Student Body President Eve Carson continued her efforts of encouraging students to vote when she cast her ballot Tuesday at the U.S. post office early-voting station on Franklin Street.
Candidates for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education discussed issues including dropout rates and military recruitment in the classroom at a forum at Carol Woods Retirement Community on Tuesday. The audience of about 50 questioned the five candidates running for four open seats on the school board about the future of the school system. Mike Kelley, who is running for re-election, said the key step to lowering dropout rates is giving each statistical number a face and a story.
Candidates for the Carrboro mayor and Board of Aldermen attended a forum Thursday at Lake Hogan Farms Clubhouse to discuss transit and development issues facing the town. The forum was sponsored by the Orange County Democratic Party. Discussions opened with a question concerning Carrboro's need for increased sidewalks and more bicycle-friendly roads. Incumbent Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton said he has worked to get sidewalks built and will continue to look for additional funding. "I want to see Carrboro become a more walkable community," he said.
The Northern Area Task Force held an open house Tuesday at the public library in Chapel Hill to inform residents about its progress and to gather feedback. The task force consists of residents charged to advise the Chapel Hill Town Council. The members have made it their mission to deliver a comprehensive plan of development for what they call the Northern Area, which consists of land north of Homestead Road and south of Interstate 40. Del Snow, chairwoman of the task force, said the goals and visions of her effort are important.
The Orange Water and Sewer Authority passed a resolution Thursday to implement a water-supply advisory for Orange County. The resolution for an advisory passed with an 8-1 vote and is intended to raise public awareness about the severity of the water shortage. The advisory will make information regarding the shortage more easily accessible. The one dissenting voter wants to implement stricter water regulations in Orange County. The water-supply advisory does not implement any further mandatory restrictions on water use beyond the year-round restrictions already in place.
The Hillsborough Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 against the proposed construction of a new asphalt plant in town. The Aug. 7 vote reflected the board's concerns that the surrounding communities would be negatively affected and that the plant would increase pollution in the area. Doug Robins of Asphalt Experts, the applicant for the proposed plant, deferred comment to his lawyer but has said he is trying to build only a small plant. He said he does not want to be perceived incorrectly.
The expanding school systems in Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro have overcome delays and are set to lead younger generations. During this past school year, construction was completed on two new schools in the county school system including Gravelly Hill Middle School and Partnership Academy. In Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, construction is underway on two new schools. Carrboro High School is set to open in August, and elementary school No. 10 is on track for a 2008-09 school year opening.
The Chapel Hill Town Council plans to explore the idea of building a public library downtown after Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, introduced the idea at a council meeting last week. The council has asked Town Manager Roger Stancil to compile additional information and ideas for the April 23 business meeting. The current Chapel Hill Public Library, located off Estes Drive, has been open since 1994. A referendum was passed in 2003 allocating about $16 million for its expansion.
HILLSBOROUGH - The Orange County Board of Commissioners discussed a proposal Tuesday night that would affirm Orange County's view on health as a human right. Sarah Chasnovitz, a third-year UNC law student participating in the Immigration-Human Rights Policy Clinic, presented a resolution calling for the board to recognize health as a fundamental human right and to take steps to ensure the highest level of mental and physical health for all residents. The board referred the resolution to its staff.
When customers walk into Chocolaterie Stam, they might feel like they are entering a store not in Chapel Hill, but in Amsterdam, surrounded by European styles and gourmet chocolate treats. The store, owned jointly by Bob Droog and his wife Lee has been open two weeks and offers a wide variety of authentic Belgium chocolate that has customers talking about the newest sweet shop in town, located in the Chapel Hill North shopping center at 1802 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. They use a technique of chocolate making unlike most in the world, Droog said.
