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The Herald has a story today about Orange County forming a committee to educate the voters about the proposed County Commissioners districting plan. Orange County voters will get to vote on the matter this November. The plan would work like this:

THE PROPOSED PLAN

Orange County will be divided into two districts. The districts will roughly follow the school district lines.

District 1 will include Chapel Hill, Carrboro and some nearby suburban and rural buffer areas. District 1 will have 3 seats on the board. The voters of District 1 will choose their party nominees in May, but voters from both districts will choose the winners in November.

District 2 will be the whole rest of the county including Hillsborough, White Cross, Efland and points north. District 2 will have 2 seats on the board. As with District 1, the primaries will be open only to District 2 voters, but all voters will participate in the general election.

As published in the Chapel Hill Herald on September 9th, 2006:

If you have a strong stomach and some free time on Tuesday night you can head over to Memorial Hall at 6:30 p.m. to hear John Ashcroft speak. Of course, you might have a previously planned date to wash your hair.

Ashcroft is just the latest in a succession of right-wing extremists to speak on the UNC campus. Other recent appearances have come from well-known conservatives like Ann Coulter, Alan Keyes and Patrick McHenry. There have also been the lesser-known folks like Rush Limbaugh's brother and a speaker billing himself as the "conservative Jesse Jackson."

There is a consortium of conservative groups on the UNC campus that sponsors these events. The College Republicans are often involved, and this week's event is being sponsored by the UNC chapter of the Federalist Society and the Committee for a Better Carolina.

On Friday, September 22, residents of Carrboro and Chapel Hill will for the third straight year join millions of others around the world in celebrating World Car Free Day, leaving their cars at home and using other means of transportation instead.

Residents of Orange County who formally pledge to go Car Free or at least Car Lite (reduced car use) for September 22 will be entered into a drawing for prizes that include Amtrak tickets to Washington, DC & New York, a new bicycle, gift certificates for Squid's, Spanky's or 411 West, and more. Anyone can pledge on-line at www.gocarfree.com; pledge forms that can be mailed will also be available in the Chapel Hill News and Chapel Hill Herald over the next three weeks.