October 2007

Voter registration for this fall's municipal and school board elections closes a week from tomorrow, so get thee to a voter registration form (PDF)!

I'd like to take a look at candidate money in 2007, but I haven't had time to read the reports yet. Can you help?

We should certainly give the Orange County Board of Elections some kudos, along with the County web staff, for some great improvements to the content available on their web site. Right now they have campaign finance reports from 6 of the 8 candidates who plan to spend over $3,000. Those who plan to spend less do not have to file detailed reports.

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.

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.

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 just drove across University Lake at Jones Ferry Road. I reckon we have all noticed the grass growing on the bare bottom of the Northe nd of the reservoir, but it looked jsut now like the grass was starting to turn brown . . . Anyway, so the OWASA Board of Directors will be meeting this Thursday at 7:30 PM to consider whether to declare a Stage Two water shortage.

Here's hoping OWASA will proceed to stage two. It looks like we have about 5 and a half months of water left if we keep consuming the way we have been.

Stage Two (2) Water Shortage

. . . Upon OWASA's declaration of a Stage Two Water Shortage, the following actions shall be taken with the goal of reducing overall water demand by fifteen (15) percent:

Water use by individually metered residential customer accounts and by individually metered single-family residential irrigation-only accounts shall be limited to no more than an average of 800 gallons per day during any monthly billing cycle beginning after the declaration of a Water Supply Shortage or Water Supply Emergency and ending while such restrictions are still in effect.

Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG) has again decided against officially endorsing any candidates in this cycle. However, we're very interested in helping citizens to understand the positions of the candidates on issues we care about.

NRG presented all candidates with a short questionnaire, and the candidate responses are posted to our website. We invite all interested citizens to browse the answers at NRG's Chapel Hill Elections 2007 page.

The questions we asked were:

On density and growth

1. In its Comprehensive Plan, Chapel Hill is committed both to denser urban development and to protection of existing neighborhoods. Do you see any conflict between these goals, and what do you feel is the best way to achieve them?

On environmental protection

2. Please describe at least three ways you feel the Town could do a better job protecting creeks and other environmentally sensitive habitats.

On cooperation of local governments

3. What suggestions do you have for better ways for the local governments in the Orange County area to work together?

In 1982, five Orange County women who believed that every child born should be loved and wanted, founded a local chapter of Planned Parenthood. This year, we celebrate 25 years of reaching out, growing strong, and meeting the needs of the community.

We've grown from a small storefront operation that could only dispense education and contraceptives to a powerful organization that helped 18,889 people last year alone.

In addition to our health centers, we have reached countless people through our peer education and through our advocacy for good public policy. During the last legislative session we supported a bill that would provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault; one that would repair NC's Sex Ed curriculum, one that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program and another that provided information about the HPV vaccine to parents.

This article in today's N&O explains why UNC has continued to dump untold mega-gallons of water on the synthetic "grass" of its field hockey field (adjacent to the law school, where I work) as our drought has deepened and our reservoirs are drying up. (Have you driven by University Lake recently?)

It makes the playing surface safer for the athletes during games and practices, we're told. Unlike natural turf, synthetic turf is harder to get a grip in when dry.

Why, though, would the better solution not be to shift field hockey to natural-turf fields until the drought is over?

Recently I noticed that two Carrboro candidates are running as a slate. Has this ever happened in Orange County before? Another thing that was pretty different was that there is one brochure and one sign for both candidates. Both of these materials advocate for both Sharon Cook and Katrina Ryan.

I believe two years ago Katrina threatened to run an all Northern Carrboro slate. Is this what this combo is about? I've seen candidates collaborate on mailings before, but this is practically two candidates with one campaign. What do you think about candidates running together?

I was asked to share this announcement about Thursday:

Volunteers are needed at Project Homeless Connect Orange County, a one-day, one-stop center to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, to provide homeless people with a broad range of services including housing, employment, health, dental and mental health care, social service benefits, disability and veterans' benefits, legal services, meals, and personal care (haircuts and foot care).

Organizers anticipate serving more than 150 homeless people at the Orange County event, with the help of hundreds of volunteers. The event will be held at the Hargraves Community Center, 216 N. Roberson St.

Volunteers are needed to escort homeless guests through the event, serve as greeters, conduct intake and exit interviews, serve as parking attendants, direct foot traffic, and other jobs.

If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more about the event, please contact Meredith Costa, mcosta@hiddenvoices.org or (919) 923-2559.

Leadership Triangle is currently accepting nominations for the 2007 Goodmon Awards recognizing individuals, organizations, partnerships and elected officials who exhibit outstanding regional leadership in action. The nominations process closes at 5P ET on 1 November, 2007. Applications are available online at www.leadershiptriangle.com or by calling Winkie La Force, executive director of Leadership Triangle, at 433-1577.

The awards will be presented at a gala on December 10, 2007, at American Tobacco Campus, Durham. Former winners from Orange County include County Commissioner Alice Gordon, Mebane resident Monica Doss of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, Chapel Hill fire chief Dan Jones, and Chapel Hill Town Council Member/Mayor Pro Tem Bill Strom.

Anyone going to the Chancellor selection meetings today?

The forum on October 26 will be from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Friday Center. Parking will be available.

1:00 p.m. UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and General Alumni Association.

1:30 p.m. Officers of the University's affiliated foundations.

2:00 p.m. UNC-Chapel Hill alumni.

2:30 p.m. Local elected officials and local residents.

3:00 p.m. Members of the general public.

As municipal elections in the Town of Carrboro are approaching quickly, the Carrboro Police Officers Association is giving endorsements to candidates in the Mayoral and Alderman elections. We have met or communicated with all of the local candidates to find out their positions, goals, and agendas that they will bring with them when they fill their respective office. After a frank and open exchange of ideas, we were able to learn where the candidates stand on issues that affect not only police officers, but the entire Town of Carrboro.

The Carrboro Police Officers Associations endorsements include;

• Mayor Mark Chilton
• Board of Alderman Joal Hall Broun
• Board of Alderman Sharon Cook
• Board of Alderman Lydia Lavelle