http://citizenwill.org Chapel Hill and the World One Post at a Time Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:45:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I broke my silence at this evening's Town Council meeting. All throughout the Spring I've tried to ignore the Council's accumulating messes. It was difficult. The Mayor and Council acting "shocked" by the financial predicament we're in - something I've been forecasting for the last 4 years. ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/25/council-off-the-rails/ There's been racial tensions within Chapel Hill's public works department for many years. During the last ten years I've heard and read about some quite troublesome behavior. I faulted former town manager Cal Horton's "silo" style of management for covering up rather than resolving some rather nasty bits ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/25/council-oblivious-how-long-must-this-go-on/ Just got back from the Chapel Hill Library where, at roughly 7:15pm, my wife and I were the 83rd and 84th voters in today's primary run-off. Heard from a few folks throughout the day that turnout was abysmal. One of the poll-workers told us that there were only 324 ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/24/mt-bolus-rocks-the-vote/ [Update:] Quisling Democrats capitulated in a vote 293 to 129. Rep. Price votes NO!!. Good for him. More here: House Approves Unconstitutional Surveillance Legislation . Yesterday I couldn't get an inking of how my local "progressive" Democrat US Rep. David Price would vote on the latest attempt to defend the indefensible. ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/20/warrantless-illegal-surveillance-price-maybe-feingold-hell-no/ Called David Price, my local Congressman, this afternoon to see if he planned to vote NO on tomorrow's House Bill HR 6304 which proffers blanket immunity to those telecoms, like ATT (Bellsouth, Cingular), that knowingly broke Federal and State wire-tapping laws on behalf of our current lawless madministration. His current stance: ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/19/david-price-letting-telecom-lawbreakers-off-the-hook/ Quick response to the Council's recent "health" problems. I appreciate your interest. I've had a number of folks ask me if I was surprised by last week's debacle. I wasn't. The inclusion of this item on the agenda was no accident and is reflective of this Council's willingness to ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/06/18/health-insurance-is-not-the-issue/ Barack Obama swung by Chapel Hill tonight in his on-going attempt to clinch his party's nomination. As David Price noted, for the first time in decades North Carolina is relevant - and we have an opportunity to push Obama over the top. As with many political events, the rally, scheduled ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/04/29/obama-and-jones/ Forty years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. As you might guess, I've been encouraged by his words and his actions for more than four decades. The night before his death Dr. King observed a nation in distress: The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/04/04/somewhere-i-read/ "Murder does not come often to Chapel Hill" sums up what I've heard frequently today in the wake of Eve Carson's tragic death. The Mayor said it. WCHL's Ron Stutts and Natasha Vukelic repeated the sentiment on my drive home. Chief Curran, at the 5:30 CHPD, said ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/03/06/murder-does-not-come-often-to-chapel-hill/ [UPDATE 5:31pm] Over at the impromptu memorial behind the "Y", WTVD 11 is reporting that the SUV has been found and is currently being processed by the CHPD crime unit. [UPDATE 5:50] Further coverage from 1360 WCHL. [UPDATE: 6:16PM] The Chancellor's remarks via 1360WCHL.com here [MP3]. ORIGINAL POST The young woman found fatally shot ... http://citizenwill.org/2008/03/06/eve-carson-an-unfortunate-loss/ As probably most readers of CitizenWill know, I decided to stop posting on locally owned OrangePolitics (OP) for many reasons: an escalating and stifling intolerance of valid though different viewpoints, the site's authors acting as surrogates for political allies who didn't have the courage to engage the community directly in ... http://citizenwill.org/2007/12/19/orangepolitics-30-already-a-rocky-start/ I've said I understand why UNC feels compelled to push forward it plans for the Carolina North Innovation Center but I still want to see a master plan that incorporates this project, its supplementary infrastructure and the results of the on-going transit, fiscal equity and environmental studies before one concrete ... http://citizenwill.org/2007/11/18/unc-carolina-north-how-innovative-the-first-step/ Connections are made slowly, sometimes they grow underground. You cannot tell always by looking what is happening. More than half the tree is spread out in the soil under your feet. Penetrate quietly as the earthworm that blows no trumpet. Fight persistently as the creeper that brings down the tree. Spread like the squash plant ... http://citizenwill.org/2007/11/15/weave-real-connections/ Following up on last week's panel discussion of John Ehle's 1965 book "The Free Men," Terri B. is concerned about the direction Chapel Hill is headed: I do not believe that building luxury housing surrounding the remaining historically black neighborhoods in downtown is an acceptable solution. Thanks Terri for the link to ... http://citizenwill.org/2007/11/14/chapel-hills-resegregation/ Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson on Marty Ravellette. He was, perhaps, the most impressive individual I've ever met. The world was a richer place because he walked amongst us. [UPDATE] The Chape l Hill News reports on Marty's service: There will be a graveside service for Marty Ravellette at Maplewood Cemetery Thursday at ... http://citizenwill.org/2007/11/14/mike-nelson-marty-ravellette-american-hero/