Ruby Sinreich's blog

...for now at least. The Orange County Commissioners opted not to take action on the school merger idea while they wait for the results of some studies and create another task force.

[Commissioner Moses] Carey proposed merger more than a year ago because of the disparity between the two school districts created by Chapel Hill-Carrboro's district tax, which nets that system as much as $12.5 million more than the Orange County schools receive.

But Carey abandoned his position that the commissioners take an immediate vote on merger or on a merger referendum. He said that discussions with his fellow commissioners and the community led him to believe that neither proposal was currently feasible.

However, Carey said he is not giving up on the idea of merging the school systems and added that he will reintroduce the issue.
- News & Observer, 2/13/04

Will this be a further step in the mall-i-fication of Franklin Street, or a big boost to the west end?

The Fayetteville developer who constructed the Top of the Hill retail and office building in the heart of downtown is negotiating to buy another key tract of land on Franklin Street... "I plan to build a building that looks similar or better than Top of the Hill," Riddle said...

The renewed interest in Chapel Hill's downtown commercial district is good news to some.

"Something stinks south of Mebane"
Late last month, community members, a few farmers and Orange County health officials met to air out concerns that the byproduct of municipal wastewater treatment - sewer sludge - being applied to farmland is contaminating water wells and causing sickness in the community. Though there is no evidence yet that the fertilizer is a health risk, one Oak Grove resident believes there is reason for fear.
-The News of Orange County, 2/4/04

It was my understanding that OWASA does something similar with recycling their waste as fertilizer at local farms. It sounds like these farmers are patronizing Synagrow Industries of Texas and Burlington's treated wastewwater instead of OWASA's crap. Does our shit stink?