July 2015
Improvements and extensions to Bolin Creek Greenway have been in the works for years, and as Phase III of the project gets underway, the Town of Chapel Hill has released an interactive story map that will allow folks to track the project's progress.
I've embedded the map below, and you can check out a larger version of it on the town's website.
Yesterday was a memorable day. My wife Linda and I went to Hillsborough and I formally filed for the Chapel Hill Town Council. I’m in the race!
I am truly excited about the campaign ahead. I intend to use it as an opportunity to meet and speak with as many Chapel Hill residents as I can. I want to learn firsthand what my fellow Chapel Hillians’ visions for our Town are. What they see as the opportunities we can take advantage of and what they see as the challenges that we need to address. And what they expect from those who serve them on the Council.
I am also looking forward to the various public forums -- including OP's -- at which I and the other candidates can share our views for our Town’s future and have full and frank discussions about why each of us should have voters support.
Please go to my web site (www.parker4ch.com) and share your thoughts with me. Let me know what’s on your mind. Thank you.
This week's Indy Week features this article, documenting how affordable housing, parks, and senior services have so far been left out of the proposed 2016 Orange County bond referendum.
When Orange County commissioners approved plans this year for a $125 million school bond vote in 2016, it passed with little public input, scant public outreach and one absent county commissioner. Now some county residents are calling for commissioners to reconsider their priorities, particularly their decision to exclude public-housing funding from the deal.
At this point, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, in a 4 to 2 votes, voted to only include funds for schools that will go before the voters in 2016.
Next Monday, the words "Confederate Memorial" on the façade of the Orange County Historical Museum may move one step closer to being removed.
The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners next meets at 7 p.m. July 13 in the Whitted Human Services Center.
The agenda is available now on the town website and includes various items, including a discussion and possible action on the “Confederate Memorial” lettering on the exterior of the building located at 201 N. Churton St.
It seems likely that the, should the town decide to act on town manager Eric Peterson's recommended, a Certificate of Appropriateness may first need to be obtained from the Historic District Commission.
For background, see these articles from last month:
Happy Friday! Here are a few articles from the OP Editors that we found interesting this week:
In case you haven't seen it yet, Chapel Hill has launched a new mapping tool to report bike and pedestrian issues across town. So far, there are plenty of issues that users have already reported, including unsafe biking conditions on Estes Dr Ext and MLK Blvd, inadequate pedestrian crossing lights on East Franklin St, and a laundry list of concerns around UNC's campus.
I'm glad to see the town proactively gathering this information, especially with the 2015 bond referendum including $16.2 million for streets and sidewalks, including bicycle and pedestrian safety. I hope the data they collect here will directly inform the priorities that can be funded if the bond passes.
Have you used this tool yet? What are your biggest bike/ped concerns around town, and what would you like to see done about them?
Elections will be held on November 3, 2015, for Carrboro Board of Aldermen, Chapel Hill Town Council, Hillsborough Town Board, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education.
I was at the Board of Election to file my mid term report. (I decided to forgive the last $800 of my personal loan to my 2013 campaign since I have decided not to run this year for Town Council.) I said hi to Jim Ward who was also at the Board of Election completing his paper work for his run for reelection for Chapel Hill Town Council.
Happy Friday! We hope to see you tonight at 5:30pm at DSI Comedy for our Candidate Coming Out Party. Before you join us then, here are some things we found interesting on the web this week:
Last week, you might have read a Gizmodo article about how millennials will live in cities unlike anything we've ever seen before. If you haven't read it yet, I highly encourage you to, because, unlike so many articles in the media today, this one does an excellent job of capturing the nuances of why we are seeing certain behavioral patterns among millennials when it comes to where we live.
The critical takeaway from this article is one that has major implications for us in Chapel Hill/Carrboro: Millennials are choosing to live in urban neighborhoods, but not necessarily in urban downtowns.
This behavioral pattern shows that what millennials value is not the big city life itself, but having easy access to amenities like walkability and public transit. For suburbs around the country, this means attracting the next generation of Americans requires urbanizing to provide these kind of amenities.
I am pleased to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. For the past 8 years, I have had the honor and privilege of serving the children of this district. I value all children and I’m excited about tackling current issues facing the district. I bring a thoughtful voice to the boardroom, one that ensures that all families are considered when decisions are made.
This district has seen substantial growth since 2006 with the opening of three schools, the high school designation of our alternative program Phoenix Academy, and the opening of our first magnet dual language school, just to name a few. Equally impressive is that our district has one of the lowest dropout rates in the state, continuing to improve its efforts to positively engage students.
During my tenure on the Board, I have advocated for ALL children. If re-elected, I will continue supporting efforts that bring meaningful professional development to our teachers and that raise academic achievement for all children. I will also work to ensure that our children have a safe environment in which to learn and grow.
This week, we're reading:
This commentary, written by me and fellow OP editor Molly De Marco, originally appeared in the Chapel Hill News on July 26, 2015.
Chapel Hill has a branding problem. There, we said it – and we said it because it’s time for us to have a frank and honest discussion about just exactly what Chapel Hill is and who we are as Chapel Hillians.
Far too often these days, it’s common for people to compare Chapel Hill to Durham or even Raleigh. But the fact is that we’re not Durham and we’re not Raleigh – and more importantly, we’re not competing with Durham or Raleigh.
Rather, as one of the nation’s leading and most desirable college towns, we’re competing with towns and cities across the country with major research universities, like Ann Arbor, Bloomington, Athens, and Austin.
Acknowledging this is the first step toward developing a Chapel Hill brand and using it to attract the individuals, businesses, and opportunities that will make Chapel Hill a unique regional and national leader.
Until Yusor Abu-Salha, her husband Deah Barakat and her sister Razan Abu-Salha, three young people who practice the Muslim faith, were shot to death on February 10, 2015 in Chapel Hill, many of us likely had not thought much about Islamophobia or that our community, one of the most liberal in the state, might harbor such sentiments. But we are not immune, as a search for the hashtag #NotsafeUNC will bare out. For example, at the time of these murders, I was teaching a course at UNC that happened to have two Muslim students enrolled. They were both close friends of the young people who were murdered. As my TAs and I worked to accommodate our students’ need to grieve and deal with the fear brought on by these hate killings, we heard that not all Muslim students at UNC were met with compassion.
Chapel Hill is a very special place and my wife and I consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to be living here. And while there are many things that I hope to accomplish if I am fortunate enough to be elected, there is one overarching reason why I have chosen to run: I want our Town to be as special for the next generation of Chapel Hillians – folks like my daughter Stephanie and her husband Samuel – as it is for those of us who live here today.
Chapel Hill should be a vibrant, diverse and affordable town. In order to make sure that this is our present and our future, if elected I intend to devote my energies to:
- Creating more and better jobs, especially for our younger residents
- Growing and diversifying our supply of housing so that it is affordable to a broad range of income groups
- Strengthening Chapel Hill Transit and creating new and expanding existing connections with Durham, RDU, RTP, and Raleigh
I am convinced that working with the residents of our Town, the other members of the Council, and our Mayor we can accomplish great things so that the Chapel Hill of tomorrow is even better than it is today.
More details on exact time are forthcoming. The forum will be held at the Chapel Hill Town Hall council chambers.
Date:
Monday, October 12, 2015 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location:
Chapel Hill TownHall Council Chambers
Here's some of what we're reading this week:
I am running for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education because I have been a longtime advocate both for quality education, and for children and families. As a parent, and as a professional who deals with educational issues on a day to day basis, I believe that I can bring the necessary perspective to work on the Board of Education and partner with students, families, teachers, administration and the community.
We face serious financial challenges, but we cannot let this undermine the quality of the schooling we offer. We must continue to support and grow an excellent education system with the highest expectations for all students in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. We are a diverse community and I will be a champion for a school system that reflects that diversity and provides an education that allows all our children to realize their full potential. The three Rs I am most interested in are respect, resources and results.
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.
