Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Chapel Hill Emergency Homeless Shelter Zoning
The Council has asked the Planning Board to develop a range of regulatory options controlling the development and operation of shelters within Town. The range of policy proposals the Planning Board could create include shelter zoning, shelter standards or shelter guidelines – each with their own regulatory weight and requirements. Guidelines, for instance, are broad […]
-
Library Information: Harder Than Pulling Teeth
[UPDATE:] According to Chapel Hill News reporter Jesse D. the Council finally agreed to Laurin’s request. Staff will research and report back on the options this Fall, approximately 18 months after her first request. Quick note from this evening’s Council meeting. Council member Laurin Easthom renewed her reasonable request (reviewed here [THE LIBRARY AND THE […]
-
Internet Privacy:Ye Shall Know Them By What They Ask…
Search engine providers like Google are making cash by building detailed profiles of your web surfing habits. There is a slew of technologies they use to track usage, following folks as the hop-skip-and-jump across the world wide web. In this “social networking” world it seems like many people wait until an inevitable crisis before taking […]
-
Downtown Development Framework: Compact, Connected, Anchored and Green
Chapel Hill 2030? A quick update on yesterday’s report (“Radical Shift In Vision For Downtown”) about the Downtown Development Framework and Action Plan charrette. First, the Downtown Partnership has posted the DRAFT Downtown Development Framework Presentation here [PDF:14M]. The Town’s webserver had a little trouble downloading it so I’ve also put a copy here. The […]
-
Happy Birthday Ron!
Happy Birthday to WCHL’s Ron Stutts! Ron, besides being the bedrock upon which WCHL’s success rests, is an all-around “nice guy” (hope that doesn’t mess with his street cred ;-)). I met Ron a longtime ago but didn’t really get to know him until I became more active in the local community. Ron seems to […]
-
Radical Shift in Vision For Downtown
Just got back from another presentation/planning charrette covering the Town’s new Downtown Development Action Plan and Framework. The plan, created with input from UNC, the Downtown Partnership, Downtown businesses and local citizens, is supposed to look at economic, cultural and social development opportunities over the next 5 to 8 years and layout a fairly structured […]
-
Bringing The BP Gulf Oil Disaster Home
My folks used to take us to a pristine stretch of the Florida Panhandle west of Panama City. Back then you traveled through pine barrens on two lane blacktop and strips of red clay to get to some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. Squeaky white quartz sand, partially comprised of the remnants […]
-
Chapel Hill Library Funding: Orange County Commissioners Respond, Kind Of…
Final bit of business from this evening’s Orange County Board of Commissioner’s meeting. A couple weeks ago, members of the Council, Commissioners, our Town and County managers, met to discuss increasing the County’s financial contribution to Chapel Hill’s Library. As of today, the County’s current yearly $250K contribution is out-of-line with out-of-town usage. In effect, […]
-
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: Go!
Interestingly, as the day ground on (I had plenty of pep, my feet not so much), the Library began to pull ahead of Binkley. At a little after 1pm Binkley’s 171 voters was surpassed by the Library’s (Estes Hills Precinct) 185. When I left this evening at 6:30, the Library sat at around 350 or […]
-
May 4th, 2010 Primary: Go?
Started working the Library polling station at 7am, voted 7:45am (voter #21) and left about 10:15am. Got to meet Senate candidate Ken Lewis and his family. His wife’s energy was contagious – lots of positive vibes coming from her and Ken. Their teen daughter stayed to work the polls and I had an opportunity to […]
-
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. […]
Got any book recommendations?