Blogs
UNC's Martin Doyle is the lead author of a paper in this week's Science with the subhead
Targeted decommissioning of deteriorated and obsolete infrastructure
can provide opportunities for restoring degraded ecosystems.
Discovery News gives the pop-sci (but free) treatment, citing UMd's Margaret Palmer:
Removing unused or under-used roads, breeching certain levees and converting old military bases to wildlife refuges are "no-brainers," Palmer said. Science shows clear benefits for wildlife and human safety by removing these structures, she said.
So what local infrastructure would you rather be without? Horace Williams Airport? The Eubanks Road landfill?
The County Commissioners are starting the new search process to site a proposed waste transfer station, just as they received official notice of an environmental justice complaint filed with the EPA in 2007 by the landfill neighbors.
Before getting to the search the board met in closed session to discuss a newly received notification from the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Civil Rights that a formal complaint had been filed.
The complaint alleges racial discrimination on the part of the county, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
County Attorney Geoff Gledhill said officials will not publicly discuss Eubanks Road until they decide on the board's response.
To avoid similar protests this time, the board will serve as the search committee but will work with Olver Inc., a Charlotte-based consulting firm that specializes in environmental issues and waste facilities.
Filing for the Orange County Board of Commissioners election begins February 11th. Of the folks rumored to be considering a run, Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board Chair Pam Hemminger has been at the top of the list, and on Monday the Orange Chat blog made it official. Another likely candidate is Bernadette Pelissier of the Orange-Chatham Sierra Club (and formerly of the OWASA Board). I've also heard rumbling about an African American challenger from the county, and of course incumbent Valerie Foushee is expected to run for re-relection as well.
An interesting question emerges about which candidates will run in their respective districts, and which will go for the at-large seat. District 1 (Chapel Hill & Carrboro) will be electing 2 seats, while the rest of the county will elect one person from District 2.
With Moses Carey Jr. running for state Senate and two additional seats on the county Board of Commissioners, we'll have some new faces on the board next year.
Over the past 9 years, I find the basically progressive vibe in Chapel Hill refreshing. I spent most of my life in an ultra-conservative suburb of Richmond, VA that considered Ronald Reagan a little bit of a lefty. However, the lack of an opposition in the OC is becoming a bit of problem. We have to fight amongst ourselves to even get our blood pressure up. At least Jesse Helms would complain about us from time to time, but sadly Elizabeth Dole is no "Senator No. "
This cannot go on forever. Someone has to step up and make ridiculous complaints about our high standard of living, basically harmonious relationships between the races, excellent school system and Free Public Transportation. My biggest problems with the Town are that there aren't enough right turn lanes and the sidewalks need to be extended in places.
Enter the Libertarians
A couple of recent letters to the editor are stretching logic and hyperbole in order to make their points. I think they end up having the opposite effect. In today's Daily Tar Heel for example, senior Chris Garrison complains that "if Benito Mussolini can get public transportation to run on schedule" why can't Chapel Hill? Do we really have to answer that, Chris?
In last week's Independent Weekly, Sharon Cook wrote a letter taking issue with that paper's October 2007 characterization of her as a newcomer to the issue of justice for the African-American neighbors of the landfill. She accused the Indy of shoddy reporting, and explained her history of supporting her Rogers Road neighbors.
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