Civil Liberties

Perhaps because of the large number of outspoken and thoughtful people in our community, we have often found ourselves at ground zero in battles over civil liberties. In the 1980's Chapel Hill elected the first openly-gay elected official in the state, but Carrboro bested that by electing North Carolina’s first out mayor a decade later.

More recently, Chapel Hill grappled with free speech issues in the wake of 9/11, approved and then dismantled red light cameras in 2003-4, and was challenged by fundamentalists over support for gay marriage in 2005.

Happy Anniversary Planned Parenthood!

In 1982, five Orange County women who believed that every child born should be loved and wanted, founded a local chapter of Planned Parenthood. This year, we celebrate 25 years of reaching out, growing strong, and meeting the needs of the community.

We've grown from a small storefront operation that could only dispense education and contraceptives to a powerful organization that helped 18,889 people last year alone.

In addition to our health centers, we have reached countless people through our peer education and through our advocacy for good public policy. During the last legislative session we supported a bill that would provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault; one that would repair NC's Sex Ed curriculum, one that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program and another that provided information about the HPV vaccine to parents.

Lingering doubts?

The Town of Carrboro is scheduling a public hearing for an "anti-lingering ordinance" - basically another way of saying a loitering ordinance - that would apply only at certain times of day and only at the intersection of Jones Ferry Road and Davie Road (ie: across the street from Abbey Court apartments, aka Old Well when I was in college). If you've ever driven by in the morning, you know that this site is used daily by contractors to pick up day laborers.

The problem is that after those with jobs leave, a lot of guys hang around, look unsavory (hardly a crime), and sometimes cause real problems. Back in September the Board of Aldermen directed the town staff to step up enforcement of alcohol rules and to work with property owners and neighbors in the area to address problems with littering, etc.

Chapel Hill remembers

Here are some great photos from the first anniversary of 9/11 - five years ago:

From The Latest Outrage: Sept. 11, 2002 Remembered: Only Bush Wanted War in Iraq

Friends save RRFM

Congrats to the Really Really Free Market for receiving sponsorship from SURGE, which will provide insurance coverage to allow the Marketeers to continue to distribute food along with other items shared for free (really) at the Carrboro Town Commons on the first Saturday of each month.

Last year, the RRFM refused to pay Carrboro's normal fee for reserving the space (until receiving support from an anonymous donor), and then recently refused to stop serving food although doing so presented a potential liability issue for the Town.

Remember Hiroshima

Sorry for the late notice, I just found out about this event going on tonight to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima:

From Hiroshima to Iraq: Take the Nuclear Option off the Table
Monday, August 6th 2007 7:00 pm

"From Hiroshima to Iraq: Take the Nuclear Option off the Table", a commemoration. Welcome from Chapel Hill Town Council Member Mark Kleinschmidt, proclamation of Mayor Mark Chilton, University of North Carolina historian Wayne Lee speaks on "War, the Nuclear Option, and Habits of Mind", readings, music by Catherine Grodensky and Jim Magaw, candle lighting ceremony and chanting led by members of the Chapel Hill Zen Center. Children's activities.

Location:
Gene Strowd Rose Garden, Chapel Hill Community Center Park Estes Drive opposite Chapel Hill Post Office Chapel Hill NC 27514

Sponsored By:
Orange County Peace Coalition (NC)
- United for Peace & Justice : Events

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