The weekend rains were scattered thunderstorms and so the drenching was not universal. But in most places in Carrboro and south of town, more rain fell this weekend than in the entire summer of 2007.
Category: Opinion
For the Record: Fizzled
The Fourth of July went well until around dusk when the heaviest rain we’ve seen in a good while washed out plenty of evening festivities. We’ve heard more than a few complaints about the Kenan fireworks display, most of them surrounding the fact that they were snuck in during a lull in the storm and…
For the Record: Library cuts a symptom
The recently announced cuts at the Carrboro Branch Library at McDougle Middle School are certainly getting some attention. Patrons and library supporters alike are saying that less staff and fewer hours — the result of a tight county budget — are the wrong direction. The county is cutting hours in Hillsborough and Cedar Grove as…
The slow death of the Carrboro Branch Library
On July 1, at 3:30 p.m., 30 Carrboro Branch Library patrons arrived at the McDougle School to find the doors locked. This included a family of five children with books in hand, senior citizens arriving on public transportation and library regulars. The newly posted sign on the door stated the revised hours – Closed Monday;…
Campaign finance reform should help transform democracy, not just limit spending
By Chase Foster Long before the recent decision by Sen. Barack Obama to forego participation in public financing, there has been a growing consensus that our current system of presidential public financing is in need of repair. All serious candidates — including McCain in the primary and Obama in the primary and general — will…
Standing up for all kids
By Chris Fitzsimon One of the most contentious issues in the General Assembly in the last two years has been something that doesn’t seem all that complicated: protecting kids from being harassed or bullied at school. The House voted Wednesday to reject the Senate version of the anti-bullying bill, making it likely that a conference…
Transparency in education
Whether you check the box on the census form indicating you’ve done post-doc work or dropped out of high school and went into a trade, the importance of a good education for your children is a shared value in this community. Parents here are passionate about their kids’ education, which makes the schools a focal…
Letters: Thorp and Moeser
Editor’s note: following are letters to the Carolina community from former Chancellor James Moeser and his successor, Holden Thorp. Out with the old Dear Members of the Carolina Faculty and Staff: As the curtain is about to close on my tenure as chancellor, one of my hardest tasks is to find a suitable way to…
Letter from the Editor: The state we’re in
I was in the Triad the other day visiting with some fellow media types including blogger Jon Lowder, who related an incident he’d happened upon while returning from a recent visit to Pittsboro. Lowder encountered a traffic stop on N.C. 87 just inside the Alamance County line. After watching the sheriff deputies and highway patrol…
Letter: Bravo Chapel Hill
The town of Chapel Hill has shown remarkable foresight in their decision to authorize a pilot public-financing program for their town elections. Instead of waiting for election costs to get out of hand and for special-interest money to corrode the process (as they have in some towns in the area), Chapel Hill is creating public…
Letter: Thanks from Pa’lante
At Pa’lante’s celebration of Latino high school graduates last week, a young man encouraged his younger peers: “Even if you think you’ll never get English, keep trying because you will get it eventually. And keep studying until you graduate, because it’s not that hard after all. And standing here ready to graduate feels really good.â€
Letter: Story was vague
District officials emailed The Citizen that Carrboro High School Principal Jeff Thomas, who, with a one-year-remaining contract, was reassigned to the district office with responsibilities yet to be determined. Come again? The general quality of The Citizen is better than this news story indicates. What happened to the what, where, when, why and how of…
The numbers behind the pandering
By Chris Fitzsimon It’s not like House and Senate leaders scrambling to resolve differences between the two chambers’ budgets needed a reminder that they are operating in a highly charged political year, but they received one anyway this weekend with the first gubernatorial debate between Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory before…
The Boone-Carrboro look
By Philip Duchastel I would like to congratulate Brian Voyce for comparing the financial governance of Boone and Carrboro in his recent “Tale of Two Cities†article [Carrboro Citizen, June 19]. We need more of this sort of comparison as we try to improve our town finances in order to keep the Carrboro spirit alive…
A signature piece
By Catherine Devine For starters, I told Tim Peck, I love the way this place is laid out. But the junky cabinets and pink formica have to go, and the circa 1920 floor is caving in. I want the island to be a work of art. Tim smiled. “It’s a small job.†Tim pulled out…