April 2011
So I hesitate to begin my OrangePolitics presence by being a mooch, but as co-president of the UNC Young Democrats I wanted to invite everyone here to come to a comedy show we are hosting Tuesday night at 7pm at the Varsity Theater!
Jeff Kreisler is a nationally known progressive, liberal comedian in the vein of Jon Stewart, and UNCYD hopes to get a lot of people out to this event to help us raise money to continue the great work our members do all year long. Tickets are $4 and we will be selling vintage YD t-shirts and raffling off a $50 gift card to a Chapel Hill business.
We hope to see you there!
Jeff's Website: jeffkreisler.com
Because we have done such a good job of recycling (and composting?), we have managed to extend the life of our landfill well past it's sunset date....But at what cost?
Does
federal farm legislation help farmers grow food that's good for us and
good for the earth? Speaker: Roland McReynolds, executive director of
the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.
Date:
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Location:
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church- 204 W. Salisbury St, Pittsboro
As someone who has worked with the Rogers Road neighborhood for many years, it really upsets me when I hear some of the criticism lobbed at our local elected officials over the issue of justice for the Rogers Road neighborhood. It’s true that some of our elected leaders have sought to sweep the issue of landfill compensation under the rug. But some elected officials in both Chapel Hill and Carrboro have worked hard on these issues for a long time. So let's not paint everyone with the same brush.
The Landfill Compensation Working Group
In 1996 and 1997, a group of elected officials (including me, then a Chapel Hill Council-member) and residents of the Rogers Road community recommended a list of 14 compensation items that our local governments owed to the neighbors of the landfill. This list was a result of inclusive facilitated meetings of the Landfill Compensation Working Group (as the committee of neighbors and officials was known).
Showdown at the Assembly of Governments Corral
The Assembly of Governments met on October 30, 1997 to discuss the LCWG's recommendations.
Date:
Thursday, April 7, 2011 - 6:30pm
Location:
Hargraves Community Center, 216 North Roberson Street, Chapel Hill
This past week the Carrboro Board of Aldermen heard a joint presentation from IFC's Chris Moran and OWASA Board Members Braxton Foushee and Wm Stott about Taste of Hope. Taste of Hope is a joint effort of OWASA and the Inter-Faith Council. Any OWASA customer can sign up to have their water bill rounded up to the nearest dollar; the extra change allows IFC to assist struggling local families with their water bills.
At first it may not sound like much, but a home with no water is no home at all. Even a little help with an OWASA bill can make the difference between being homeless or not for families trying to make ends meet in this difficult economic time.
This program will cost you less than $12 per year, but can help prevent homelessness in our local community. To learn more, go to:
http://www.owasa.org/customerService/taste-of-hope.aspx
If you are ready to sign up on line, go to:
https://www.owasa.org/Forms/TasteOfHopeRequest.aspx
This is a bit of a stretch for an Orange County blog. But not much of one. All around America, progressives are concerned at the civil rights of ordinary workers, and the plight of those most at risk in society. Not least with the effect at every level of government of the new austerity - whether natural or Republican-driven. And that goes for Orange County too.
Sometimes a song can have more immediate effect than a thousand speeches. So I wrote a song. Inspired by the fight for rights by workers both here in Orange County and all around America.
I had become tired of tax-cutters, tax-dodgers and war-mongers claiming to themselves the mantle of patriot. When it is ordinary working Americans and those who fight every day to make ours a better county, state and country, it is we who are the true patriots. Not those who would run down government and destroy the safety net.
So, a warm and generous patriotic song for progressive Orange County and progressive America. Oh. And one with an uptempo beat. So that when it comes time to protest, we can all shake more than our fists ... !!
Durham Tech’s Orange County Campus Hosts Sustainability Technologies Fair
Interested in solar technology? Learn more during Durham Technical Community College’s Sustainability Technologies Fair. The event will be held on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Durham Tech’s Orange County Campus in Hillsborough. Beginning this fall, the Sustainability Technologies program will offer both the Solar Photovoltaic certificate and the Renewable Energy diploma. Visitors can view solar technology demonstrations and talk to solar technology professionals. Some representatives from locally-owned solar installation companies include Strata Solar, Southern-Energy Management, and Sun Dogs Solutions. Visitors may also participate in 30-minute sustainability and renewable energy workshops led by Durham Tech instructors. Other highlights: - Enjoy live music from local high school bands using an amplification system powered by solar energy;
- Learn about the new Sustainability Technologies credit programming at the Orange County Campus;
- Find out how to apply for financial aid and admissions for Summer Term 2011 and Fall Semester 2011 courses;
- Enjoy a delicious meal prepared by one of our locally owned and operated food truck vendors
The Solar Photovoltaic certificate is designed for licensed electricians, those pursuing an electrical degree, and those who are working in facilities services under the supervision of an electrician. The certificate instruction includes both energy use analysis and solar photovoltaic system installation.
The new Renewable Energy diploma includes electrical and math courses for students without previous electrical experience. The diploma program includes work experience with a local company. The renewable energy diploma may be completed in five semesters. This new program will position Durham Tech and Orange County as leaders and models in the state for developing innovative and practical green training programs and initiatives.
For the most up-to-date event information please go to the event webpage:
For more information, contact Carlo Robustelli at 919-536-7238, ext. 4202, or robustec@durhamtech.edu.Date:
Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 10:00am to 2:00pm
Location:
Durham Tech's Orange County Campus, 525 College Park Road, Hillsborough NC
Via Town of Chapel Hill news list:
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt invites residents to join him in riding Chapel Hill's fare-free transit system, followed by free coffee and an informal conversation from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, at Starbucks at 103 E. Franklin Street.
The discussion about transportation issues in Chapel Hill will include updates on alternative transportation, including Chapel Hill Transit.
For more information, contact Len Cone at lcone@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5065.
Date:
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 9:30am to 10:30am
Location:
Starbucks, 103 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
Mary Norwood Jones, along with three others, will soon be remembered with a dedication at Chapel Hill’s Peace and Justice Plaza for her civil rights work in Chapel Hill. I knew her as the person who took care of Northside. When I first moved to Northside in 2002, I would often see Mrs. Jones out picking up cans, paper and other debris that littered the street our homes shared. I find myself following her example picking up trash as I walk through the neighborhood with my daughter. Mrs. Jones also had a beautiful yard with huge hydrangea bushes and a tidy lawn. It was again following her example that had me up on Saturday mornings pushing my lawn mower when I would rather be sleeping in and experimenting with what plants my brown thumb could keep alive in my front flower beds. While my yard still has far to go, I keep at it, thinking about the approving words she would give me if she found me kneeling in the dirt trying to beat back crabgrass to make room for some newly planted perennials. Along with planting tips, Mrs. Jones talked about the importance taking care of the young people and keeping the neighborhood looking nice.
I've been asked a couple of times what I think of the appointment last week so here goes.
In surely the most significant action the board takes (fortunately for us, a not-too-frequent action), the board chose Dr. Thomas Forcella of Guilford, CT
as the next superintendent. He certainly hit all the right
points in his introduction and initial interviews over the first day --
encourages community involvement, seeks strong growth by every child, has demonstrated high achievement
with a diverse student body. I am optimistic that we have found a proven leader to bring creative solutions to our schools. I even heard him utter the word "progressive" in a radio interview. Either he is extraodinarly savvy about saying all the right things or he is truly a good fit for the culture in our district and believes in the same goals we share. Probably a combination of those two, but that's not a bad thing either.
This year, WCHL tried something different and involved a panel of community members (including myself) in developing the ideas for what topics to cover and what guests to invite for the annual Community Forum. I haven't seen a full list of what is proposed, but I think it was a useful process and I applaud WCHL for taking a step toward a more participatory Forum.
Date:
Thursday, April 28, 2011 - 8:00am to 6:00pm
As we've mentioned before here on OP, the Town of Chapel Hill is preparing to revise its decade-old Comprehensive Plan (CP). In addition to documenting something of a shared vision of the community, it is also used as the basis of the Town's LUMO (Land Use Management Ordinance) which contains the actual policies and regulations with which all developers must comply. In an attempt to ramp up the process of creating this community document, the Town Council is trying a new approach: they decided to empanel an "Initiating Committee" (IC) that will lay out the process through which the actual CP wil be created.
With the month of May coming, it time for flowers to bloom and for our school district to trim resources. Every year when this happens I appreciate the flowers and figure there has to be a better way to fund our schools. Below is the text of a letter I send to Representative Insko with copy to County Commissioner Alice Gordon. There has to be a better approach that what we have now. Thoughts and comments are appreciated.
We haven't had one in a while. How are y'all?
This meeting will be open to the public! Come see how the sausage is made.
Date:
Saturday, May 21, 2011 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Location:
Mediterranean Deli, W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
The next OP Happy Hour will be held in Hillsborough on July 15 to coincide with the last day of candidate filing for the 2011 elections.
Date:
Friday, July 15, 2011 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Location:
246 S Nash St, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (The Depot at Hillsborough Station)
Updates on current work and presentation of new areas of focus.
Date:
Sunday, May 15, 2011 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Location:
Amity Church on the corner of Estes and MLK
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