Month: May 2006

  • Shell Game? Transfer Development Rights

    [UPDATE:] Some good coverage of the initial steps towards TDRs in today’s soon-to-be-paywalled HeraldSun. 6:30pm Tuesday, May 9th, Battle Courtroom on Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC The county is starting a dialogue on a transfer of development rights program (TDR) for Orange County. Last year, the county recruited local citizens to the TDR taskforce. The membership […]

  • NextBus – The Proposal

    I’ve been reading through the town’s Request for Proposal (RFP) for our new Real-Time Passenger Information System and Automatic Vehicle Location system for Chapel Hill Transit. There’s some interesting goofs (missing section 3.B.6) and specifications (Microsoft ODBC) in a document which appears to be a cut-n-paste of Triangle Transit, Federal and local requirements. From the […]

  • Lucky #21?

    As noted tonight by Council member Sally Greene, Chapel Hill Town Council raised our collective fists in the air and said “We object.” We passed a resolution in support of impeaching the President The impeachment resolution was proposed by Elders for Peace of Carol Woods. I’m happy to note I was signature #21 on their […]

  • NextBus Recap – The story so far…

    [UPDATE:] The proposal. What would it take to build our own bus ETA notification and Internet hotspot system? Catch the NextBus VII – Stone knives and bear skins… Twenty-four hours into blogging about the NextBus system, what have we learned? What’s the alternative? How large of an opportunity have we missed? Catch the NextBus VI […]

  • Affordable Downtown Housing? Pfah!

    Just heard the local Chamber of Commerce’s executive director Aaron Nelson on WCHL 1360AM describe, in jubilant terms , how soon-to-open Rosemary Village is ” the impetus for a downtown renaissance”. Aaron further proclaimed this development would give us “great downtown living we haven’t had in a long time.” Really? I know folk living downtown […]

  • Dang gum!

    Wonder what those dark mystery splotches are downtown? Tired of dodging sticky detritus? Good news: …there’s nothing like a bit of cleaning to give downtown denizens a better feeling… The crew from Gum Busters pulled into town in a white Dodge van full of equipment, intent on turning the splotches into ABC gum — Already […]

  • Unlucky %13

    Early primary day I read online reports of low turnout in Hillsborough, Efland, Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Having done a bit of research on local elections, I realized that my vote, 222, that late in the day, at the Chapel Hill Library, home of Estes Hills precinct, a precinct which traditionally turns out heavily, was […]

  • SxSW 2006 – ae represents!

    The ratings for the 2006 South By Southwest Interactive panels are out. Local ‘blogger ae, of arsepoetica fame, led the blogHer sponsored panel Increasing Women’s Visibility on the Web: Whose Butt Should We Be Kicking? Score? 5.0 of 5.0! Local ‘blogger ruby, of OrangePolitics and LotusMedia fame, kicked some butt with a highly respectable 4.32. […]

  • May 2nd: Chatham? Baddour, Lucier, Vanderbeck, Thompson!

    [UPDATE:] Lucier, Vanderbeck and Thompson sweep the board! Baddour still in contention. Chatham, the tidal wave of development is overwhelming county services, driving taxes sky high (and we haven’t seen the end yet) and leading to a brittle service economy built on shaky ground. When you mark your ballot, take a moment to think about […]

  • May 2nd: 6:30am. 7:30pm. Call 5. Drag 3.

    Polls are open 6:30am to 7:30pm.

  • May 2nd: Don’t fear the reaper, get out and vote!

    Several months ago I went to Hillsborough for a demonstration of the ESS voting equipment. I saw the tried and true, paper ballot optical scan code machine and the fancy, complex and, I think, easy-to-tamper-with, touch screen unit. Wisely, the Board of Elections recommended the optical scan over the touch screen.