Citizen Will

Category: OrangeCounty

  • Cognitive Dissonance? NC Legislature Bans Internet Sweepstakes

    WUNC’s Laura Leslie (a reporting treasure) has a great post (Mon.: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before) on tonight’s 47 to 1 NC Senate vote “to ban video gambling – again – in North Carolina”. Republican Tom Apodaca didn’t mince words in urging his fellow senators to ban video gambling. “This is something […]

  • 2010 Final Spring Meeting Chapel Hill Council

    Over the year’s I’ve seen some rather jam packed final spring term Council meetings. This one was about average in length, light on content but big in setting the stage for two broad initiatives – siting an emergency shelter and legally mandating affordable housing – to move forward. I left prior to Council’s revisiting Laurin […]

  • Can The Carolina North Process Apply To UNC’s Bingham Research Facility?

    Another issue on tonight’s Orange County Board of Commissioner’s (BOCC) agenda involved UNC’s Bingham Research Facility ( report on UNC’s response to environmental violations and plans for expanding the facility [PDF]). There’s been a number of recent (Chapel Hill News) stories (INDY) outlining the numerous environmental and policy missteps [PDF] made over the last few […]

  • Brother, can you spare a quarter percent?

    The Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) opened up discussion this evening of putting a %0.25 increase in local sales tax before voters in November (Levy of a One-Quarter Cent (1/4¢) County Sales and Use Tax [PDF]). The tax, if approved, will bump our local sales tax to %8 with all the additional proceeds going […]

  • “You Are Excused”

    Of the few ways one can “exercise” citizenship directly, being chosen as a sitting juror seems most capricious. Ever since I turned 18 I’ve waited for the call. Master jury lists in North Carolina are randomly drawn from voter rolls and driver license records. Having been a licensed driver and voting maniac (all elections except […]

  • May 4th, 2010 Primary: On Your Marks, Get Ready…

    Been awhile, November 2006, since I scrambled around trying to cover all the precincts in Carrboro/Chapel Hill. Visited all 29 precincts, placed 45 new signs for Sheriff Candidate Clarence Birkhead, repositioned another 40+ so that most folks will have to pass at least 3 signs before voting. Started about 5pm in a light drizzle punctuated […]

  • Clarence Birkhead, A Sheriff for the Future

    I have been asked by a few folks who I’ll be voting for this primary season. In the most contested race, at-large County commissioner, the three candidates have unique strengths, each of which appeals to some facet of my concern for where the County is going, each of which makes the decision a bit tough. […]

  • Live ‘Blog: April 13th IFC Community House Meeting

    Quick notes on this evening’s final IFC Community House public meeting prior to the IFC submitting a SUP (special use permit) to Town Council. IFC is the Inter-Faith Council, a 501c3 non-profit, has provided a broad range of social services (list) over the last few decades, many of which, like emergency housing, are the really […]

  • NAACP Townhall Forum for Orange County Sheriff

    A little late notice but I’m going to try to live ‘blog this evening’s forum. First up, OC Sheriff candidates: current Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass and recent Chief of Hillsborough Police Clarence Birkhead. Web sites: Clarence Birkhead – clarencebirkhead.com Lindy Pendergrass – www.facebook.com/pages/Lindy-Pendergrass/496688695219

  • Chapel Hill’s First Budget Meeting of 2010

    I want to quickly respond to Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt’s comments this evening. First, spending $8-12M on the Lot #5 project, building luxury condos and enriching a private developer, is not the same as “protecting our Town’s infrastructure”. The Lot #5 (West 140) project is discretionary – the push to keep it going is […]

  • Library or Bust? Laurin Easthom’s Concerns

    The Council decided to postpone the Library expansion decision pending further data and discussion. Council member Laurin Easthom pointed out on Monday, once again, “We need to make some real serious decisions about citizens who use our library and don’t pay.” Laurin has been on-top of this issue for some time. She has also been […]

  • Magic 25

    Catherine Lazorko, Chapel Hill’s information officer, sent me this email to Council from Town elder Roscoe Reeve. Roscoe recalls how the 25 bed limit for shelters was set. As suspected, it was somewhat arbitrary though based in an intent to make the approval process less onerous for community-oriented facilities. Thanks Catherine! From: Roscoe Reeve Sent: […]

  • Who You Gonna Call? Deerbusters!

    Education and our own private “rabbit-proof” fencing seems to be the extent of Chapel Hill’s plan to deal with its exploding dear population. The Town is responding to my Mount Bolus neighbor’s Oct. 12th petition this evening with a proposal [PDF] to educate folks on how to deter expansion of the deer population. Unfortunately, rather […]

  • Trash Talk: Mal de M.E.R. No Longer

    Just back from this evening’s Orange County Board of Commissioners’ meeting. Tonight’s big agenda item, “What to do about the waste transfer station?” New County Manager Frank Clifton’s extensively reviewed the three proposed options: use the County’s Payfadar property (originally slated for a park) on Millhouse Road, pursue the ill-suited (and ever more expensive) Howell […]

  • Engage Now in the NC54 Planning Process

    Given the time of year and Durham’s recent problems in protecting the Lake Jordan watershed, the fiscal impact of mitigating damage which might well be shared by Chapel Hill’s taxpayers, I was tempted to title this post “Trick or Treat on NC54?” Even if the “development process is broken in Durham”, as LaDawnna Summers, who […]