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Improving the Town of Chapel Hill's Website

I just got this today in the Chapel Hill eNews (town email list). Its the details of how a vendor must register to get RFP (Request For Proposal) information about rebuilding the Towns website. Vendors you have two weeks to register.

8. Vendors Wanted for Web Site Redevelopment

The Town of Chapel Hill will be issuing a "Request for Proposals" (RFP) to obtain hosting services and support from qualified firms for the Town's web site redevelopment project. Vendors interested in submitting proposals in response to the Town's RFP must register their intentions via e-mail no later than April 18, 2008.

Richard Florida Awestruck by It's Carrboro Video

Over at Monica Doss's blog The Monica Chronicles I found this great post called At Home in the Kingdom of Carrberia (aka the Paris of the Piedmont). It contains this quote from Richard Florida. "In a word it (the 'Its Carroboro' Video) is amazing. It is exactly the message our communities need to send, not to just to each other but to the world." Monica is the president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development in Durham.

Changes in the local blogosphere

There has been a flurry of activity in the Orange County political blogosphere this month. Changes that interest me as much as who is wining the presidential primaries. (Go Obama!)

First, the big news is the disappearance of the Squeeze the Pulp forum. In its place appears to be a site that could have a community, but it isn'y very clear how. The new site is based on software called DokuWiki. It looks like a bunch of semi-static pages can be created and edited by a group of people. So people will write rants and others will edit them. For what, grammar? The two-way communication of a forum has been lost.

Part of me is sad that all the STP writing is gone. Mainly because it would help people remember the slander and hateful crap. Why would we want to remember that? To inform the context of our local political history. For example, the dirty tactics some supported there. It could also encourage more long-term responsibility. Politicos won't forget, trust me. But the new resident to Carrboro may like to know how that candidate got elected or defeated. I think the blog of record will be Orange Politics.

Chapel Hill gets new Business Management Director

I just found out via the Chapel hill eNews that we have a new business management director. His name is Ken Pennoyer and was previously the finance director for the City of Durham. Welcome to Chapel Hill Ken! (See full press release bellow)

My personal concern upon reading this was about his position as manager over the Town of Chapel Hill Information Technology Department. I see the connection with IT and the budget. But what is Mr. Pennoyer's experience with Technology and communications? I bet y'all have other concerns. What do you think the priorities for our new business management director should be?

The Future of Education

I found this amazing video called Did you know?. It started as a powerpoint presentation given in a High School faculty meeting in 2006. Since then its estimated that its been seen by over 5 million online viewers. You can learn more about it at the Shift Happens wiki. This video is extremely powerful and speaks well to the challenges of education, work, and information in the 21st century.

So much so I felt my elected officials must see it. So I emailed it to the Chapel Hill Town Coucil, Mayor, and Manager and asked for their feedback. I really want to know what they think about this. I also want to know what you think. To get this conversation going and our minds moving I ask that you watch this video. (Its about 9 minutes) When you're done please leave your comments bellow. Here are a few questions that i'd like to read your answers to.

  • What are your initial reactions to what you saw in the presentation?
  • What kind of training will we need to move forward?
  • What do we think it means to prepare students for the 21st century? What skills do students need to survive and thrive in this new era?

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