Big Mama's rest. may close due to...parking tickets?
Was hoping to try but...see below (I believe it set up shop in place of our beloved
Steel City Diner)...note ref. to Fernando too...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_683849.html
Big Mama' complains parking tickets destroying her eatery\Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Big Mama has big problems.
Brenda Franklin says she might shut down Big Mama's House of Southern Cuisine and take her signature fried chicken, ribs, pulled pork and peach cobbler to another city because parking violations have cost her more than $3,000 in fines.
"I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to figure out how I'm going to pay my rent," Franklin said. "I've been trying to hold on and maintain. But they've been making it impossible."
Franklin appeared on the CBS "Early Show" in 2008 as part of "Small Businesses, Big Rescues," a series of stories in which the show paired expert mentors with novice entrepreneurs to improve their chances of survival.
Franklin ran a take-out restaurant in the Strip District then. Her dream was to start a sit-down, family restaurant, which she did three months ago when she moved to a spot on Liberty Avenue, Downtown, across the street from August Wilson Center for African American Culture.
No one told her parking would be such a nightmare, said Franklin, a former jazz singer and grandmother of 11 who lives in Garfield...
Fernando DeCarvalho, owner of Fernando's Cafe next to Big Mama's, said his blue SUV was ticketed in Exchange Way, as well.
(CLICK LINK TO SEE MORE)
Hey Kage. How much money do we bring to the city every year? I know you don't know all of the details of this story but I am sure you could issue SOME sort of statement. After all, FUrnando did take that brick in the head for us.
Not to mention all the local business do for us while in town.....
I don't know.
I'm pretty sure the estimate's over a million dollars, but I might be wrong. For some reason the figure $2.3 million sticks in my head but that might be totally false.
I think it was around 3.4 million per year.
I hope Big Mama's doesn't shut down before AC, I was hoping to get another bite of her delicious BBQ Chicken and Mac & Cheese.
BTW this may have been another reason the Steel City Diner went out of business. How can a business survive if there's no place to park?
I've got a call in to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. Let's see how much pull Anthrocon has gained over the years.
I was looking forward to trying her Pulled Pork and Peach Cobbler.
Just got off the phone with Big Mama. She's not closing up shop before Anthrocon, and in fact is stocking up on wings and grits.
Hopefully she stocks up on more than that, we're some hungry carnivores come con time >:3
Thanks for calling for us, Kage!
That's good news. I am looking forward to eating at Big Mama's.
Kage, hopefully that call will let her stay open year round.... How the HELL can a city gain tax dollars if it doesn't have businesses to produce it? Parking in more important then people think it is.
Unfortunately, the people who make decisions about parking regulations are the people who have reserved parking. How do they know what the rest of us go through?
>>Just got off the phone with Big Mama. She's not closing up shop before Anthrocon, and in fact is stocking up on wings and grits.
excellent, thanks! 3,000+ stomachs needed to be fed (and if you're a vegetarian, don't worry,
you can find a way...much like one time I was at Redbone's, a BBQ place in Somerville MA and the folks at the table next to me had several carnivores and one vegetarian. They exchanged meat items and veggie items in "the combo" and all were happy.)
3,000? With the growth that Anthrocon's been seeing, I predict we will bust 4,000. >:3
I would personally be surprised if we didn't.
We try not to say that number; Chiaroscuro gets twitchy when you mention the number that's one more than 3,999. 
I would be very surprised if we didn't surpass that number by a fair shot. If we're lucky, perhaps we'll manage to stay under the number that's 1 more than 4,999 just a few years longer, tho; there are some additional complications that come into play then. 
We try not to say that number; Chiaroscuro gets twitchy when you mention the number that's one more than 3,999.
That's good info to know. I may have to torture Chiaro with it while I am working registration with him.
I can handle the number that's 1 more than 3,999 now. This year. I'm ready for.. *gulps* Four thousand attendees. We anticipate that.
The number that is 1 more than 4,999 will send me into the fetal position.
Mwahahahaha! 
Hey, Chi. Hey. Hey, Chi.
Six thousand.
Wow. You're going to give him a nervous breakdown with talk like that. We don't want to send him over the edge.....yet.
Could be worse. Just imagine a point in time where it's going to be over 9,000.
Or, better yet, don't imagine it; at least not until august. 
*hides behind the couch* They'll never find me here never find me Bennie come baaaaaack
The number that is 1 more than 4,999 will send me into the fetal position.
Yeah, the security folks aren't particularly fond of that number, either.
From the article it seems like she should be able to apply for a handicapped tag due to the shoulder problems which should cut down on the ticketing. She might be able to get a temporary tag that can be placed on truck during loading and unloading, indicating its a "special case" and shouldn't be ticketed so quickly.
Over 4,000 Furries in same place/time continum ?? - Hmmm Anyone recall that old phrase - "As easy as herding cats" ? G'Luck to all those involved in registrations or security !
Well, when you have both a Lion and a Gryphoness to back up our Registration Director Mongoose, herding mere cats should be easy.
If they get outta line.... we get a snack!
*cackles*
*looks slightly worried that Tyrrlin has been taking Charline lessons* (<_<)
And now you've added a wolf and tiger to the mix. No telling what could happen.
I am every day glad that mongooses are fairly high on the food chain, and not much preys on us except certain raptors. Principally Goshawks. Thankfully, there are no goshawks on my staff.
But aren't all of you actually human beings? 
WHAT TOMFOOLERY IS THIS.
I reject your reality and substitute my own!
ahhhhhhhhhhhh . . . no we don't.
In the first place we don't know what "myths" about furries they would want to prove or dispel. (Not to mention the techniques they'd use to test them.)
Secondly, Mythbusters are only happy when they can end a show with something exploding. They would surely seek out the most volitile element to do this with, and frankly we need our chairman.
...they might be?
After the Sunday night Dead Dog parties, my memories of the convention each year are a bit hazy.
Goshawks are insane. They've been recorded attacking humans riding horses.
Hopefully with this sort of publicity, the police will start issuing permits again or otherwise "do the right thing".
Pennsylvania Furry? Be sure to check out http://www.pa-furry.org/