Cook and Ryan team up

Katrina and I had several heated exchanges over her proposal to merge the two towns last election. In subsequent discussions I've come to understand that there are economies of scale for merging functions like information technology so that duplication of services could be avoided without any loss of identity.

What I don't understand is why someone would want to raise this past argument when the lines between the incumbent candidates of the two towns are getting more and more blurred. Heck, the Chapel Hill officials have been writing letters of endorsements for the Carrboro officials.

So what's the difference between Katrina suggesting that economies of scale can be had by merging some town functions and 5 of the 6 incumbents acting like the Brady Bunch?

Mr. Arndt,
The Carrboro Revolving Loan Fund is NOT a successful business development tool. If It were, we would have a growing number of businesses and additional non residential town income. Neither of those things are true. We are barely keeping up replacing businesses that leave town. I would suggest that you confirm this with James Harris in Economic Development, as I did at a meeting in August.

The revolving loan fund is a wonderful cultural tool. It helps to fund and develop interesting local businesses downtown, but the actual numbers from the town budget point out that as an economic development tool, it has failed.

I will recant my stance on any town merger, including public safety services, which is what I previously advocated exploring. I have had such incredibly positive experiences dealing with town staff that I would hate to see them absorbed into a larger organization.

There see....I am not afraid to admit my mistakes, and apologize.

Maria, Coincidence? I think not.

Dropping my daugher at school yesterday, I saw Sharon Cook standing outside Carrboro Elementary with a Cook/Ryan sign and no umbrella, still waving pleasantly at the passing cars. Either she likes cold wet weather or she really is an amiable soul.

But I am still having this sense of "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

It's not only Katrina Ryan's remark quoted above:
"I can tell you that people in NE Carrboro are still very angry, and I can't forsee that ending any time soon. I fully expect to see a slate of candidates next year from north of Homestead Rd. It's going to be very interesting.”
Katrina Ryan, August 17 2006

But remarks like this from someone not running for office - from the DTH November 2004:
"If we are annexed, we will run for office," said Kramer. "If elected, we will change the face of Carrboro."

So either something has changed in the year 2007 and after three years of these comments, there is no longer an "us versus them" cadre with a slate of candidates. Maybe folks forgot about it or had other things to do or became one with the grooviness.

Or Katrina Ryan and Sharon Cook might be those candidates. If they wanted to give the impression that they aren't those candidates, then marketing together was not the smartest move.

So if I make the factual statement that "people are angry", how does that translate to Sharon and I being angry ? Are Sharon an I really personally responsible for everything any annexee says ? FWIW, John Kramer lives in Lydia's neighborhood, not mine, so maybe she should be held accountable for John's comments.

I do believe many people are still upset. Some because of taxes, but more because of the second class treatment " those people out there", to quote Jaquie, get at town hall.

One excellent example is Cindy Connolly. Cindy had two son-in-laws serving in Iraq earlier in the war. She asked to be able to set up a table at Carrboro Day to collect beanie babies to send to the troops. Here is one description of that effort:
http://www.beaniesforbaghdad.com/

She was refused. It would have cost the town nothing, and it would have been a nice thing to do. ( SInce that time Cindy and her husband have lead an effort that has sent over 1 ton of sundries, toys, and personal items to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan)

Yet we spend weeks during budget season figuring out a way for the RRFM kids to use Town Commons for free. Those are the things that keep the wounds of annexation open and salted for many people.

Sharon is nice, She is always nice. She is nice response to very bad treatment, which I am not. There is no agenda in her niceness, nor in my occasional prickliness.

Katrina, why was Cindy Connelly refused when she asked to set up her table?

Honestly, I don't know. I am sure that Terri Buckner will pick up on this thread and she was party to those discussions I believe.

So if you don't know, why do imply there was something "fishy" about it?

Paul, Nothing fishy about it what so ever. Carrboro Day is a very specific function and is approached every year by worthy causes which have nothing to do with Carrboro Day and are not allowed to set up booths. It is simply a matter of space and focus. I seem to recall that Jacquie did set up a table with Cindy at the farmer's market and spent an enjoyable Saturday morning raising money for school supplies for Afgan children.

The Carrboro Day committee certainly did not turn away any worthy cause based on where an organizer lives! We don't even ask. This is by a mile the silliest complaint we've ever received.

Also, I'm getting a little tired of hearing how "nice" Sharon Cook is. I have no doubt that she's nice. You're making her sound like a blind date.

James, I suspected there was indeed nothing "fishy" about it, but Katrina seems to like to set up "straw men" just so she can knock them down.

And Dave, Katrina certainly doesn't seem to mind making attacks of her own, so cry me a river.

Actually, I brought it up only recently because I heard about it only recently. It was Terri Buckner who told me. The point I am making is that we certainly did go the extra mile to change the rules for the RRFM, whilst we did not for a " support the troops" effort.
There is inequity in the way different demographics in town are treated. If you think that's fine, so be it, but then don't wonder why people are angry.

There's nothing fishy about it at all--Katrina just mixed up the facts a little. It was the 4th of July, not Carrboro Day, and it was me who asked the Rec Dept if I could set up the collection table, after talking with Cindy about how the troops were asking for beanie babies to give to the kids in Iraq. I was denied because I didn't ask far enough in advance and for various other reasons that seemed inconsequential at the time.

"Either she likes cold wet weather or she really is an amiable soul."

I suspect its both, Maria. Who isn't enjoying this wet weather? And Sharon is a totally amiable soul. Did you smile back?

Mayor Chilton chided me after the last election that we needed to start treating those who were once annexees as Carrboro citizens instead of perpetuating the bad feelings. And yet, here we are on a "progressive" blog with the mayor himself perpetuating the bad feelings. Setting up Katrina or Sharon as the straw man for this election is not doing much to help heal old wounds.

Mark,

Since you brought it up, my issues with the community garden are/were two. The first was that it is not an actual "community" garden as most of the community has no access to this public resource. I understand that very recently, applications were being accepted to expand access, so if that actually happens, then that issue is resolved.

The second issue is more pernicious. The number one source of e-coli contamination in America is improperly grown organic vegetables. We have an unregulated, untrained gardening force using town property. The original articles I read included gardeners intent to give the produce from the garden to various community organizations. This situation makes the town of Carrboro the deep pockets defendant in a potential law suit. When I contacted the town manager and the OCPFYC about the garden no-one could identify the gardeners that were granted access to the property, so if something happened, who would we hold accountable ?

Oh, and I was drinking margaritas when Terri told me about it, so I'm pretty happy I remembered as much as I did!

Mark,

When has this been pointed out to me? I never remember having any discussion with you about the community garden, and I've never had any margaritas with you, so you must be confusing me with somebody else.

For what it's worth, I am not talking about me. I am talking about the institution of a fair and appropriate process. I have more garden than I can handle at the moment.

Let's see everyone who shows up can participate and this is somehow unfair and inappropriate? I'm confused and I have not been drinking margaritas with any one.

I did smile back. And I waved.

I would caution anyone from taking the statement Organic Foods are dangerous before getting more facts. Here is what I've found so far. According to the Center for Media and Democracy at PRwatch.org these claims are PR spins from a group funded by Conservatives. I'm looking forward to more information from the experienced scientist and gardeners in our community.

Hudson Institute is the source of a claim that organic food is more dangerous to eat than food produced using chemical pesticides.

"According to recent data compiled by the U.S Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who eat organic and 'natural' foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the population to be attacked by a deadly new strain of E. coli bacteria (0157:H7)," Avery wrote in the Fall 1998 issue of American Outlook, a Hudson Institute publication. This happens, he said, because organic food is grown in animal manure, a known carrier of this nasty microbe. He said his data came from Dr. Paul Mead, an epidemiologist at the CDC.

Avery delivered this message with op-eds that bore titles such as "The Silent Killer in Organic Foods" that were disseminated by Bridge News to between 300 and 400 newspapers throughout the country and approximately 500,000 other subscribers including government departments, central banks and businesses. This claim seems to have taken on a life of its own. On August 25, 1999, for example, the USDA's National Food Safety Database carried a story titled "Organic Food Creates Higher Risk for Food Poisoning." The story originated with US Newswire, a service that electronically disseminates news releases. It quoted Dr. Robert Tauxe, chief of the CDC's Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, saying, "Organic food means a food was grown in animal manure."

Tauxe denies ever making that statement and says he believes the rumor originated with Dennis Avery. After fielding numerous media queries on the subject, CDC took the unusual step on January 14, 1999 of issuing a press release stating, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not conducted any study that compares or quantitates the specific risk for infection with E. coli 0157:H7 and eating either conventionally grown or organic/natural foods." In addition, Tauxe says he called Avery to tell him to stop claiming that the CDC was the source of this allegation. Avery responded by telling Tauxe, "That's your interpretation, and I have mine."

Source: Trashing Organic Foods

There is more debunking of this claim from the Organic Consumers Association.

Now that the organic industry has grown to over $12 billion in annual sales, agribusiness and biotechnology giants evidently view organics as a viable threat. Over the past few years they have launched a sophisticated and well-funded corporate attack aimed at discrediting organic food and farming practices. Although their activities do not seem to have put a dent in sales growth, or consumer support of organic agriculture, nonetheless, their activities, including lawsuits and intimidation from government officials , have organic marketers and consumers rightfully concerned.

Attacks on organics have come from right-wing think tanks, lawsuits from Monsanto, threatening letters from the FDA, and have been facilitated by journalists who are either complacent about or outright hostile to organic agriculture. Some of these attacks have included:

Organic Food Is Dangerous?
The junkyard dog of the corporate attack on organic agriculture has been Dennis Avery of the ultra-conservative Hudson Institute. Avery, the author of Saving the Earth Through Plastics and Pesticides, has never missed an opportunity to denigrate organics. In 2000 he appeared on ABC's 20/20. Host John Stossel's sensational claims included that organic food has a higher level of a deadly E. coli bacteria and that, in terms of pesticide residue, organic food is no safer or "cleaner" than organic produce.

After being caught with their pants down by the Environmental Working Group and being further exposed in a scathing article in The New York Times, Stossel was forced to apologize and admitted that ABC never did testing for pesticide residues or E. coli, as they represented. In fact the Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, along with other research, has concluded that not only does organic produce have fewer, or no, toxic contaminants, but organic food also contains dramatically higher levels of vitamins and minerals. Based on the truth, score one for organics.

Source: Countering the Corporate Attack on Organics and
Fighting for the Family Farmer

James,

Everyone may participate in the labor, but not in the decision making. We have ceded a major town asset to the control of a small group of unknowns, since we don't really know who comprises the " Carrboro Community Garden Coalition" according to the town manager. Why was this decision made at a work session with no public decision? Why wasn't there an application process so people who work on Saturdays might be able to apply for a part of the garden ?
Anyway, I am hopeful that the access issue will be resolved by the new process. The potential liability make the failure of the BOA to ask the coalition to secure insurance a bad decision.

Mismanagement of organic farms resulting in e-coli poisoning has exclusively been attributed to the use of human or animal waste water as fertilizer. This is, most certainly, not an issue for community farms within the city limits. Community gardens have been a simple fact of life in this area for many decades. My parents participated in both a food co-op and community garden plots near Finley Golf Course in the 1970's. As a gardener myself, I have greater confidence in what comes out of the ground where I can see it than what comes in a bag in the grocery store.

I, too, am a gardener, and know how to handle manure, but we have no guarantees that our community gardeners do, nor have we established any rules about what can and can't be land applied at the garden. A blanket liability policy would cost a few hundred dollars for the season. I think the gardeners should have been required to acquire one. I have hurt myself using various garden tools, etc. There are a lot of things that can happen and Carrboro tax payers shouldn't be the ones left holding the bag. The gardeners given the access to our publicly held asset should.

She heard over drinks that a friend was not allowed to do something at Town Commons. Without understanding the context of the situation she took that nugget and ran.

But Ruby we all take things out of context and misunderstand at times. It's just human nature. For example, at the time of the beanie baby incident, Katrina and I were not friends as you imply in your summary statement above. We've had a conversation over drinks only once and that was just a few weeks ago--certainly not back in July 2005. So by putting my statement and Katrina statement together, you created a wrong impression. I don't think that means you are less trustworthy because you drew a wrong inference.

Writing on a blog is an imperfect form of communication. According to your posts, you agree with both Katrina and Will but will not support them for elected office. Would you even know about those things that bug you about them if they weren't taking the risk of posting here or on STP? We don't know nearly as much about Lydia, Sharon, Penny, or Matt because they haven't been as willing to expose their opinions here. Or how about Dan who posted here frequently before he was appointed to the BOA. He's been totally absent for the past couple of months.

It just seems to me that if Mark, Katrina, and Will are brave enough to continue posting here, despite the risks (and each have gotten tangled in those risks lately), that it says something about the openness we should expect of them in office. And I think that needs to be balanced against some of the wrong inferences or mis-understood details.

The Highlands is not the only neighborhood in town without streetlights. Meadow Run has declined the lighting as has Fox Meadow. I remember going there one night to look at Saturn though a telescope, and it was quite dark. Our end of town has the advantage of seeing stars that I never saw as a child because even then, where I grew up the light pollution obliterated their view. I see stars my parents never saw.

That's the reason why people on this end of town complain about the lighting on new neighborhoods- we know what we are losing. Should we have a clear night party one evening and invite the BOA and planning board members over? The sky is truly beautiful- and it's like going back 50-100 years in time. It would be a shame to lose that.

Seriously, Ruby, are you seriously saying that misremembering Carrboro Day festivities as 4th of July festivities somehow makes my judgement suspect ? Yet striking a track volunteer with a 2,000 pound weapon intentionally while screaming obscenities in a park full of children gives you no pause.

Wow! James Carville once told me you had to be perfect since you never know what peoples reason for voting might be. I always thought he was exaggerating, but I guess he was right.

Katrina, did James Carville know you were planning to run for the Carrboro Board of Aldermen?

No Catherine, but I worked with him in 1992 and it was one of the mantras in the war room.

Sammy,

I am not saying that they couldn't give me your name. I am saying no where is it in record who the members of the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition are. Thanks for the website info. I hadn't been referred it before.

BTW, I have some OP tomato seeds from tomatoes that have been volunteering in my yard for the past few years. They are a really great small to medium yellow, low acid tomato. ( My guess is that they are the child of Kelllogs Breakfast and Box Car Willie) They make a great, kid friendly tomato, and I'd be happy to donate some plants to the garden for the spring, or seeds now if you'd like.

Katrina, we all "mis-remember." But if you're going to make a charge against the town, as you did, especially if you are running for office, I think you have a responsibility to check your facts again before you go off half-cocked.

You did the same thing this summer when, on the STP blog, you accused the OCDP of ignoring a resolution regarding the siting of the solid waste transfer station submitted by Hogan Farms for consideration at our County Convention in April (I'm not talking about the resolution the OCDP passed last month).
How terrible you wrote, our party leaders didn't want to deal with it, blah, blah, blah.

The problem, however, which I discovered by calling Hank Elkins, who is chair of the Platform and Resolutions Committee, was that the Hogan Farms precinct never forwarded their resolutions to him, so no one but the Hogan Farm folks even knew they existed.

Yet even after I pointed that out to you and observed you still had two more chances to introduce it: directly to the P&A Committee or directly it on the floor of the convention, but you gave excuse after excuse as to why you didn't do it, still blaming party leaders and adding one of your little "digs"every time you did.

You've put yourself out there as a candidate, Katrina, so like it or not, you're in the spotlight when you make these statements with no back-up.

I'd like to second Terri in her appreciation for Mark, Katrina, and Will's frequent participation here. It is very useful and informative. Serving the public as an effective representative (or candidate to be a future representative) certainly requires one to be more measured and circumspect because of the important role that an official plays in the process. However, it would enrich the community if more officials and candidates would take their lead and not feel that they cannot risk participation.

Mark, you make a good point and I second you seconding Terri for giving credit to Will, Katrina and Mark for their participation. I'd also say the same for Brian Voyce, certainly not one of my favs, on the STP blog. One certainly knows where he stands on the issues.

I too often wonder why our elected officials, with the exception of a few town officials, and occassionally Mike Nelson, never do put their 2 cents in here.

And really, for them, it's more like putting in a dollar compared to our 2 cents because, unlike us, they are in the position of having to actually vote on these issues.

I understand their time constraints, but it seems to me it would do the voters AND them some good to participate at least occassionally. Seems like win-win to me.

It's not like this is a "nutty" blog full of ad hominen attacks; there mostly thoughtful posts here. While I certainly disagree with a lot of the opinions expressed, they are generally expressed with some thought and rationale.

Maybe we just need to ask our elected officials to take a look here and participate, although maybe Ruby's already done that(?) I should say it is probably not just our elected officials, my guess is that most elected officials around the country do not contribute comments to either national or local blogs.

From my brief and very pleasant experience organizing an event at the Carrboro Century Center this summer, I learned that if you have a question about something that Carrboro Parks and Recreation administers then you have to call Carrboro Parks and Recreation. And then they may in fact need to check on the answer or refer you to someone else in the organization.

It would never occur to me to call the Town Manager to find out who was doing what at the Century Center or in any of the parks. I would call Parks Rec. (And it is pretty easy to GOOGLE Carrboro Community Garden Coalition.)

What occurs to me about the Beanie Babies is that if Katrina Ryan or Sharon Cook or Terri Buckner really wanted to help out Cindy Connelly (as BOA member Jacquie Gist did by working with her at the Farmer's Market ) with the Beanie Babies or other benefits for Iraq or Afghanistan and it was important to them that it happen on town property or as a town event, then they could have learned about the process of asking for town sponsorship of the event and secured the Century Center or the Town Commons.
And even without town sponsorship anyone can book the Town Commons or the Century Center for a really reasonable fee.

(And before anyone says anything about the RRFM . I thought the end of that story was the the Town told them they had pay a fee if they wanted to have baked goods and they found someone to sponsor them and pay that fee.)

I'm so glad you finally see the problem Maria. Cindy had to work with Jacquie, the RRFM had to work with Dan and Mark. The system should be more transparent and open to those who don't want or have access to inside favors with elected officials.

Terri, I don't see a problem at all.

My point is that any one could use any of the local facilities to sponsor an event to benefit the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan at any time without having to contact any local officials.

If you want to use Carrboro Parks and Recreation spaces you can go to the Carrboro Parks and Recreation website right here:
http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/rp/default.htm

This is what I did when I wanted to use the main hall of the Century Center. But I could have also used the telephone if I didn't have internet.

If you scroll down this website you'll even discover - GASP - the number of the person to contact about the Community Garden.

And below that, numerous opportunities to volunteer or teach a workshop or class. Below that a link for a description of the facilities available and how to use them which includes insurance information.

I wonder how many people go to this site and organizes one of the following

* Community events sponsored by a variety of area organizations such as Triangle Swing Dance Society, Triangle Country Dancers, Triangle Tangueros, Carolina Song and Dance and others.
* Recreational classes and workshops for adults and youth.
* Town sponsored events and programs.
* Art exhibits.
* Dances, dinners and reunions.
* Business meetings.
* Private weddings, parties, receptions and bar mitzvahs.
* A conversation with a friend.

Without ever having to call anyone on the BOA.

Though I am hesitant to point this out, less someone decides any of these activities is too groovy and begins to come up with all the reasons they shouldn't be happening because it's a threat and danger to the town to have resources that citizens can use.

Kudos to Jacqui and Maria for setting the record straight. Forget about inside favors and calls to the Town Manager -- the system is transparent, and our elected officials are PEOPLE, less than one degree of separation from the rest of us. This is why we love them.

Why aren't you running for Alderman, Maria? You seem to know more about how town government works than either Sharon or Katrina.

Jacquie--I don't recall the specifics of the BOA response when Cindy came to the BOA and asked for their assistance in raising funds, but I do know she was turned down. That's when I called her and when you chose to do something to help. I apologize for not realizing that you were helping as an individual citizen, not as a BOA member. Kudos to you.

While I was disappointed that we couldn't negotiate something with the town for the 4th, I did understand the short notice and went ahead and held an event in my neighborhood, without giving it much more thought until the RRFM issue came up. They asked for, and were granted, exemptions from town policies on more than one occasion.

So how does the BOA decide when to bend and/or adjust policies, such as paying for facilities/booths, and when to hold firm? In Chapel Hill, I've heard the mayor agree to use his budget line to fund projects that didn't have their own resources rather than putting policy aside. I recall hearing Mike Nelson do something similar.

Where is Robert Latta when we really need him? Oops - there he is!

Speaking of transparency, unlike other candidates Sharon Cook and Katrina Ryan are not revealing who donated to their campaigns and at what level. They claim to oppose a bill that would have required that on the basis on it being "a bad bill", which might be more believable if they were voluntarily making that information available.
Perhaps through their websites.

(I know I'm probably the last to know this, just like I was the last to know they were neighbors and sharing a platform and publishing a brochure together ...)

Maria,

Lydia just sent out a mailing that I estimate to cost $3,000-$5,000. Along with what she has already reported spending, that would require her, by law to report her financial affairs. Dan is doing so by choice, which I applaud.

I opposed the campaign finance bill, as written, because 1- it did not contain any limits on out of state or out of county money, which I think any good campaign finance bill should, and 2- there was never any public hearing on the issue. I think the people of Carrboro should decide what a campaign finance reform bill should look like, not Dan Coleman.

(There were some other issues as to effective date etc, that merited having the bill sent back for the short session)

For what it is worth, I stopped raising money at $2200, every penny of it from inside Carrboro, and not one check over $200 ( and that was from my husband, who bought me campaign signs for my anniversary).