Blogs

EARLY VOTING,HOW TO REGISTER AND VOTE AT A ONE-STOP ABSENTEE SITE

ORANGE COUNTY One-stop voting for Nov. 6 general election:

Orange County Public Library Conference Room
300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough
Thursday, Oct. 18 to Friday, Oct. 19 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 26 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 27 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 29 to Friday, Nov. 2 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Carrboro Town Hall
301 W. Main St, Carrboro
Monday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 26 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 29 to Friday, Nov. 2 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

Chapel Hill Post Office
179 East Franklin St., Chapel Hill
Monday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 26 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 29 to Friday, Nov. 2 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

HOW TO REGISTER AND VOTE AT A ONE-STOP ABSENTEE SITE

I very nearly bit the dust this morning on Dairyland, about 1/2 mile west of Old 86.

While on my morning bicycle ride, minding my own business along the road's virtually nonexistent shoulder, a driver whipping past me clipped my left hip and the edge of my left handlebar. Miraculously, I was not injured physically, although I am pretty shaken up. Two more inches and I wouldn't be here to type this right now.

I mention this out of a growing frustration with the gaping disparity between the image that this area has of itself (as a place that facilitates active, healthy lifestyles and encourages alternative transportation methods) and the reality of our local roads, which are for the most part very unfriendly to bikes and pedestrians.

I think of the often-expressed desire to limit parking spaces at Carolina North in order to encourage other modes of transport, and then I think of my experience this morning, and I ruefully laugh. The truth is that we do not have the road infrastructure to support anything other than cars and buses on our roads, and, so far as I know, no comprehensive plan to change that.

I know I'm late to the party on this one (sometimes I actually have to work instead of reading blogs all day) but how about this report in the Carrboro Citizen that Jim Neal of Chapel Hill is going to run against Elizabeth Dole next year? I've only heard a few other names tossed around, such as state legislators Grier Martin (D.G.'s son) and Kay Hagan, but I think Dole's a sitting duck.

I've never heard of him before, but Kirk says Neal is "a key Democratic Party fundraiser," so does that mean he's for real? Discuss.

Update: On another thread David Beck posted a link to an N & O story that tells us Neal is 50 and an investment banker.