By Judith Blau I’m increasingly convinced that the reason why human equality, human dignity and social pluralism are illusive in American society is that we do not have what Miguel de Unamuno called “el público†and Alexis de Tocqueville called “the public spirit.†Instead, American communities, towns and cities are segregated by race, class and…
Author: Staff
The storm before the storm
By Chris Fitzsimon Tuesday morning began at the Legislative Building with officials with the Department of Public Instruction dispelling many of the common myths about the agency’s staffing levels, making a strong case for House budget writers to reject the Senate’s proposal to cut 300 jobs at the department. That task looked a lot tougher…
Letter to the Editor: The wrong approach
I applaud and thank the BOCC for their decision to delay the vote on the Howell forest property in rural Orange County in order to gather additional information. It was a nice Earth Day gift. Consider this following quote from the Natural Resources Defense Council: “The transportation sector is the second-largest and fastest-growing contributor to…
Letter to the Editor: Not a fact
The April 23 For The Record regarding Smith Level Road says, “The fact that such a heavily traveled road and key artery into town is unsafe for bicyclists…†If it is a “fact†there ought to be collision statistics supporting that assertion, but there are not. Further, collisions don’t prove a road is unsafe because…
Carrboro Day set for Sunday
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer As the warm weather rolls in and residents take to the outdoors, Carrboro will kick off another May with its annual Carrboro Day celebration this Sunday on the Town Hall grounds. The annual celebration started in 1995, when the Carrboro Board of Aldermen adopted a Carrboro Day Philosophy stating, “As…
Aldermen reject Smith Level Road plan
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer The Carrboro Board of Aldermen voted 6 to 1 on Tuesday to return plans to widen and build sidewalks along Smith Level Road to the state Department of Transportation, asking DOT officials to remove a planned four-lane segment from the design. Mayor Mark Chilton cast the only dissenting vote, saying…
County ends look for alternatives, focuses on Bingham waste transfer site
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer The Orange County Board of Commissioners ended their pursuit of alternatives to a solid-waste transfer station, including the possibility of a temporary facility at the Eubanks Road landfill, and set in motion further study of a site on N.C. 54 north of Orange Grove Road with an aim at siting…
Big weekend ahead: Be prepared to do stuff
You may want to sit down with your daybook and plan ahead, for this weekend is jammed with things to do. For starters, remember that each day from 1 to 6 p.m., 40 local farms are open for visitors. You can download a map of them and get more information at any Weaver Street Market…
Mammoth returns to Carrboro
It’s kind of a strange birthday celebration. Had it survived the consolidation and various net-driven gyrations of the music industry, Mammoth Records would have been 21 this year. It didn’t, of course, but that hasn’t stopped those associated with this one-time wildly successful enterprise from at least throwing a party. This Saturday, Cat’s Cradle is…
Aldermen against proposal to close library
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer Following the release of preliminary county budget proposals to close the Carrboro Branch Library, members of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen said they would support the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library in their efforts to encourage the county to keep the library open. “I’ve made it really clear to…
School board meeting
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education meets tonight (Thursday) at 7 at the Lincoln Center on Merritt Mill Road. Items on the agenda include: • approval to modify or suspend the graduation project; • an alternate 2009-10 Capital Investment Plan Implementation Plan; and • the financial plan for future budget reductions. For the…
Group to sponsor Carolina North traffic forum
Neighbors for Responsible Growth will sponsor a community discussion, “Carolina North: Don’t Get Stuck in Traffic,†on May 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Homestead Community Center. The discussion will focus exclusively on traffic and transportation issues for Carolina North. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to discuss possible solutions with elected…
Call before you dig
North Carolina One reminds residents to call the North Carolina One Call Center in advance of any digging on their property. North Carolina law requires residents to notify their area utilities at least 48 hours in advance of an excavation project. However, residents can dial 811 to talk toll-free to the North Carolina One Call…
Disc golf course to open May 2
The Carrboro Parks Project will open a new disc golf course at Anderson Park off N.C. 54 on May 2. The project was approved by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen in March of last year. Since then, the Carrboro Parks Project has raised more than $10,000 to fully fund the disc golf course. Funds were…
Aldermen meeting canceled
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen voted on Tuesday to cancel their April 28 public hearing. No items were scheduled for the hearing. The board of aldermen’s next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on May 5 at Carrboro Town Hall.