UNC

Although a lot has been said about UNC's planned research campus, Carolina North, there have not been enough opportunities for citizens to hear and ask about issues and potential impacts, and to hear these addressed from a community perspective.

That's why the grassroots citizens group Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG), with the generous cooperation of several local organizations, is holding a public forum on Monday, June 4, at 7:00 p.m., in the Chapel Hill Town Council Chambers. This forum, entitled "Carolina North: A Community Perspective", will feature a panel of speakers who have long involvement with this topic. They will be giving short presentations on salient issues, and answering questions from a moderator and from the audience.

Why yet another meeting? Because most of the information that has been disseminated thus far has been coordinated by UNC. That's not a criticism - it's their job. And it's our job as citizens to ask tough questions and demand clear answers to the potential impacts of this, the largest development we will face in our lifetimes, on our community.

I know, I'm starting to act like a velvet hammer, but, well, there are some college towns that haven't shied away from the idea of preserving really nice tracts of land, in perpetuity.

I'd be interested to hear from all the masses from UNC and the towns who visited Madison last summer. Did you visit the Shoreline Preserve and the U Wis Arboretum? That's nearly 2000 acres of land in Madison.

Check out the mission statement for the preservation of the preserve!

I think it's time we all stop feeling like there's nothing we can do to refocus UNC on offering Carrboro and Chapel Hill a very different and sustainable endowment for the future: the preservation of the Horace Williams Tract, permanently.

An article with, I think, some solid models for preservation, as opposed to "sustainable growth."

Info via Facebook (go figure):

Rally with Cindy Sheehan & Sami Rasouli

Saturday, April 21, 2007
7:00pm - 9:00pm
McCorkle Place (North Quad) The Pit on Campus

Eyewitnesses to the occupation and peacemaking efforts in both Iraq and the USA to speak on campus on Saturday, April 21st.

Sami Rasouli sold his restaurant in Minneapolis in 2004 to return to Iraq to help rebuild his native country. As a Shia, Mr. Rasouli helped with the rebuilding of Sunni Fallujah after US occupation forces leveled much of the city. It was there that Mr. Rasouli founded the Muslim Peacemakers Teams, building bridges across sectarian lines toward a more hopeful future.