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Next week, grassroots Democrats will be convening for their annual precinct meetings. These meetings will kick off this year’s campaign for precincts in getting ready for the work ahead.

At these meetings, local Democrats are invited to introduce resolutions on local, state, and national issues for consideration at the county convention on April 14.  The meetings will also elect delegates to the county convention (which then elects delegates to the district and state conventions – the bodies that will elect delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte).

This year will be a tremendous one and attending these meetings will be a spectacular launching point for Democratic victory from defeating Amendment 1 to re-electing President Obama and Democrats from the top of the ticket, to the bottom.

I attended the NHA/Lee Scholars Information Session this evening and I must say, I'm Impressed. As the discussion commenced and powerpoint presentation was shown it became very clear to me that the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools were doing, by charter school criteria, a wonderful job of teaching our children.

The "moral focus" of the teaching process reminded me very much of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in the middle schools (my children attend Smith. 

 It was said that the middle school students (they aren't quite there yet but Greensboro is) are taught geometry and algebra in the 8th grade to prepare them for high school. CHCCS has that as a requirement for 8th grade and some students begin algebra 1 in the 7th grade. 

When they discussed how each student of NHA managed schools are greeted at the classroom door by the teachers each morning with a bright hello it reminded me of Estes Hills Elementary School under the leadership of Cheryl Carnahan who has turned that school into a School of Excellence. And for the car riders they're greeted in the parking lot! Amazing.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/02/quickpay-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-parking-attendant/

The biggest hassle in using the town lots, besides finding a space, is paying. With few pay stations there's almost always a line.  This would be a lot quicker and easier, and even if it attracted only 25% of parkers that would lessen the line to pay.