August 2004
OK, maybe not, but a bunch of folks have been spent some time thinking about how you will be able to get around Chapel Hill and the Triangle area more efficiently and healthily (is that a word?) in the future without having to park your butt on I-40 for two hours daily.
The Town of Chapel Hill's draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan will be discussed at a public hearing at the Town Council Meeting on Spetember 20. Some of my initial impressions:
Guest Post by Matt Compton
Bob Dumas, the host of radio-station G105's morning "Showgram" is organizing a "Heterosexual Pride Parade" to be held in Chapel Hill a week from Saturday. Anyhow, he's already gone through the proper legal hoops, and if I heard correctly on the radio this morning, he lacks only a central meeting location in order to attain permission from the Town of Chapel Hill.
Apparently, this is for real. Dumas told his listeners that he was expecting a huge crowd to show up for the event, including "hundreds of students." A listener of the Showgram is even manufacturing apparel for the event, which the disk jockey plugged on the radio program this morning.
Dumas and the Showgram are no strangers to controversy. Just months ago, a Durham minister circulated a petition calling for Dumas' resignation after he heard the disk jockey insult American Idols winner Fantasia Barrino as "ghetto" and "low class."
It does look like the efforts of the economic development folks at town hall coupled with development pressure are having an effect on Carrboro's downtown. For better or worse, there is a long list of proposals for development that are going to hit the town over the next few years.
Some of the ones I know about include a 100+ unit complex adjacent to the concrete plant and bike trail, a 5 story condo complex behind Cat's Cradle, some sort of mixed use multi-floor thingie where the current Carrboro arts center parking lot is, a remodeling/addition to the "Trading Post", the Weaver Street market sponsored redo of the Norina on Weaver Street and N. Greensboro, some kind of redevelopment of the Andrew-Riggsbee building, and a 2 story mixed use building on Weaver Street that might house a barbeque restaurant. All of these are simply in planning/talking stages and haven't been approved.
This fall, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen will appoint a committee to make recommendations on ways to make daycares and preschools more numerous and more affordable in Carrboro. If you would like to join the Childcare Study Committee, please email Carrboro Town Clerk Sarah Williamson at SWilliamson@ci.carrboro.nc.us - she can send you an application.
The Board is looking at this issue because of the squeeze that inadequate (and inadequately affordable) childcare puts on working families in our community. Single parents in particular have a had time being able to afford childcare. In our lower income neighborhood this means that some single parents must stay home and be dependent on governmental programs. While these are the people for whom such programs exist, the entire family might be better off if their toddlers were able to be in preschool while their mother/father is at work.
The committee will look at how zoning rules limit childcare and whether there are ways for the town to make childcare more accessible for its employees and for Carrboro residents in general.
I assume that everyone knows that, back in June, the Town Council
created a discussion committee rather than act on the proposed renaming
of Airport Road to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (by a 5-4 vote
orchestrated by Mayor Foy along with Council-members Verkerk and
Wiggins).
From today's Chapel Hill News:
"I found the whole thing really embarrassing," Sinreich
said. "I was shocked the council was not able to take what I see
as a really big step to affirm the civil rights movement. There are
real, significant changes that need to be made. This isn't one. This is
a token gesture that says, 'Thanks for all you've done and sorry
you've been treated like crap.'"
The News' lengthy article only touched on the ongoing racial
problems in Chapel Hill. Lots of good quotes but Ruby really nailed it.
Will Joe Buckner not have to wait until Wade Barbour retires before getting a seat on the Superior Court bench? Conventional wisdom has been that Buckner, our local Chief District Court Judge, would be a strong candidate to replace Barbour sometime in the future; but the General Assembly might have given him an early chance at it if Easley is willing to appoint him to the newly-created seat in the Orange-Chatham Judicial District.
Adam Stein, Steve Bernholz, and Jill Cheek have other ideas.
The Republicans and the Democrats now agree that NC is an important battleground state because the race for president and state offices is so close. The Republicans just agreed to target our state with additional money from the RNC.
Since Orange County is so heavily Democratic, many folks might be wondering how they can get involved to make sure that Kerry/Edwards and Bowles get elected despite the influx of national Republican money. One great start is to attend a precinct party or to host a precinct party on September 9.
The Orange County Dems are shooting to have at least 30 precinct parties where folks can gather, eat, vent about the state of the nation, and plan next steps for getting out the vote in their neighborhoods and beyond. Already they have 9 parties. Just go to http://www.ocdppartypeople.com for more info or to sign up to volunteer.
Pages
About Us
OrangePolitics is a not-for-profit website for discussing progressive perspectives on politics, planning, and public policy in Orange County, NC. Opinions are those of their authors. Learn more.
Community Guidelines
By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by
WeebPal.
