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What's up with that?
Welcome to the online version of “What’s up with that?” This is a weekly feature that runs in the North Raleigh News section of the News & Observer.
In this feature, we answer readers’ questions: Curious about something you’ve seen as you drove around town? Here’s the place to ask questions -- and to provide answers. If you have a question, post it here. And if you can help answer a question, post that, too. Each Friday, we’ll choose a question to run in the News & Observer.
We’ll start things going with a question from Margie McKelvy:
“I've been driving from Raleigh to work in Durham for 12 years on U.S. 70 and I'm wondering what those giant sewer pipe-looking things are right at the Wake/Durham county border. They've been there as long as I can remember and no one seems to be doing any construction there.”
Anyone out there know anything about these pipes? Here’s a photo:
Here are a couple more questions we're working on. If anyone can help answer these, please post your information:
“We’ve lived in Philadelphia, Seattle and Miami and this is the first place we've noticed this -- nobody parks in driveways. They all park on the street...It baffles me. I don’t think it’s etiquette. It must be something else.”
-- Louis Guillama, northern Wake
Could you look into the history of the old stone fireplace located in the Durant Nature Park? I pass it when I am taking the walk around the perimeter of the Durant Park.
-- Deborah Brogden
blue reflectors
Thanks to a break-through, we finally solved the question of the blue reflectors! They are used by fire departments outside of the city limits to mark where fire hydrants are. The blue color is easily visible at night.
The full answer is printed in the October 14, 2007 edition of the NRN.
Keep those questions coming in!
Laura Smith, WUWT columnist
those pipes have been there at least 20 years! Who owns the property? They probably know. North Raleigh news, you have any more information since April?
I have noticed over the years that in the area just behind these pipes and following along Hwy 70 there are some low but shallow wetlands and oddly enough have remained wet even during the current drought cycle.
traffic light
A traffic light was installed at the corner of Fall of Neuse Rd. and Morrocroft a couple of months ago but is not operational yet? Do you know when it will be activated?
When driving east on Durham
When driving east on Durham Road ( Rt 98) in Wake Forest, I have noticed people chipping away a a small rock formation on the side of the road. This is located after you pass the cross street of Camp Kanata Road.Could you tell me what they are doing and why they are doing it?
These are obviously what are referred to as 'Rock Hounds', a special breed of people who just dig the earth and admire its natural resources located beneath their feet. Chances are they probably picked up this habit at a very early age. Assuming if these people ever developed an interest in digital photography including macro photography they would probably be doing more snapping than chipping.
Been there, done that. :)
Here is photo selected from my digital collection:
This is a macro I made of some crystalline Pyrophyllite found imbedded in a boulder below the cliffs at Occoneechee Mountain near Hillsborough. Being a major constituent mineral in the cliffs at Occoneechee Mountain, the mostly massive form of this same mineral gives these cliffs their white appearance.
Is anyone working on this?
Is anyone working on this? Pleasae advise.
Thank you
Doris Younghans
Your post
I can respond to your question -- please tell me what you want to know.
There are garnets in the
There are garnets in the granite at that spot. My geology class from NCSU went there on a field trip. They are not high quality garnets. It is still fun to use a rock hammer and collect them.
The geology of northern Wake County is interesting. The Rolesville Batholith which runs all the way to New England is exposed near Rolesville (hence the granite quarry). There are old mica mines near Wake Forest and of course the graphite that was mined near the Finley Y and Lead Mine Road area.
PIPES
The state probably forgot about them, or, they are supposed to be underground somwhere. You ever purchase something you had to assemble and when you were done you had a bunch of left over parts.. OOPPSS!!! That's probably the case here!!!!