Categories
Miscellany

Civic participation index

Just got this rather stunning email from Bob Hall and Democracy North Carolina.

MOST CITIZENS NOT VOTING IN NORTH CAROLINA
Young Adults More Likely to Be Binge Drinkers Than Voters

A new “Civic Participation Index for North Carolina” shows that only two out of five adults [40.8 percent] bother to vote in the typical state election.

The Index says that young North Carolinians age 18 to 25 are half as likely to vote as their grandparents — and more likely to engage in binge drinking than participate in elections.

And it says more men own guns than cast ballots.

For the Release and Index, go to:
http://www.democracy-nc.org/improving/CPI.pdf

Also, here’s a state-by-state chart for voter turnout, 1984-2004:
http://www.democracy-nc.org/improving/voterturnout.pdf

Categories
Weather

New climate plots!

The new climate plots are in. Yes, March was warm.

Collect ’em all here.

Categories
Miscellany

Flora: Pay Attention to the Beech Leaves

beech.jpg

Take a Walk in the Woods and Pay Attention to the Beech Leaves

By Ken Moore

As Dave Cook engagingly describes in The Piedmont Almanac, “There is something conclusive about the day the old brown beech leaves fall.” Dave’s observation is for the fourth week of March — and he is right on target for this seasonal occurrence in our local Piedmont region around Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

It took me more than two decades to become aware of this recurring seasonal phenomenon. Ten years ago, while driving into town, I realized that the beautiful pale copper-brown leaves that had been clinging to the low horizontal branches of a grove of beech trees the evening before were suddenly absent, having overnight carpeted the forest floor. That morning 10 years ago was April 1, an easy date to remember. I was so intrigued by that observation that I made a mental note to be acutely watchful of the lingering beech tree leaves in future years to determine whether or not an April 1 overnight dropping of beech leaves is one of those actions to anticipate as regularly as the return of the swallows or that reappearance of the hummingbird with the opening of the first columbine flower.

Categories
Miscellany

March 28, 2007 issue of The Carrboro Citizen

citizen28.jpg

This week’s edition of The Carrboro Citizen is out on the streets and the Web. Links as follows:

News

Board passes six-month development moratorium
Commissioners approve transfer station for solid waste at Eubanks Road site
UNC offers three scenarios for Carolina North
Town Council agrees to try working with UNC on neighborhood committees
Services set for Jason Ray
News briefs: 3/28/07
Kirk Osborn dies at 64

Features

Sloshing around in the name of science
Pollen days are here, but don’t blame the pines

Chatham Habitat for Humanity sets a brisk pace

New UNC research shows English-only policies not helping Spanish-speaking pre-schoolers prepare

Sports

Frank Heath: Grrr…

Plus, a whole lot more.

Categories
Miscellany

Who wants another newspaper?

The papers are in.
Now distributing them around town.

Stories are up online at the main site.

Sign up for home delivery.

Getcher copies.
They taste so good when they’re fresh. Mmmmmmm.

Categories
Miscellany

Music Week

This week in music March 28 through April 4

This week kicks off with a sold out Leo Kottke show at the ArtsCenter. Bet it was swell.
Irish Spring? Fresh on the heels of last week’s Solas show, the center’s Celtic Concert series concludes with Dervish on Thursday, March 29. The next night (that’s Friday, if you’ve already lost count), John Jorgenson promises to play the heck out of an acoustic guitar in that gypsy jazz style.
Please note that tickets are still around for the ArtsCenter’s show with turntablist Kid Koala.
At the Cat’s Cradle, the local highlight is the Saturday, March 31 release party for The Moaners new record, Blackwing Yalobusha. They’re joined by Spider Bags and Un Deux Trois. Big names from out of town headed to the Cradle this week are Ted Leo and the Pharmacists returning on Friday, March 30 and the original Sebadoh playing on Wednesday, April 4. Add to that a Hip Hop show on Thursday, March 29 featuring Virginia Beach ’s Clipse with Durham’s Kaze and Free Bass 808; and Monday’s return of the Electric Six with Test Your Reflex and Night Kills the Day.

Over on the West End, the week at Local 506 starts The Black Angels and Vietnam on Wednesday, followed by two CD release shows by Sons with Calico Haunts and Heather McIntyre on Thursday, March 29; and the Eyes to Space release show on Friday. Saturday features Boxbomb, Barbarella and Slow Motion Crash.
Over at The Reservoir there’s a Tuesday, April 3 show featuring Giant Squid, Grayceon and Tooth.
Down the street at The Cave, it’s a big weekend with Regina Hexaphone and Casados on Friday, Big Fat Gap playing Saturday and a three-band mashup on Sunday with Can Joann, Jaguar Club and The Manics.

Categories
Sports

That’s what I’m screaming

Men’s game is tomorrow at 5:05 p.m.
Women’s game is at 9:30 p.m.
Sportsline
Fan Central
Tar Heel Daily
And while you’re waiting, here’s a moment to remember via You Tube. It seems like only yesterday. . .

Categories
Miscellany

March 21, 2007 issue of The Carrboro Citizen

Here’s what’s in The Carrboro Citizen for the week of March 21, 2007:

News
Town looks at changes in rules for downtown projects
Aldermen ready moratorium plans
Local folks say war no more
Schools lay out construction, repair needs
Emergency Medicaid expenses studied
Peak Oil movies and talks scheduled
News briefs: 3/21/07
County looks at waste options
Blunden Wins N.C. Sustainability Energy Leadership Award

Opinion
Of Radishes and Rims
Not My Grandfather’s Newspaper

Features
Nearly a century later, town gets name on paper
Market time
(And via the Carrboro Commons)
Patrolling in the passenger’s seat
Carrboro High School goes green
All aboard for a smorgasboard

Sports
Ty and Tyler Steal the Show

Music
Blackwing Yalobusha to fly
Hitchcock & the Venus 3, Black Lips, Leo Kottke, Solas

Categories
Miscellany

Who wants a newspaper?

They’re here. Racks are going around town right now (3:25). There’ll be one in front of Milltown, another near Armadillo Grill in a few. The next stop after that is Weaver Street Market, then the ArtsCenter.

You can go here to sign up for free home delivery.

Categories
Miscellany

Countdown

Took some time to make things right—or at least get closer to right. A few glitches here and there. The press is running as I write. A real odyssey, I tell ya.
kmr

Categories
Miscellany

Welcome to The Mill again

Whether you’ve dropped by after seeing the story in the News about the Citizen and the Commons or you’ve wondered over via OP, PJ or some other citizen’s site, welcome to our humble blog.

We launched this thing back when discussions about the paper were just starting and have a few dozen things to read already. So, feel free to browse around.

A couple of things to note:

• Next week, we’ll start printing The Carrboro Citizen and when you direct your browser to carrborocitizen.com you’ll go to the main site. So, you might want to bookmark The Mill with its actual address, which is www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/mill

• The paper will be available around Carrboro, north Chatham, White Cross, in the big city next door, on campus and, if you want, in your driveway. The paper is free, but if you want to have it delivered you’ll have to ask. (We’re not going to throw one in every driveway. It’s a waste of energy, trees and time.) To subscribe send us an email to delivery at carrborocitizen dot com.