September 2005
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday September 10, 2005
Last Thursday night, the Orange County Democratic Women sponsored the first forum for Chapel Hill Town Council candidates. Despite scant publicity other than to OCDW members, the meeting room at the Southern Human Services Building was pretty full and a sharp audience provided plenty of good questions. I moderated the discussion.
Here is my impression of how well the candidates succeeded in furthering their campaigns
that night.
The big winner has to be Bill Thorpe. Many Chapel Hillians are unfamiliar with Thorpe's previous two terms on the Council.
He spoke forcefully and eloquently, tying his experience from two decades ago to today's concerns. Particularly effective was the reminder of his vote against approving the Dean Dome out of concern for its impact on a neighborhood that today is not much more than a memory. He assured voters that he would always look out for their interests.
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I have added a new calendar of events to the site. I would like to keep it limited to mostly just election-related events for now. You can find a link to it near the top of the side bar to the right.
Please contact us if you know of additional events we should add, and include a link or as much information as you can find.
Guest Post by James Protzman
The idea of communitiy wi-fi is emerging as a potential local election issue -- and would seem to warrant broader public discussion as well.
Some say wi-fi should be a purely commercial undertaking left to the private sector. Others (like me, for example) see wireless connectivity as an increasingly critical part of community infrastructure -- similar to sidewalks, parks and public safety -- services that support the common good.
My view is simple: we cannot allow the issue of connectivity to become yet another element in the growing "digital divide." That is, no one should be disadvantaged for not having resources to buy high-speed access for their homes and families.
There are plenty of ways to think about this and many experiments going on around the country. Some of them are reported here . . . and I'm sure there are other good resources. If you know of any, please share them.
The importance of streets to community was articulated by Ivan Illich in his essay Silence is a Commons. Here is the excerpt:
What a difference there was between the new and the old parts of Mexico City only 20 years ago. In the old parts of the city the streets were true commons. Some people sat on the road to sell vegetables and charcoal. Others put their chairs on the road to drink coffee or tequila. Others held their meetings on the road to decide on the new headman for the neighbourhood or to determine the price of a donkey. Others drove their donkeys through the crowd, walking next to the heavily loaded beast of burden; others sat in the saddle. Children played in the gutter, and still people walking could use the road to get from one place to another.
This event will discuss the history of Chapel Hill's own 1970 lynching of African American James Cates (the cousin of my friend Nate Davis). He was murdered in public on campus by a white biker gang called the "Storm Troopers." No-one was convicted.
Blood Done Sign OUR Names
The Lessons of Censored History For Our Struggles Today
Monday, September 12, 2005
7:00 pm, Murphey 116
Panel Discussion
This just in from local organizer Vinci Daro:
Carrboro's third "Really Really Free Market" to be held Saturday, September 17, 1:00-5:00 PM at the Carrboro Town Commons
What: The Really REALLY Free Market, a celebration of alternative economics.
Where: Carrboro Town Commons
When: 1:00-5:00pm, Saturday, September 17.
Everyone is welcome at this free event, where all are encouraged to give, receive, and create on their own terms. This free and open market will be a celebration of the cooperation and gift-giving that make life possible beyond the constraints of capitalist markets. The event is self-organized by everyone who participates. No authority rules over the RRFM. As at previous events, we trust that people sharing rather than competing will be able to find their own ways to cooperate with each other and function smoothly.
Well that was fast. According to the Daily Tarheel, Students for a Progressive Chapel Hill have released their town council endorsements. Challengers Jason Baker, Laurin Easthom, Will Raymond and incumbent Mark Kleinschmidt all got the nod. They are also supporting incumbent Mayor Kevin Foy (why bother?).
"We expect candidates to have a record of service to Chapel Hill, a record of progressive leadership ... and a record of reaching out to students," the organization said in a statement.
The meaning of "progressive" includes standing up for the underprivileged and supporting civil liberties, said Tom Jensen, chair of the group.
The decision was based on questionnaires and position papers submitted by the candidates. Only mayoral candidate Kevin Wolff did not respond, acknowledging that he had not lived in town long enough to meet the criteria.
Jensen said that about 30 members of the group were ready to volunteer in the campaigns.
As part of the Bring Them Home Now Tour, which is cris-crossing the country on the way to the huge September 24 march for peace in Washington, DC, there will be a show at the ArtsCenter on Friday:
Relief Not War Fundraiser with Medea Benjamin, “The Lidsâ€Â, and Cakalak Thunder Drum corps.
Friday, September 16, 8:00 pm, Carrboro Arts Center
The NC Peace & Justice Coalition is Holding a “Relief Not War†Fundraiser, on Friday September 16 at 8:00 pm. The event features performers, speakers, and musicians. Headlined by Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder of Code Pink, performers include spoken word phenomenon Dasan Ahanu, Carrboro cover band “The Lidsâ€Â, Greensboro's “Cakalak Thunder Drum Corpsâ€Â, and Emerson Waldorf Middle School's Flag Corps and Fire Twirlers. We will show excerpts from the Empowerment Project's newly released film, “Soldiers Speak Outâ€Â, show in Fayetteville during the March 19 demonstration.
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