November 2007
Governor Mike Easley wants us all to cut our water use in half. How are you doing it?
"Whenever you use water, cut the amount by half, whether it is taking a shower or washing the dishes," Easley said. "We all need to know whether this will be extremely difficult or easily doable."
Few water managers described Easley's request as easily doable. Having already slashed usage by about 20 percent by eliminating most outdoor watering, the next step is to head indoors where water use often isn't considered optional.
That means three-minute showers, limited washing of clothes and dishes, and strategic toilet flushing. Other possibilities: turning off the tap while shaving and brushing teeth, and collecting water in a bucket from your shower to use elsewhere.
- newsobserver.com | Easley: Cut water use by half, 10/23/07
I clipped this from an email Kathie Young just sent me (she asked me to post):
A memorial service for Joe Herzenberg will be held Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 10:30 a. m. at the Chapel Hill Kehillah, 1200 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, with Rabbi Jennifer Feldman officiating. Funeral will be in Franklin, New Jersey and burial will be in North Church cemetery in Hardiston Township, New Jersey.
His "Chapel Hill Family" will receive friends from 11:30-2:00 November 15, 2007 at Margaret's Cantina where a light lunch will be served and there will be time for sharing stories and memories of Joe.
See my blog post about Joe, and the "we'll miss you Joe" thread here at OP.
Tomorrow is the last day of early voting. Polls at Carrboro Town Hall, the Franklin Street Post Office, and the Orange County Public Library will be open from 9 am to 1 pm. Anyone want to meet up for some voting and brunch?
I'm thinking Post Office then Ye Olde Waffle Shop, but I'm open to other proposals. Anyone game? Say, 10:30?
Those who traverse Estes Drive Extension regularly may have noticed some delays from paving work going on. But wait, before you curse your fate for being stuck in traffic, take note: Those wide paved shoulders are going in right now to make biking on Estes safer!
A month ago, Eric Muller, asked 'Will Chapel Hill/Carrboro Ever Be Bike-Friendly?' Collaboration between the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Chapel Hill Town Council is leading to new paved shoulders on Estes Drive Extension – and a whole lot more!
In national politics, we often criticize the mainstream media for covering the "horse race" between candidates instead of the issues. Do voters really need to know how much money someone has or do they need to know which candidate's health plan with help their family the most? In reflecting on OP's discussion of this year's election, I find it a little more horse-race oriented than I would like, although there is also a great deal of substantive and useful commentary.
Participants in and witnesses to desegregation protests that rocked Chapel Hill in the 1960s will speak in a free public program at 5:45 p.m. Nov. 8 in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Wilson Library.
They will recall their experiences and celebrate republication of John Ehle's “The Free Men,†a landmark book about the era that was first released in 1965. Winston-Salem publisher Press 53 reissued the book in February. Ehle will participate in the UNC program with:
Today I got a robocall from Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, urging me to vote for him and the other 4 incumbents for Chapel Hill Town Council! Is this a first in Orange County municipal races?
Does anyone think this has a positive influence on voters? It's hard to imagine that the informative nature outweighs the don't-call-me-at-home aspect. Then again, it's always good to have a reminder to get out the vote.
I just heard that the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted tonight to reopen the search for a place to put the new waste transfer station! (This wasn't even on their agenda.) They haven't agreed to exclude the Rogers/Eubanks area yet, but this is great progress.
Further discussion will be on their next agenda. Now is the time to show our appreciation to Moses, Mike, Barry, Valerie, and Alice for keeping an open mind, and keep the pressure on to make sure a NEW location is found.
Not sure how this will pan out, but here's another place to watch for results tonight: http://www.jomc.unc.edu/elections/2007
Leading up to election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, students will cover local issues and races through different media including print, audio and video. On election night, student political journalists will step out of their classroom/newsroom to document the results and reactions to the local 2007 election. But their stories won't be due the next day. Like professional journalists, students will be expected to work real deadlines and send in their stories for editing and posting to this Web site under the 'Stories/Features' tab. Up-to-date blogs will also be kept during election night.
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication - About the Project
Another first, I have attempted a video blog! Sorry it's so long (16 minutes). I'll try to do better next time.
Well this was a very interesting year. No-one in the survey predicted Jim Ward coming first (by 7 votes!), so we have no absolute victor. In fact as a group, the averages of our predictions were off base in a few places. I guess that goes to show, that we should do more thinking for ourselves, or get out into other neighborhoods more (as I think Fred told us last time).
Where did the hive mind get it right? Collectively, we predicted the correct results for all the mayoral races (cinch), we got the Aldermen right except the top two, and we got the top and bottom right in the school board race. For a bunch of people from Chapel Hill (10 of the 21 participants) we sure did't seem to know Chapel Hill voters very well!
Three people got the order right in Carrboro: Ed Neely, Patrick McDonough, and one person who declined to give their name. And only one person got the order of the School Board race right: Damon Seils!
A lot of us got knocked out of the running by listing incumbents Joal Broun and Jamezetta Bedford as top voter getters, when challengers actually took the top slot in both of their races!
Here is the first round of precinct-level maps for the Carrboro election. The complete set is available here. The maps below are based on unofficial results released by the Orange County Board of Elections on the afternoon of November 7. Much credit goes to my friend Brad for helping to put these together so quickly.
The first figure below shows the 8 precincts that now lie at least partly within Carrboro's municipal boundary.
I find it interesting how local candidates have used the internet as a primary source for campaign information. I have lived in several suburbs of North Carolina cities but I have never seen local political candidates use websites for any sort of campaigning.
Have these sites made a different impact on local voters or have voters even seen the sites at all?
With the exception of two one incumbents (Jim Ward and Joal Broun) all of the candidates in Chapel Hill and Carrboro races as well as the school board race had campaign web sites. Interestingly, no Hillsborough candidates were online except the Mayor whose web site was apparently leftover from his first campaign 2 years ago. All of these links are available at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2007.
I asked Ruby who pointed out that this is not the first year that sites have been used and past years can be seen at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2006 and http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2005.
On Monday evening, 11/5, NCDOT held a "Citizens Informational Workshop" on the Smith Level Road "improvement" project. Turnout was, to be kind, sparse. Now we enter the "public comment and public hearing" phase, the last stop before the asphalt meets the roadbed. The current DOT project plan for Smith Level (the section between Rock Haven Road and the Morgan Creek bridge) could best be described as resembling MLK Blvd.
Does the Town of Carrboro really want a multi-lane monstrosity within the town limits? Aristotle had a phrase for DOTs proclivity to seek to relieve congestion by adding travel lanes: reductio ad absurdum. At a moment of fatigue (discussion on this issue began back in 1986) the Board of Aldermen gave DOT the green light to continue planning based on the current project plan. Now here we are.
Two actions seem to be required to turn this project from boondoggle to actual improvement:
These are the precinct-level maps for the Chapel Hill election. The complete set is available here. As with the Carrboro election maps, the maps below are based on unofficial results published on November 8 by the Orange County Board of Elections. And thanks again to Brad for the technical wizardry.
As shown below, the Chapel Hill municipal boundary contains part or all of 22 precincts, including 1 precinct in Durham County.
A week from today (11/16), newly reelected council member Sally Greene (congrats, Sally!!) and I will host a day-long conference at UNC that returns attention to the oft-debated question of how we remember, and why we continue to honor, some of our most checkered ancestors.
The ancestor in question is Thomas Ruffin, the pride of Hillsborough and of UNC (and of the state generally). Ruffin was Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court for most of the three decades leading up to the Civil War and a UNC trustee for 42 years. Scholars have placed him on par with John Marshall as a jurist. There's a dormitory that bears his name on the UNC campus, and his imposing statue guards the front door to the North Carolina Court of Appeals building in Raleigh.
The last video went over well, so here's another. I recapped what went on on the site this week, and managed to keep it under 14 minutes...
Play
Sorry for the errors and weird editing. The fan noise is actually my laptop (which is recording the video) so I can't turn it off. I'd like to get it shorter, but that would actually take me longer! Your feedback is welcome. I'm learning...
And FYI, OPTV is archived here.
Tonight the Chapel Hill Town Council will have a public hearing on how to manage growth in the sprawling northern part of town. The Manager is recommending changes to the comprehensive plan that will effectively adopt the report of the Northern Area Task Force and focus transit-oriented development in certain areas. Learn all about it on the Council's agenda.
Local activists Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG) held a meeting about this last week and will also be presenting their opinions at the hearing.
I will be watching this meeting tonight and plan to report here as it goes along.
Update: Much more complete information is available at the Town of Chapel Hill web site.
I just wanted to let you all know that November 18th is the big day for this year's Carrboro Film Festival. Like last year, it will be held in the Century Center, 2-7pm. Only 5 bucks and kids ten and under are free. Come out to see 27 locally made wonderful short films. New this year, more awards, 12 Kay Kyser awards will be given at the conclusion of the festival.
If you would like to get a little sneak, go to www.carrborofilmfestival.com and watch the trailer for the fest. Featuring "Scooter Man" Mike Harris and sculptor Mike Roig. Roig also makes the awards for the fest, BTW.
Hope to see you all at the fest!
Cheers,
Nic Beery, Festival Chair
Tonight there are two meetings of interest to you social activists. At 6 pm, UNC will hold a forum on the chancellor selection process, and at 7 7:30 pm the County Commissioners will meet at the Southern Human Services Center to discuss the new search for a place to put a future waste transfer station.
I will add more information when I am back at my computer.
Update:
The Chancellor's Search Forum will be from 6 pm to 8 pm in Gerrard Hall on campus (between the Campus Y and Memorial Hall). More information and video of previous forums is available at: http://www.unc.edu/chan/search/forums.php
The Board of Orange County Commissioners meeting starts at 7:30 at the Southern Human Services Center on Homestead Road. The waste transfer station is item 7b (PDF) on the agenda: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/OCCLERKS/071115.htm
Short videos by Ruby Sinreich (and maybe others someday) about recent happenings on OrangePolitics and around the county.
The most recent videos are automatically displayed in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest). To see more, check out the OPTV archive.
Browse the archive at http://blip.tv/posts/?topic_name=orangepolitics
My husband Brian Russell and I are hosting an informal reception for Congressman Brad Miller to meet local bloggers and talk politics. Although he doesn't represent our congressional district, I feel like Brad often represents us in spirit by supporting many of the causes near and dear to Orange County's heart.
I think he's a very smart guy, and the fact that he wants to do an event like this speaks volumes about his values. You don't have to be a blogger and you don't have to give a contribution to come. Hope to see some of you there.
Please Join Congressman Brad Miller for a discussion hosted by Ruby Sinreich of OrangePolitics.org and Brian Russell of Yesh.com about the impact of blogging on today's political environment.
When: Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Mill Town Restaurant, 307 E Main St, Carrboro
Suggested Donation: $10
Cash Bar
Given that UNC is proposing to build the Innovation Center on MLK Boulevard as the gateway to Carolina North without having submitted their plans for the entire campus, we should all be watching this development closely.
I only live a mile away from where this will be built, but unfortunately I can't go to this "community meeting" next week (I have a date with a Congressman that night). Hopefully some of you will go and report back on what they're up to.
The University and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. are planning the Carolina Innovation Center on the Carolina North property at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and the former Municipal Drive. The Innovation Center will provide an environment where innovation-based companies affiliated with the University can turn laboratory concepts into viable businesses.
On Friday, 23 Nov 2007, Internationalist Books & Community Center will host Buy Nothing Day. Popular media call the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" because retail sales are huge. In response, many community centers have offered a Buy Nothing Day alternative. Instead of hoping to find happiness in materialism, they hope to remind people that some amazing things can be free (or shared, or passed on): skills, knowledges, friendship, conversation, food, etc.
Internationalist Books will sell nothing on Friday, but we will be open for open workshops and skillshares, 11am-4pm. On the front patio, we will have a table of nicely used clothes for trade/giveaway/additional donations. From 12noon-5pm, we will host a potluck. Please stop by the store and bring used clothing, food, family, friends, and yourself.
At 4pm, we will officially dedicate our Lending Library to long-time activist and supporter Lisa Garmon. We share wonderful memories of her, and she indelibly changed the lives of many in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC. Please join us for our dedication to her life, her work, and her honor.
There's been some justified hand-wringing lately how hard it is to get to our public library. As Chapel Hill Town Council Member Mark Kleinschmidt noted, the library's location and site plan are "really very car-centric." I get a little snitty when I hear this kind of observation. Of course he's right. But why wasn't it so obvious to the Town before we sited and built the library? After all, it's not like no-one pointed this out at the time.
Granted, none of the current members were on the Council when the Library was built over 15 years ago, but there was a different group of 9 "environmentalists" sitting at the same table and this is what their advisory boards told them:
Progressives,
Let us count the tipping points that we face next year: political,
economic, social, climate - just for starters. The questions are: Which
way will they tip and who will do the tipping?
There is nothing mechanical about these critical tipping points.
They are mostly contests of vision, combined with sheer energy and
will, that determine who will make policy decisions, and what those
decisions will be.
As the Progressives Democrats of NC (PDNC), we have tried to be the
link between the issues and advocacy groups that matter to real people,
and the political process that can enact real reforms.
To be effective, we need to be charged up, diverse and united, and have a smart plan.
The Orange County Chapter is the host of the 2007 Annual Meeting of
the Progressive Democrats of NC and invites all to come to the concert
on Friday evening and the meeting and Democratic Lt. Governor
Candidates forum on Saturday. Membership is NOT required; however,
non-members cannot vote.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF NC -- MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
Readers might be interested in a forum on creating progressive media that I am organizing, for December 6th. OrangePolitics is welcome to participate and it is set up as an informal discussion. The discussion will probably focus more on the mechanics of journalism than on the actual message, but we could also talk about framing.
The non-partisan Triangle Socialist Forum is hosting a discussion on the challenges in creating progressive media, with Independent Voices TV (indyvoices.blogspot.com ) and Triangle Free Press (www.trianglefreepress.org), Thursday, December 6th, at 7pm in the conference room at the Chapel Hill Public Library.
Our late friend Joe Herzenberg organized the Bill of Rights readings at the Franklin Street Post Office. Let's keep his work going with a reading on 12/15 and other events going on this month.
The following announcement comes from local activist Peggy Misch.
Local events in December:
UNC Constitutional Convention, 9AM -5PM, December 1. Attend session at 3:30 PM only, if you wish.
Reading of Orange County Human Relations Commission's proclamation for HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK, HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, and BILL OF RIGHTS DAY, 7:30pm, December 3, New Court House, 106 East Margaret Lane, Hillsborough (at County Commissioners' meeting). Call me (942-2535) to carpool.
Reading of Mayor Mark Chilton's Bill of Rights Day proclamation, 7:30PM, December 4, Carrboro Town Hall, 301 West Main Street.
Vigil to Honor Human Rights Week December 10-16: Noon, December 12, Peace and Justice Plaza (corner of Henderson and East Franklin Streets), Chapel Hill. Sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom-Triangle Branch. Information: 942-2919.
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