You know you are from Raleigh if... (Cary, Wilson: rental, middle schools)

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by Francois

I went there when it was a Jr High, before becoming (again) an Elementary. I think it was Elementary until North Ridge opened ('69-'70, I think?) and took those kids, then it went Jr High, then back to Elementary when West Millbrook opened ('76-'77) and they switched us to there. All of these were in the county system. I remember riding the bus out Falls of Neuse to school and seeing "Future sight of North Ridge Shopping Center" in front of a bunch of woods; there was a pasture across from there with horses in it.

I too went to Millbrook Junior High and then to West Millbrook for my last year of Junior High. Millbrook Jr. High was the only school I attended that had a second floor. I thought that was really cool for some reason.

Remember when North Ridge and Carolina Country Clubs were in their older more "contemporary" buildings? It seems like everything in Raleigh has gone through one or more facelifts.
-I hardly recognize Millbrook High School anymore
-Crabtree has gone through several renovations and expansions
-Cameron Village's initial "update" was with those barrel vaulted skylit canopies and blue sign panels.
-North Hills was renovated and was nicer than Crabtree for a few years prior to Crabtree's most recent incarnation.
-Falls Village doesn't look like the same place anymore but the TJ Maxx is still there.
-Big Stars became Harris Teeters
-New Hope, Millbrook, Duraleigh and Blue Ridge were actually separate roads!
-Lynn and Spring Forest were also separate roads
-I can't even begin to talk about the differences at the airport. Newbies to the area wouldn't believe how tiny it was 30 years ago....infill McMansions are bigger.


Does anyone remember when Six Forks repainted to add a turn lane and everyone was freaked out because you could see both the old set of lines and the new ones. We jokingly called it Double-Double, Vision-Vision, Avenue-Avenue.

[weluvwakeforest]

Does anybody remember the Gene Jenkins "mayor for raleigh" (I think) radio campaign? Maybe around 1988?

The radio ads featured this guy names Jene Genkins. He always started out by saying something like "thats Jene with a J and Genkins with a G."

Just the opposite of what you would think.

Anyway, his radio spots were all over the local airways.

I can't remember the details, but I think he was running for Raleigh Mayor or something... only using radio b/c it was cheaper than tv advertising.

Every few days a new ad would start - and while his campaign promises initially made sense - they started getting more bizzare by the week.

He wanted to do things like increase revenue by mandating taxes on pets - "not so much for goldfish.. maybe more for a cat".

Minimum library rules - everybody had to check out 3 books a month to increase literacy.

There are many more I can't remember. Maybe somebody can help.

His campaign ideas were so bizzare - yet they always had a pinch of "maybe that would work" ideology.

Before long everybody was talking about Jene Genkins. Who was this mystery man never seen in person but heard on the radio?

Could he really put a tax on pets?? Make sure we all read 3 books a month?? Who was this guy???

The buzz increased. People were talking about Jene Genkins around the water cooler, at grocery stores, neighborhood pools, etc. Remember, this is pre internet - instant communication etc.

It was big time.

Raleigh couldn't stop talking about Jean Genkins...........................................

It got to the point people couldn't wait to hear the next Jene Genkins "campaign promise."

It finally ended with the final "campaign ad" - it was revealed there wasn't a Jene Genkins - It was a fictional charactor. The whole thing was an advertising blitz to show/prove the power of radio advertising.. and it worked..

For the next few weeks, all this town could talk about was how we'd all been tricked, etc.

To this day, I can't believe we were all duped by a campaign ad. I laugh to myself just remembering the hype...

It was so realistic and believable in its own way.

You have to have been living here to really appreciate the impact "Jene Genkins" had on the community and Raleigh Radio in general.

Anybody else remember???????
Did "Jene Genkins" make an appearance in other places - or just the Raleigh/Durham airways.

[Raleighmark]

I graduated SHS in 1980, counting backwards, that would put me in 6th grade in the '73-'74 school year. I went to Hunter 6th grade center. It's down by the national cemetery in SE Raleigh, not the nicest section of town. We used to hear the 21 gun salutes every so often from a military burial. I remember being told by school staff not to go off campus for any reason.

I walked to my neighborhood school 1st-3rd grades,which would have been '68-'69 through 1971, then they bussed me across town to Poe. At first the school system didn't have enough buses so they contracted with the city coach system to provide transportation. Man, we raised havoc on those city coaches.

I remember Jene with a J and Genkins with a G also.

[Francois]

I too went to Millbrook Junior High and then to West Millbrook for my last year of Junior High. Millbrook Jr. High was the only school I attended that had a second floor. I thought that was really cool for some reason.

Hmmm, you're a year older than me, but we were in the same schools for those two years, wonder if I knew who you were...? Were you ever in band? That's about the only interaction I had with other grades.

I graduated SHS in 1980, counting backwards, that would put me in 6th grade in the '73-'74 school year. I went to Hunter 6th grade center.

Hmmm, you're actually a year OLDER than me, then...yet we weren't a part of that "6th grade center" stuff out where I was--maybe it's because I was in the county system?

[oldcodgette58]

my daughter's Band 'Blue Nation', a punk rock venue, played at the Fallout Shelter.....and the place was packed...(went to support her). There was an '"after-party" at her residence afterwards...the house was packed( I acted as the housemother).

[oldcodgette58]

Gene Jenkins amy have been one of Pat Paterson's creation at WKIX ......remember Johnny Dollar..Thundermott's Airline.

[oldcodgette58]

Jene Genkins...(oops)

[oldcodgette58]

Does anyone remember the name of t he arcade in the Cameron Village Underground? That used to be the 'hang-out' for kids from Broughton High.

[jello212]

I remember the Jene Genkins commercials.

One of the ads was that left turns would be outlawed, right turns only.

[weluvwakeforest]

Originally Posted by jello212

I remember the Jene Genkins commercials.

One of the ads was that left turns would be outlawed, right turns only.

Yes !!! I remember that one too !!!




Do you remember how everybody seemed to be mesmorized by the ads? And how stupid we all felt when the truth was revealed???