March 2011

CHW blog continues verbal assault on elected officials' dignity

Warning: this post might constitute feeding the trolls, something to which I am adamantly opposed. However, the blog Chapel Hill Watch has continued to push the boundaries of taste with their strange personal attacks on politicians with whom they disagree. In their recent "Roll Call" post, CHW speculates about the personal relationships of Chapel Hill Town Council Member Donna Bell and Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt in light of their absences at a Council meeting that was held on Valentine's Day.

Public hearing on 1/4-cent sales tax proposal

Via e-mail from the County:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release Date: March 1, 2011

Contact: Frank Clifton, Orange County Manager, (919) 245-2300 or Michael Talbert, Deputy Financial Services Director, (919) 245-2153

Orange County Public Hearing on 1/4 Cent Sales Tax

HILLSBOROUGH, NC –The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 during its regularly scheduled meeting at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.  The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. 

The Public Hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on a potential November 8, 2011 referendum on a one-quarter cent (1/4¢) additional sales tax in Orange County. 

During the 2007 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly granted county boards of commissioners the authority to levy, subject to voter approval, an additional one-quarter cent county sales and use tax. 

It is projected the one-quarter cent county sales and use tax would generate approximately $2,500,000 for Orange County on an annual basis.  If the voters approved the referendum on November 8, 2011 implementation would not start until April 1, 2012 generating approximately $625,000 for the remainder of FY 2011-12. 

Donna S. Baker, CMC
Clerk to the Board
P.O. Box 8181
200 South Cameron Street
Hillsborough, N.C.  27278
Phone: (919) 245-2130
Fax:     (919) 644-0246
email: dbaker@co.orange.nc.us

 

Date: 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 7:00pm

Location: 

2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill

Greetings from Chatham

Hi folks. Just wanted to check in after a long absence to tell you how terrific it is to be able to always return to this oasis of progressivism. I lurk a lot, and don't have much to say about Orange issues these days. But the very fact you exist is encouraging.

 

Libyan Refugees Get Help

To help Libyan refugees who have fled their beleaguered country, The Organization of The Islamic Conference (OIC) has set up two field hospitals and provided ambulances on the Tunisian and Egyptian borders with Libya. The OIC also plans to provide temporary shelters for 10,000 people and hand out flour, sugar, rice, canned food and infant formula.

Yet, when most Americans think of Muslims and Arabs, they probably think of what they see most in media coverage - conflict, extremism, suicide bombings, surging energy costs, and uprisings. There is a good chance Arab philanthropy never crosses their minds.

Happy 100th Birthday! It's Carrboro!

Carrboro Informational Workshop for the Wilson Park Multi-use Path

 
From the Town of Carrboro:
 
Citizens' Informational Workshop for the Wilson Park Multi-use Path
 
Please join us for an informational workshop on the design of a multi-use (bicycle and pedestrian) path through Charles Herman Wilson Park. The meeting will provide an opportunity to review a design map, discuss the project with representatives of the Town and engineering firm, and fill out a comment sheet.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Jeff Brubaker, Transportation Planner, at 918-7329 or jbrubaker@townofcarrboro.org.

Town Hall is accessible for persons with disabilities.
 

 
Taller Informativo Ciudadano para el Camino Multi-uso del Parque Wilson

Por favor acompáñenos a un taller informative sobre el diseño de un camino multi-uso (bicicletas y peatones) a través del Parque Charles Herman Wilson. La junta ofrecerá una oportunidad para revisar el mapa del diseño, discutir el proyecto con los respresentantes del Pueblo de Carrboro y de la firma de ingenieros, y para llenar una hoja de comentarios.

Se servirán refrigerios. Para más información, contactar a Jeff Brubaker, Planificador de Transporte, al 918-7329 ó jbrubaker@townofcarrboro.org.

El ayuntamiento es accessible a personas con discapacidades.

Date: 

Thursday, March 10, 2011 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Location: 

Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W Main St, Carrboro, NC 27510

Update on a proposed large CVS in downtown Carrboro

Back in November, I posted about the large development CVS is proposing to build catty-corner from the Century Center.  (see here).  Since that post things have been moving along quietly.

Here is a quick recap of whats going on...

National Companies: Where to Locate in OC?

Orange County needs to support local businesses, no question about that. But citizens also need access to certain goods and services that are not available from local enterprises. I'm thinking of grocery stores, car rental agencies, mail packaging stores, but I'm sure there are more. I'm curious about examples of chains that have taken an existing building, renovated it and have done so while blending into the community (a value judgment, I know). I would suggest Enterprise car rental on East Franklin pulled this feat off rather well. Are there others?

Voter Supression Bill

Think voter photo ID requirements are harmless? Take a closer look.

Do you have a parent in a rest home or a child in college? How about a friend who cannot drive? These citizens — along with tens of thousands of other North Carolinians — will find it difficult to vote under the rules of a proposed photo ID bill that addresses a problem that does not exist. Only you can stop this costly, unneeded legislation.

 http://www.democracy-nc.org/downloads/VoterIDFlyer1-18-11.pdf

Should the Chapel Hill Town Council be a member of the Chamber of Commerce?

There was an interesting essay in the Chapel Hill News by Steve Hutton which asked the question: "Should government agencies be members of the N.C. Chamber of Commerce or any of the over 160 local chambers?"

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2011/03/06/62941/joining-chamber-is-risky.html

The Chapel Hill Town Council is currently a member of the local CoC. Is this a good idea?

Put your money where your mouth is

Or more to the point, put a night or two a month where your mouth is.  Spring is coming, and spring means many things: bird starting to return, daffodils and hellebores popping up in bloom, Bradford pears soon to be unleashing their terrible stench upon anywhere unlucky enough to have planted them.  But spring is also the time when, at least in Chapel Hill, most of the appointments are made to advisory boards and commissions.  According to the town's current vacancies page, there are almost 20 seats on various boards that are currently sitting empty.  But on top of that, since most board terms are three years long, about a third of current board members will be coming up for reappointment. While terms officially end June 30, most appointments are made in the Spring - last year, most of them in April or May. So, right now is a great time to get your application in.

Public Hearing: IFC Community House Special Use Permit Application

IFC's Special Use Permit Application for the the new Community House on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. is on the agenda of the March 21 Public Hearing. The meeting begins at Chapel Hill Town Hall at 7 pm. Supporters should be in their seats by 6:30.

The search for a permanent home for Community House has lasted over ten years and may be over soon! After the Public Hearing, the Town Council is likely to vote on the application later this spring.

FYI, the SUP application was reviewed -- and unanimously approved -- by four town Advisory Boards last month: Planning, Transportation, Pedestrian and Bicycle, and the Community Design Commission.

Show Your Support for Community  House on facebook and at the Public Hearing!

 For more information, contact Allan Rosen at project@ifcmailbox.org

 

Date: 

Monday, March 21, 2011 - 7:00pm to 10:00pm

Location: 

Chapel Hill Town Hall

Entering Ephesus

I might have heard something about this before, but in reading the annual update from the Town of Chapel Hill's Economic Development Director, I realized that the Town is not just beginning but actually finishing a plan for the area around the intersection of 15-501 and Ephesus Church Road (including Eastgate and Ram's Plaza). 

Council Work Session on Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan

"At the Council's retreat on February 4, 2011, the Council requested an additional opportunity to discuss the update of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. This work session will continue the Council's conversation about the Comprehensive Plan and include discussion with representatives of the National Civic League and Deliberative Democracy." 

Date: 

Thursday, March 17, 2011 - 7:00pm

Location: 

Library Meeting Room, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill

How to improve day laborer conditions in Orange County

The work conditions that day laborers experience are an ongoing issue in Orange County. Through the work of Orange County Justice United, I have learned that day laborers in Orange County are often both Latino and African American, contrary to popular thought that all are illegal immigrants. Some of the Latino day laborers are here legally, but are unable to find work in the formal economy. Many of our day laborers face challenges including wage theft and unsafe work conditions where they may be injured, but do not have insurance to cover treatment, and run the risk of being robbed of their pay, often given in cash.

One-Stop Early Voting Begins

Date: 

Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 8:00am to 5:00pm

One-Stop Early Voting Ends

Date: 

Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 12:00pm

Candidate Filing Begins

Date: 

Friday, July 1, 2011 - 12:00pm

Candidate Filing Ends

Date: 

Friday, July 15, 2011 - 12:00pm

Town of Carrboro hires new Economic and Community Development Director

Welcome to Carrboro Ms. Stone! The following is a press release from the Town of Carrboro about the hiring.
Carrboro Names New Economic and Community Development Director

Annette Stone, a native of New Bern, North Carolina, has been appointed by Town Manager Steve Stewart to the position of Economic and Community Development Director for the Town of Carrboro.

Finding a Site for the Carrboro Branch Library

A full-service library has been at the top of Carrboro's community facilities wish list for decades. So, the recent announcement of a contract to purchase a 2.7-acre site at 210 Hillsborough Road (see map) was, in some ways, welcome news. Unfortunately, however, it is not clear that this site will fulfill Carrboro's dream of a place downtown for the community to gather and learn.

Geeking out at OP

Some of you may remember that OrangePolitics has used three diferent content management systems in it's 7+ years. We started on MoveableType in 2003, moved to WordPress in 2004, and then made a huge leap to Drupal (and a managed server) at the very beginning of 2008. There are a few more changes coming for OrangePolitics. Some are technical and some are not, some will be obviously noticeable and some not so much (I hope). 

Food Truck Rodeo

Five Amazing Food Trucks--March 19th--At Al's Garage in Carrboro from 4pm until 7pm. Music, good weather, top notch cuisine. Captain Ponchos Tacos, Parlez Vous Crepe, Will and Pops, Only Burger, and Blue Sky Dining. Pet friendly. Cash accepted. No admission fee. On Main Street in Carrboro (near Crooks Corner, Jiffy Lube) as it begins to turn into Franklin Street.

Round-up your friends for Street Cuisine multiplied by FIVE

Date: 

Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 4:00pm to 7:00pm

Location: 

Al's Garage, 100 S Merritt Mill Rd

Struggling For Peace Amidst War

APR 4, MON 5:30 PM, Struggling For Peace Amidst War, Conversation with Jesús Emilio Tuberquia, Colombian Peace Community of San José de Apartadó Leader, Global Education Center Room 1005, University of North Carolina, 301 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514. Free. A reception will follow. Email  courtheyn@unc.edu  for more information. Presented by Institute for the Study of the Americas and Fellowship of Reconciliation, Co-Sponsored by Duke-UNC Rotary Center, UNC Center For Global Initiatives, UNC Global Studies, Social Movements Working Group, Latin American Political Imaginaries and Counter-Cartographies Collective. 

Date: 

Monday, April 4, 2011 - 5:30pm

Location: 

Global Education Center Room 1005, University of North Carolina, 301 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill

Carrboro Food Truck Rodeo

My wife and I attended the food truck rodeo near Al's Garage this recent Saturday.  There were five food trucks: Captain Ponchos Tacos, Parlez Vous Crepe, Only Burger, Will and Pops, Blue Sky Dining.  I enjoyed the event, and since I have frequented all of the vendors except for Blue Sky, that is where I bought my dinner.  There was a good turnout, and many of my friends were there too.  We all had a good time.  Here are a few comments I have about the experience.

CH 2010 Census info

Town press release 3/23:

Taking OP to the next level: editors!

For the folks who missed our OP Happy Hour on Friday, you missed my big announcement. Ever since I launched this site in 2003, I have always wanted OP to be led by a team of people who can bring in a wider range of perspectives. This month, we are beginning an experiment that is a first step toward establishing something like a board of editors or formal leadership team for the site!

The inaugural board of editors is: Damon SeilsMolly DeMarcoJason Baker, and Erin Crouse. They have alrerady had a positive effect on the amount and quality of discussion here on OP. I'm so excited to have their energy and ideas invested in this community.

Getting students on board

Apparently students have been applying to serve on the Town of Chapel Hill's Transportation Board, but none have been appointed recently. I'm a bit surprised to see this, but it's hard to draw conclusions without knowing the details of each applicant. In the past students have contributed a lot to the T-board (and others). In fact, joining the board when I was a student in 1991 is one of the things that got me hooked on participating in local politics two decades ago!

With a seat on the board, Medlin said students would have more of a voice about routes and bus schedule times.

Dakota Williams, student body treasurer, said students should embrace the higher fees and advocate for better representation.

“If we’re paying 41 percent … there is no excuse for a student not to be on that board,” he said.

“Those decisions need to be made by the people who are paying for them, which is students more than ever,” he added.

Content within the Bounds of Reason

Could there ever be any semblance of justice for any of Orange County's Native Americans? Perhaps.

Before the Europeans

I am not an archeologist or anthropologist, but it is clear from historical records that the area that is today Orange County was inhabitted by Native Americans long before the advent of Europeans.  The closely related Eno (a.k.a. Occaneechi or Sapponi) and Saxapahaw (a.k.a. Sissipehaw) people lived throughout the Haw and Eno River valleys.  There were numerous Native American villages in this area, but there was a particularly prominent village called Acconeechy (or Occaneechi) on essentially the same site that is now Hillsborough.

UNC Young Democrats Presents: Jeff Kreisler, Political Comedian

Jeff Kreisler is a political comedian in the style of Jon Stewart, coming to UNC at the invitation of the UNC Young Democrats. UNC YD hopes to use this event to reach out to members of the community to make stronger connections for the future, and to raise money to fund much of the work we do on campus and around the community.

Date: 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Location: 

Varsity Theater - 123 W Franklin St

Moving forward for the IFC

Last Monday night (March 21st, 2011) the Interfaith Council finally made it through the Special Use Permit process to present their plans for a Men’s Homestart-like Transitional Housing Facility.

The process of finding a location for a men’s facility has been going on for over two decades. In that time, many potential sites have been considered and each time discarded after vigorous complaint by potential neighbors.

This time, IFC has gone through the rigorous Special Use Permit (SUP) process with a higher level of scrutiny by town residents than most SUPs receive. The application has now been unanimously approved by all necessary advisory boards, including the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Planning Board, Community Design Commission, Transportation Board, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board.

Premiere Film Screening of END:CIV & Discussion w/ Director

Friday April 8th at Internationalist Books & Community Center at 405 W. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Movie starts at 8:00 p.m.  $6.00 a person
afterwards there will be a discussion with director, Franklin Lopez of Submedia
Hosted by Croatan Earth First!

END:CIV examines our culture’s addiction to systematic violence and environmental exploitation, and probes the resulting epidemic of poisoned landscapes and shell-shocked nations. Based in part on Endgame, the best-selling book by Derrick Jensen,END:CIV asks: “If your homeland was invaded by people who cut down the forests, poisoned the water and air, and contaminated the food supply, would you resist?”

The causes underlying the collapse of civilizations are usually traced to overuse of resources. As we write this, the world is reeling from economic chaos, peak oil, climate change, environmental degradation, and political turmoil. Every day, the headlines re-hash stories of scandal and betrayal of the public trust. We don’t have to make outraged demands for the end of the current global system — it seems to be coming apart already.

But acts of courage, compassion and altruism abound, even in the most damaged places. By documenting the resilience of the people hit hardest by war and repression, and the heroism of those coming forward to confront the crisis head-on, END:CIV illuminates a way out of this all-consuming madness and into a saner future.

Backed by Jensen’s narrative, the film calls on us to act as if we truly love this land. The film trips along at a brisk pace, using music, archival footage, motion graphics, animation, slapstick and satire to deconstruct the global economic system, even as it implodes around us. END:CIV illustrates first-person stories of sacrifice and heroism with intense, emotionally-charged images that match Jensen’s poetic and intuitive approach. Scenes shot in the back country provide interludes of breathtaking natural beauty alongside clearcut evidence of horrific but commonplace destruction.


END:CIV features interviews with Paul Watson, Waziyatawin,  Gord Hill, Michael Becker, Peter Gelderloos, Lierre Keith, James Howard Kunstler, Stephanie McMillan, Qwatsinas, Rod Coronado, John Zerzan and more.


“A fierce critique of systematic violence and industrial civilization, End:Civ is not intended for garden-variety environmentalists. If you are anywhere below, say, an 8 on that sliding scale of pissed off, then this film is going to scare you — which means you should watch it.”
-Eugene Weekly

Date: 

Friday, April 8, 2011 - 8:00pm

Location: 

Internationalist Books & Community Center 405 W. Franklin St. Chapel Hill
 

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