand-made items wasn’t something she decided to do on after moving to the United States, however. Her parents ran a similar store outside the refugee camps in Nepal, and she ran one of her own for 18 years before emigrating to the United States over 10 years ago. They have operated out of City Market for about 8 years.

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How much thought have you given to the stride, comfort level, and evenness of a cobblestone path? How about what the optimum tread/riser ratio for a set of stairs leading to a brick patio should be? I can’t say I’ve explored these design concepts to any great depth, but it’s a science that Tom Mekus (above) of Native Elements knows inside and out.

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