July 2008

The Village Voice: Ellie Kinnaird

From the Chapel Hill Herald news briefs:

CHAPEL HILL -- State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Democratic candidate for North Carolina Senate District 23, will discuss her campaign on July 14 at Town Hall Grill at 4 p.m.

Town Hall Grill, located in Southern Village in Chapel Hill, has launched a nonpartisan community issues forum called "The Village Voice," which will feature various political candidates in a series of seven events.

Attendees are invited to reserve their seat using the online reservations form at www.thetownhallgrill.com. The Village Voice is sponsored by The North Carolina Center for Voter Education and MyNC.com.

Date:

Monday, July 14, 2008 - 12:00pm

Location:

Town Hall Grill, Southern Village

More Information:

http://www.thetownhallgrill.com/villagevoice

Elections

Weaver Street Market Annual Meeting

This is co-op owners' opportunity to hear from current and prospective board members. Voting on the board is open from 10/13/08 to 11/2/08.

Applications to run for a seat on the board are due by 9/7/08. Contact board@weaverstreetmarket.coop for more information.

Date:

Sunday, October 19, 2008 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Location:

Century Center, Carrboro

More Information:

http://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop

Economy & Downtown

Weaver Street Market

Celebrate Graig Meyer's Birthday and Support Barack Obama

Celebrate Graig Meyer's Birthday and Support Barack Obama!!Sunday, July 13, 2:30-5:30 PMThe Station at Southern Rail in Carrboro (adjacent to Weaver Street Market)Spread the word to all your friends. This event is open to the public!RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gt4h Anyone who has given or gives to by July 12 gets in free. You can give online here:http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Graig%0A For any registered voter who hasn't given, admission on the day of the event will require a minimum $10 donation to the Obama for America campaign. Unregistered voters get in free by registering at the door.Children under the age of 18 get in free.Enjoy these four great bands: Stan Lewis and the Rockin' Revelers, The Marla Vickers Band, The Willie Painter Band, and The Water CallersHear spoken word poetry from the Sacrificial Poets (Chapel Hill's youth poetry slam team, including one of Graig's former students).Support Graig's trip to be an Obama Delegate at the Democratic National Convention by purchasing raffle tickets to win these great prizes: Custom made Obama gear; including Obama Mama t-shirts, Obama Boy t-shirts, Obama kitchen aprons, Michelle Obama pins. Your choice of bottles of fine wine. Gift certificates from businesses and restaurants around Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Grand prize: You get to choose the wording on a sign that Graig will hold up for the television cameras at the Democratic National Convention.Can't afford to make a donation right now? Email us. We need 5-6 volunteers to make this happen and we'd love to have you come for free.RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gt4h See you on the 13th!Graig and Jen Meyer

Date:

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - 10:30am to 1:30pm

Location:

Southern Rail

2008

Comment on Comprehensive Plan Now, Commissioners to Vote in Fall

This fall, the Orange County Commissioners are scheduled to approve a new Comprehensive Plan; the first such vote in nearly thirty years! If you work, live or own land in Orange County, the Plan affects you; it sets a vision for how the county will develop over the next 20 years. Please take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Orange County by voicing your interests and concerns to the Orange County Planning Board and County Commissioners.

Once adopted, the new Comprehensive Plan will begin to impact decisions about our tax base, the kind of jobs and housing created in the county, where new development will occur, what that development will look like, and how we will move about the county.

Can You Pass the Test?

A new citizenship test is being rolled out:

In October 2008 a new version of the U.S. citizenship test will be taken by all applicants. Could you pass it? The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 samples that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview. Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.
NOTES: Candidates are not given multiple choices in the naturalization interview. The following questions have been adapted from the immigration service’s sample questions.

Given the concerns about the process of becoming a US citizen, this 4th of July might be a great opportunity to see if those of us who are citizens could pass the sample test.

No references allowed!

North Carolina's teachers in trouble

I've created a searchable database of teachers who have been disciplined in North Carolina by certification committees or school districts.

http://breaksthenews.blogspot.com/2008/07/north-carolinas-dicsiplined-teachers.html

Haven't been able to find out if any are in Orange County or CHCCS yet.

Is Hillsborough ready for rail?

A recently-completed feasibility study has smiled upon the idea of rail service in HIllsborough, and the town is purchasing land for a future station. Amtrak and NC DOT say it makes financial sense, but they also say that it can only work if the town gets serious about long-term planning.

Just in time for the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, which some think is overly reliant on sprawling growth and not doing enough smart land use planning!

The town would need to further develop and adopt a concept plan of how rail service would fit into overall community development, such as plans for land use, road networks and transit, bike and pedestrian access. The rail service would need to coordinate well with other modes of transportation.
A comprehensive review of the local rail infrastructure, including nearby road and pedestrian crossings, would be needed.
The town also would need to locate a site for a rail/transit stop. Concurrently, the town is obtaining property in Central Hillsborough that has the potential to serve as a rail stop and transit center.

Create Green-Collar Jobs in Orange County

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of seeing Van Jones speak. He co-founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and is founder and president of Green For All. He spoke convincingly of a future of increased equality and how one of the roads to this future is green jobs. Green-collar jobs are employment in the environmental or agricultural sectors of the economy. [Source: Wikipedia] But they also include any work that will help transform our society into a more environmentally sustainable one.

One way our local government leaders could participate in this national movement is to sign the Green Jobs Pledge. Its goal is to "rebuild American competitiveness and environmental leadership by growing a green economy that fights global warming, pollution and poverty at the same time." Here are the five steps this pledge asks our leaders to agree to:

Commit to Action
Create a Green-collar Jobs Taskforce
Identify Goals and Assess Opportunities
Create a Local Action Plan
Evaluate, Leverage and Grow

Former Senator Jesse Helms dead at 86

How will he be remember in our community?

For me, I will never forget what he was willing to do to win an election.

Carrboro Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan Information Workshop

CARRBORO BICYCLE PLAN WORKSHOP #2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008

4:00 – 7:00 pm (DROP-IN FORMAT)

On CARRBORO TOWN COMMONS (at the Farmer’s Market)

Thank you for attending the first public workshop for Carrboro’s bicycle transportation plan, back on April 10^th. The second workshop will be held on July 23, 2008 on the Carrboro Town Commons, at the Farmers’ Market. Please stop by anytime between 4:00 - 7:00 PM to learn about preliminary recommendations (this will be new information from the consultants), talk to Town staff and project consultants, and provide more of your input to the process.

Attached is a flyer for that meeting. Please feel free to distribute this so that all Town citizens are informed.

In addition, you can visit the project website: www.greenways.com/pages/CarrboroBicycle.html, which houses current project information and contains a link to an online comment form for you to fill out (if you have not done so already).

Thank you for your time. Happy and safe bicycling!

-Town of Carrboro

Adena Messinger, Transportation Planner

Town of Carrboro

301 W. Main Street

Carrboro, NC 27510

919-918-7329

amessinger@townofcarrboro.org

Date:

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 12:00pm to 3:00pm

Location:

Carrboro Town Commons (site of the Farmers' Market on west main street outside the town hall)

More Information:

http://www.greenways.com/pages/CarrboroBicycle.html

Environment

Who's Going to Ann Arbor?

The calendar is counting down the days remaining to register to attend the Inter-City Visit and Leadership Conference, at least in terms of being able to get the cheapest tickets and to be eligible for scholarship funds. Ann Arbor was chosen as this year's destination because of its perceived similarities to Chapel Hill, in both the populace and the problems they face. Are any OP'ers planning on attending this year? For those of you who went to Madison two years ago, do you feel like any real progress is made on these trips, or would community leaders be better off with a staycation?

What would happen if people were held accountable for their actions?

What would happen if people were held accountable for their actions? If the laws were written such that the person was responsible for their actions regardless of whether they were drunk or did not know that the gun was loaded. In turn there would be no lower age limit to drive, drugs (including over the counter, prescription, alcohol, and illegal) would not be regulated, guns would not require registration, and so on. But if someone died as a result YOU would be held accountable, not the gun or drug, you would be charged with murder, not manslaughter or accidental motor vehicle homicide, but MURDER, and you would receive a life punishment such as life in prison? Do you think that murder rates would drop?

Is Chapel Hill/Carrboro Still Safe?

I have noticed this year seems like there is an increased in violence in the area. The University is constantly reporting theft with the most recent being an armed robbery this past weekend. I was definitely shocked and not prepared for the fact the Eve Carson was kidnapped from her home. I was talking to a friend of mine who owns a local business in Carrboro. We joked about the area being an "Utopia" or Carrtopia, if you will. However, it seems like this illusion may be shattering. I know Carrboro's crime has increased, as well. Thoughts?

Public forum on Chapel Hill Transit's D & CL routes

Do you ride the D or CL bus? Let Chapel Hill Transit know what you think.

Chapel Hill Transit will hold a public forum Thursday, July 17, to discuss suggested improvements to the D route and CL routes in the U.S. 15-501 area.
The forum will be held Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Bible Church, 260 Erwin Road.
Chapel Hill Transit seeks input on ideas to improve service on the two routes as a result of the BCX bus route being discontinued on Aug. 15.
The public is invited to also share thoughts via e-mail to blitchfield@townofchapelhill.org, by calling 969-4900 or by mail to: Brian Litchfield, Chapel Hill Transit, 6900 Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.
- chapelhillnews.com: Forum scheduled on bus service, 7/13/08

Date:

Thursday, July 17, 2008 - 2:00pm

Location:

Chapel Hill Bible Church, 260 Erwin Road, Chapel Hill

Government

WSM Board meeting

Via e-mail:

Wednesday, July 16
starting at 6:15
Board meetings are held at Community Realty
on the corner of Weaver Street and Greensboro Street
You can find links to the minutes of our last meeting here.

As an owner of Weaver Street Market you are always welcome to attend meetings of the Board, and you are also welcome to make your thoughts known on these and other issues in the open session at the beginning of the meeting.

Date:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 2:15pm

Location:

Community Realty, corner of Weaver & Greensboro Streets, Carrboro

Economy & Downtown

Weaver Street Market

Glen Lennox developer to Town: "just kidding!"

I still can't decide which of Clay Grubb's statements is more ridiculous: the description of Glen Lennox as "in decline" (how does he think it got that way?) or last month's admission that his proposal to redevelop the property was "done hastily" and wasn't really a very good idea. A month ago, I was open to the idea of at least some changes in Glen Lennox, but at this point I kinda want to put a moratorium on development until we can convince the guy to just sell the whole thing.

The president of Grubb Properties said Wednesday night that his company's initial plans to redevelop the Glen Lennox neighborhood and shopping center failed to respect the community's character.
"I do not think the plan was sensitive to the history of Glen Lennox. I apologize," Clay Grubb told the Chapel Hill Town Council. "That was a plan that was done hastily."

More racist attacks on Chapel Hill employee

I really can't understand the Town's seemingly mild response to racist graffiti discovered at the Town Operations Center. Given that there have been no consequences for the previous incident, it's not surprising that the hateful vandal struck again last week.

Chapel Hill Police are investigating the first incident and have not charged anyone. Town Manager Roger Stancil has said the culprit could be fired.
- newsobserver.com: Racist graffiti found in Chapel Hill offices, 7/10/08

How the hell does this happen? And what does the manager mean "the culprit could" be fired? Under what circumstances would you not fire an employee who publicly directs hate speech at another employee?

Orange County Democratic Women meeting

Via the News of Orange:

Thursday, July 24. The Orange County Democratic Women will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Museum, 523 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. The monthly meeting will focus on taxes and comparing the priorities of national political parties. The guest speaker will be Meg Gray Weihe, policy analyst with the N.C. Justice Center’s Budget & Tax Center, who will speak on “Why Tax Fairness Matters.” For more information, call Anne Thomas at 929-0547.

Date:

Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 3:30pm

Location:

Chapel Hill Museum, 523 E. Franklin St.

Orange County

The problem with downtown

I just drove through Eastgate, and and wow that place is really coming together. It looks quite nice and there are lots of appealing businesses there. However, almost none of them are locally owned. WomanCraft seems to be the only local business there now. I would so much prefer to spend my money at a business that supports the local economy and supports our downtown. I started to think about why our downtown is starting to struggle after so many years of vitality.

No, it's not the panhandlers, lack of parking, or drunk students. I think It's the landlords. Or at least some landlords, most notably Spencer Young who is actively driving tenants away from The Courtyard while piling on loans that he apparently can't pay, and Joe Riddle who is responsible for at least two empty store fronts and a vacant lot on Franklin Street. Riddle is a developer who lives in Fayetteville. He was arrested on felony drug charges in 2005, and he currently owns several properties in Northside and downtown Chapel Hill worth a total tax value of $1,795,460 (according to Orange County GIS).

"A Class Divided"

The public is invited to a community viewing and discussion of "A Class Divided" to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 24, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall. Refreshments will be provided.

Organized by the Town of Chapel Hill's Justice in Action Committee, the event is the first in a series of outreach events designed to engage the community in frank conversations about race relations in Chapel Hill.

Mayor Kevin Foy and Justice in Action Committee Chair André Wesson will make welcoming remarks. Dr. Jan Boxill, director of the UNC Parr Center for Ethics, will help facilitate the discussion following the viewing of the documentary film.

"Class Divided" is an encore presentation of the classic documentary on third-grade teacher Jane Elliott's "blue eyes-brown eyes" exercise, originally conducted in the days following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The film is designed to help engage people in reflection and dialogue about the historical role of racism in the United States, as well as the role of prejudice and stereotyping.

Date:

Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 3:00pm

Events

Library branches return to normal hours

Here's some good news: the library is reinstating their original hours. They cut them a few weeks ago, with the reductions at the Carrboro branch (a.k.a. McDougle School) being especially drastic. Here's the County's press release:

Hours of operation for all Orange County Public Libraries will be reinstated beginning July 28, 2008. County and Library management have re-visited the departmental budget and identified certain purchases to be delayed until next fiscal year and a reduction in monies budgeted for inventory replacement. These adjustments will generate funds sufficient to cover the temporary personnel costs for hours of operation at the Main Library and its branches. Please note these changes.
[...]
For additional information visit the Orange County Library website http://www.co.orange.nc.us/library/orange/ or call (919) 245-2525.

Will Changes in OCS Leadership Bring Real Change?

The new board of the Orange County Schools was recently sworn into office. At their very first meeting, the three new board members joined with one of the standing members to vote out the old board chair and vice-chair. They were replaced by two newly-elected members, but the new chairs are far from new to Orange County Schools.

The new board chair is Steve Halkiotis, a former county commissioner and someone who spent his entire professional career in the Orange County Schools, working his way up from teacher to assistant superintendent. The new vice-chair is Tony McKnight, himself also a former OCS teacher.

These changes come less than a year after Pat Rhodes became the district’s superintendent, and like Halkiotis and McKnight he also has previous experience in Orange County.

So we have plenty of new leadership, but I’m wondering if they’ll take our district in any new directions. Can three leaders so tied to the district’s past bring innovative solutions to our contemporary challenges?

The Merritt Railroad Crossing

I imagine many OP readers have heard about area residents who are concerned about the new fence blocking access between Estes Park Apartments in Carrboro and Village West Townhouses in Chapel Hill. The management of Estes Park erected a fence and gate which is padlocked. The fence is 8' tall with three strands of barbed wire at the top. It blocks a traditional connection between the two neighborhoods and by extension connections from each neighborhood to downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

Abbey Court residents speak out against harrassment

I just learned that there was a rally this morning at Carrboro Town Hall where residents of Abbey Court called for the town to do more to protect them from the increasingly-discriminatory policies of their collective landlord. In short: the owners have begun towing residents' cars if they don't meet a certain aesthetic standard. It really is that ridiculous. And probably quite racist, in my opinion.

Thanks to the Town of Carrboro's new Official Correspondence archive (kudos for openness!) I can offer some background about the situation.

From: Carolyn A. Hutchison [Carrboro Police Chief]
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:50 PM
To: Steven Stewart [Carrboro Town Manager]
Subject: FW: Towing today
Importance: High

Steve,

Management at Abbey Court apartments is actively towing vehicles from
their lots today. We do not have any authority on their property;
however, we are dealing with this situation to the extent that we are
able. Officers are concerned that Management is towing vehicles that
belong to their own residents. Many of the residents are trying to make
ends meet and need the vehicles to get to and from work, etc.
Apparently, Management is towing cars that do not "look good." In other
words, if your vehicle has dents, needs paint, or has a cracked
windshield, Management will not issue a permit to park and Management
will tow the vehicle. As you might imagine, Abbey Court residents may
not have the means to drive a pristine vehicle, but many are paying
their rent, and now are unable to get a permit to park in their own home
parking lot. Then, their vehicles are towed from the lot; they're
responsible for the towing fees; and they have no car to get to work,
etc.

OP Happy Hour (no longer tentative)

Sorry for the short notice, but I don't want to postpone again. It's going to be way too hot to be outside, so my original plan to go to WSM or OSCSC are out of the question. How about F*use or Skylight Exchange (no booze)?

I thought about hosting at it my house so you can all try to get here from Carrboro with that big, ugly fence in the way, but I thought better of it...

Date:

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 1:30pm

Location:

506 Oak Avenue, Carrboro

About This Web Site

happy hour

Is It Time that We Got Serious About This Problem?

The news regarding the two armed robberies yesterday, one in the alley between the Rosemary & Columbia Street lot and Franklin Street, and the other at the ATM at the Wachovia at University Mall, got me to asking myself: Am I comfortable when my wife goes out to run errands on her own? And, for the first time that I can remember, the answer is a solid no.

Glen Lennox discussion on WCOM

Greg Brusseau of Save Glen Lennox will be the guest on the Wednesday edition of WCOM's West End Report with LMT hosting. Greg will discuss the inside scoop he got from a N&O reporter about Grubb properties backing out of their bid and caving into the community to redesign their plan.

Tune into 103.5 LP FM (Carrboro/Chapel Hill area) at 6pm or you can stream us by clicking here. I'm hoping that Ruby calls us at the studio LIVE from the OP Happy Hour with an update: 919-929-9601. Freel free to call with questions. The first caller gets a Save Glen Lennox T-shirt!

Expert presentation on Minority Student Achievement

From a press release:

Contact: Denise Bowling, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, 967-8211, ext. 282

MSA Local Team to host community presentation

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Minority Student Achievement Local Team will sponsor a community presentation by Mychal Wynn, one of the world's premiere authorities on Black male achievement, school improvement planning, closing the achievement gap and college planning. Wynn will conduct his presentation on Monday, August 4, from 4:30-6:00 pm in the Smith Middle School Auditorium. Smith Middle School is located at 9201 Seawell School Road.

Participants will learn why identifying, analyzing and understanding the unique societal, home and community variables that impact all students identified as "at risk" is prerequisite to developing holistic and effective strategies for closing the achievement gap and preparing students for college.

"Mr. Wynn has a clear vision that all students can learn at high levels, go to college and be successful in the adult world," said Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Denise Bowling. "He renews hope for students, their families and their teachers through his commitment and expertise. He provides a no-nonsense approach and shares a multitude of evidenced-based strategies. We are so pleased to have him work with us."
For more information about Wynn, please visit http://www.rspublishing.com/speakerprofile.html.

Date:

Monday, August 4, 2008 - 12:30pm

Location:

Smith Middle School Auditorium, 9201 Seawell School Road

Racial & Economic Justice

acheivement gap

Walking Tours of historic Hillsborough

From http://www.historichillsborough.org/calendar/ :

2nd Saturday Hillsborough Guided Walking Tour, 10am & 2pm, The Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., Hillsborough. Explore Hillsborough's history on a 90-minute guided walking tour through its historic district. $2-$6, More Information at 732-7741

Date:

Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 6:00am to 10:00am

Location:

Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., Hillsborough

History

Hillsborough

Walking tours of historic Hillsborough

From http://www.historichillsborough.org/calendar :

2nd Saturday Hillsborough Guided Walking Tour, 10am & 2pm, The Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., Hillsborough. Explore Hillsborough's history on a 90-minute guided walking tour through its historic district. $2-$6, More Information at 732-7741

Date:

Saturday, September 13, 2008 - 6:00am to 10:00am

Location:

Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., Hillsborough

History

Hillsborough

Drinking Liberally

From The Facebook:

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chapter of Drinking Liberally

What is Drinking Liberally?

An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics.

Regular meetings every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at The Station Bar @ Southern Rail from 7-9pm.

Bring friends, all are welcome!

Contact Info

Website:
http://www.drinkingliberally.org

Location:
Chapel Hill, NC

Date:

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 - 3:00pm

Location:

The Station at Southern Rail, Carrboro

More Information:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17375014060

social

Drinking Liberally

From The Facebook:

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chapter of Drinking Liberally

What is Drinking Liberally?

An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics.

Regular meetings every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at The Station Bar @ Southern Rail from 7-9pm.

Bring friends, all are welcome!

Contact Info

Website:
http://www.drinkingliberally.org

Location:
Chapel Hill, NC

Date:

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 - 3:00pm

Location:

The Station bar at Southern Rail, Carrboro

More Information:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17375014060

social

Last Fridays Hillsborough Art Walk

From http://lastfridays.org:

At every outdoor Last Fridays, the Hillsborough Arts Council sponsors the center-stage musical actand artist demonstrators at the courthouse square, and a film series at the Masonic Lodge. The Council also sponsors the Last Fridays Art Walk and manages the vendor booths. For information about and registration for the Handmade Parade workshops, stop by the HAC booth!

Date:

Friday, July 25, 2008 - 2:00pm

Location:

Downtown Hillsborough

More Information:

http://hillsboroughartscouncil.org/LastFridays.html

Arts & Culture

Art Walk

Last Fridays Hillsborough Art Walk

From http://lastfridays.org:

At every outdoor Last Fridays, the Hillsborough Arts Council sponsors the center-stage musical actand artist demonstrators at the courthouse square, and a film series at the Masonic Lodge. The Council also sponsors the Last Fridays Art Walk and manages the vendor booths. For information about and registration for the Handmade Parade workshops, stop by the HAC booth!

Date:

Friday, August 29, 2008 - 2:00pm

Location:

Downtown Hillsborough

More Information:

http://hillsboroughartscouncil.org/LastFridays.html

Arts & Culture

Art Walk

UNC Board rejects Innovation Center design

Kudos to the UNC-CH Board of Trustees for rejecting a recent architectural plan for the inaugural building at Carolina North. It seems they felt the proposed design of the Innovation Center was not innovative enough to mark the entrance to the modern new campus which they plan to build in the northern heart of Chapel Hill. I was glad to see that the BOT has such high expectations for the building, but was a bit concerned about administrators' refusal to consider locating the building anywhere other than the grand entrance.

I still don't understand the logic behind UNC doing construction before completing the plan for the larger campus into which this building must fit. I really don't feel I can support any thing on that site until we see that it will be part of a commitment to use Carolina North to enhance Chapel Hill and not just UNC's bottom line.

Special Meeting of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen

Notice of Special Meeting of the Carrboro Board of Alderman

We, the undersigned, hereby call a special meeting of the Carrboro Board of Alderman for 7:30pm on Thursday, July 31, 2008 at Carrboro Town Hall.

The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss and possibly enact a proposed ordinance regulating the towing of automobiles from private lots within town limits.

Signed:
Alderman jacquelyn Gist
Alderman Dan Coleman

The source of this information is the PDF on this page obtained from the new Official Correspondence Google group for the Town of Carrboro.

Date:

Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 3:30pm

Location:

Carrboro Town Hall

Racial & Economic Justice

Lyle Estill author reading - "Small is Possible"

Via Facebook & e-mail:

Lyle Estill author reading - "Small is Possible"
Forget Homeland Security – Let’s Create Hometown Security!

Event Info
Host:
Internationalist Books & Community Center
Type:
Meetings - Informational Meeting
Network:
Global

Event Info
Host:	Internationalist Books & Community Center
Type:	Meetings - Informational Meeting
Network:	Global

Time and Place
Date:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
Internationalist Books
Street:
405 W Franklin St
City/Town:
Chapel Hill, NC

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Time and Place
Date:	Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time:	7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:	Internationalist Books
Street:	405 W Franklin St
City/Town:	Chapel Hill, NC
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Contact Info
Phone:
9199341740
Email:
info@internationalistbooks.org
Find out how at Internationalist Books and Community Center on Thursday, July 31st at 7 PM, as we welcome author and activist Lyle Estill for a reading from his new book, Small Is Possible. This passionate, insightful book introduces us to "hometown security," with this chronicle of a community-powered response to resource depletion in a fickle global economy. True stories, springing from the soils of Chatham County, North Carolina, offer a positive counter balance to the bleakness of our age. This is the story of how one small southern US town found actual solutions to actual problems. Unwilling to rely on government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself and govern itself.

"Think self-reliance is far-fetched in a flat world? Lyle Estill's Small is Possible shows how it is being done for food, housing, energy, finance, health care, and just about everything else communities care about. A seasoned entrepreneur and social innovator, Estill tells fun-to-read stories that are engaging, insightful, and practical. His book is an indispensable resource for community organizers and economic developers alike."
-Michael Shuman, author of "The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition"

Local resident Lyle Estill is the author of numerous articles, essays, and blog entries, including the book, Biodiesel Power; the Passion, People and Politics of the Next Renewable Fuel. He serves as vice-president of Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC.

Contact Info
Phone:	9199341740
Email:	info@internationalistbooks.org

Date:

Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 3:00pm

Location:

Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

More Information:

http://www.internationalistbooks.org/?q=node/250

Environment

"The Psychology of Fascism" - talk at Internationalist Books

Via internationalistbooks.org:

"The Psychology of Fascism" - talk with William Manson
Events at Internationalist Books
Join us at Internationalist Books for a thought-provoking talk with William Manson about "The Psychology of Fascism."
What drives leaders such as George Bush and John McCain towards their destructive militarism and repressive global and domestic policies? In this provocative talk and discussion, Manson will analyze the authoritarian narcissism underlying US corporate and political power through the lens of psychology. Deriving insight from diverse thinkers including Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Erich Fromm, and others, participants will examine the role of sexual repression, authoritarian conditioning, and pathological narcissism in shaping the psychology of America's leaders as the country edges towards fascism. Come prepared to learn, debate, and explore humanistic alternatives to the "wargasmic" policies of Republican (and Democratic) narcissists!
William Manson is a Chapel Hill-based radical intellectual historian and author who has published essays examining fascist psychology, authoritarian narcissism, and radical humanism in Fifth Estate magazine, Anarchy! A Journal of Desire Armed, and more.

Date:

Sunday, August 10, 2008 - 12:00pm

Location:

Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

More Information:

http://www.internationalistbooks.org/?q=node/252

Civil Liberties

facts about city, county and state budgets

Is there anywhere on the web with details about NC state budget, orange county budget, and Chapel Hill town budget? I've been searching the last hour and am surprised that I have been unable to find any breakdown of the recently passed budgets. Am I missing a good resource? I have no agenda; just wondering what the facts are. Seems like this information is more difficult to find than it should be.

Thanks.

Three cheers for transparency

Carrboro's new Official Correspondence e-mail archive shows how easy it is to make the public's business actually available to the public. If you do it as Mayor Chilton did - with a Google Group - it's even free. Chapel Hill News editor Mark Schultz says the new system serves the community better than paper archives used by other governments, and it makes reporters' job easier which leads to better coverage in the papers. It's also very easy for officials to use as they just forward or CC e-mails to get them into the archive.

What's keeping Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Orange County from following suit? Sometimes I wonder if they wouldn't prefer that we just let them govern in peace instead of sticking our noses into the public business all the time.

El Futuro Hot Topic Today on WCOM

Tune in today at 6pm on WCOM (103.5 LP FM Chapel Hill/Carrboro area) or stream us live at www.communityradio.coop

for The West End Report, hosted by me, LMT!

to hear Martha Olaya-Crowley, M.Ed., LCSW discuss the importance of El Futuro in the latino community and the recent budget cuts by O.C.Commissioners. Plus, Martha will be spinning some great latino music between our breaks!

Hopefully, Mayor Chilton will also call in and give us an update on the Abbey Court situation.

Feel free to call in with comments and questions 919-929-9601

WCOM on NBC-17

Click here for the video.

By Lauren Hills, NBC17, 1 day, 1 hour ago
CARRBORO, N.C. -
WCOM, a Carrboro-based radio station run solely by volunteers, is trying to get the word out about its mission and get some more support from the community.
The 100-watt radio station, which broadcasts about five miles, was started in 2004. The content is all community-based with more than 60 shows on the air. The variety of programs range from the local music scene to bilingual to youth programs. And despite the little funding the station has, it broadcasts live on the web 24/7.
But Jackie Helvey, WCOM's website designer, said keeping the place running on virtually no funding or advertising has been quite a challenge. She said many people don't even know the station exists, so getting money can be tough to come by.
"We need underwriting," said Helvey. "We need people willing to donate 15 dollars a month."

Rogers Road Back-to-School Bash

I just saw Minister Robert Campbell and he reminded me about this annual event coming up again this year to support the kids of the Rogers Road neighborhood. Their goal is to give out 100 bags filled with school supplies for students returning to school this fall. You can donate bags, school supplies, or money to support the effort.

The event on August 9th will be a big party with fun stuff for kids and, as always, an opportunity to learn more about the community that has hosted our landfill for over three decades.

Folks can drop off in-kind donations at Faith Tabernacle, or send checks made out to "Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association." More information (including a PDF flyer) is available at the web site of the Rogers-Eubanks Coalition. Contact Min. Robert Campbell 933‐6210 or Teresa Thomas 563-2359 with any questions.

Date:

Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 8:30am to 2:30pm

Location:

Faith Tabernacle Oasis Of Love International Church, 8005 Rogers Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516

More Information:

http://rogersroad.wordpress.com/

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Lyle Estill author reading - "Small is Possible"

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"The Psychology of Fascism" - talk with William Manson

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