This Monday (May 23) the Orange County Commission will be holding a public hearing on a proposal to downzone most or all of the land in its planning jurisdiction. The purpose of this initiative is to stop suburban sprawl from overtaking the rural areas of the County. And I think we should all be in support of that goal. Preserving the remaining farm land in our community is not merely an aesthetic issue, it is also a national and regional security issue. (What will happen to the availability of food as the price of shipping our food across the globe increases?)
However, the County is missing the boat on one important issue. While we do need to find more sustainable ways to grow, we also need to ensure that we will have areas where we can grow sustainably. Rather than eliminating the possibility of new residences in the unincorporated areas of the County, we could be transferring the presently allowed density into a few, well-chosen sites. That is, we should keep the dwellings, but have them be in appropriate locations (where there is potential sewer-access, low-impact on streams, potential access to public transportation etc.)
Are there any other municipalities in North Carolina that value and promote the arts like Carrboro does? The Fete de la Musique, more galleries per capita than Chapel Hill, the legendary Cat's Cradle, hosting challenging and inspiring artworks in town facilities, free wireless for the community... these things don't just make Carrboro fun, they are an economic engine for the town by bringing folks to downtown businesses and making Carrboro an attractive place to live for many people.
In fact, just last week I was talking to a friend who owns a longstanding, but often-struggling, business on West Franklin Street. He wonders why Chapel Hill doesn't support the arts like Carrboro does. He is trying promote the local artists through his business and needs help from the community to make it work financially.
Guest Post by Terri Buckner
Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez.
Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections.
So get your gas at Citgo. And help fuel a democratic revolution in Venezuela.
(adapted from Common Dreams: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0516-25.htm)
There are 10 Citgo gas stations in Orange County:
1. SHORT STOP
300 W MAIN ST
CARRBORO, NC 27510
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday May 14, 2005
It is certainly reasonable for parents, community leaders and officials to want to work to curtail underage drinking. But red flags go up when self-styled "vigilante mom" Dale Pratt-Wilson, organizer of the Committee for Drug and Alcohol Free Teens, makes wholesale charges of communitywide complacency and rails against our misguided "norms." That sounds a lot like the culture war rhetoric of Pat Buchanan and the moral values posturing of George W. Bush and company.
Consider the Kinahans, who were recently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The incident occurred when police, responding to a noise complaint, discovered some teenagers drinking in their back yard during their son's birthday party. Before the party, these parents had talked with their child and his friends about rules and expectations. They stayed home to be available as an adult presence. They greeted guests at the door.
Guest Post by Linda Convissor
Friends and Neighbors,
A you know, we are in the midst of a major building program on campus. The campus master plan, which was completed in 2001, guides this campus development.
Midway through our historic building program, we recognize that it is a good time to evaluate and update the plan for main campus. The update process began with a number of initial planning workshops held this past winter to assess current conditions and identify the scope of the update. Issues of pedestrian connections, green space, transportation and parking are some of the issues being looked at.
Next week we will hold a meeting to solicit additional input from the community and invite you to attend. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 19, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in 116 Murphey Hall.
If you are unfamiliar with the 2001 master plan, it is posted at http://www.fpc.unc.edu/CampusMasterPlan. It is also available at the Chapel Hill Public Library.
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