Members of Carrboro Greenspace on the porch of Casa Grande. Photo by Kirk Ross

By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer

Granted, even in a community as substantially liberal in spirit as Carrboro, “usufruct” is hardly a word around which the general citizenry will likely clamor to rally.

“Usufruct” (according to Webster): “the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something belonging to another”; from the Latin usus et fructus, “to use and enjoy.”

More »

A little zumba, courtesy of instructor Willa Robinson Allen, is a healthy thing, and great fun, at “Salud es Fiesta,” held at the Southern Human Services Center on Homestead Road. Photo by Kirk Ross

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Members of the Latino community came together on Saturday to dance, eat and learn about fun ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

The event – “Salud es Fiesta,” or “Health is a Party” – was hosted by the Líderes de Salud, a group of 12 trained volunteer health promoters in the Latino community, and focused on the fight against obesity and diabetes within that community.

More »

New rules for Carrboro campaigns sent back to House committee, measure will not pass this session

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

A campaign finance bill that would limit the amount of contributions and lower the threshold for reporting contributors was pulled from the North Carolina House of Representatives calendar last week, making it unlikely the bill will pass this session.

Senate Bill 488 — Carrboro Campaign Regulation — was re-referred to the House Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform committee at the request of Rep. Bill Faison (D-Orange, Caswell), after Faison heard concerns raised about the bill by Katrina Ryan and Sharon Cook, two candidates for the Board of Aldermen.

More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

When a voting site was first opened at Morehead Planetarium in 2000, plenty of students, joined by a host of elected and university officials, lined the steps for the opportunity to cast a ballot on campus for the first time. And while the idea of an on-campus voting site has focused on getting more students to turn out, it’s proved even more popular among university employees and those who frequent downtown as a convenient way to do one’s civic duty.

More »

Options being studied in wake of state budget bill passed this week

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Orange County commissioners say they’ll take a good, long look at how the recently passed state budget will affect the county’s bottom line before proposing any new taxes, but a majority of the board is at least philosophically in support of a 0.4 percent land transfer tax.

The transfer tax and a quarter-cent sales tax are two options the state gave counties in the new budget to help make up for money taken away from counties as part of a deal to turn responsibility for paying for Medicaid over to the state.

More »

 
Joe Thompson near his house in Mebane. Photo by Lissa Gotwals

Been a long time coming.

One of the things people might not know about Joe Thompson is that he started playing as a very young man, which means that at age 89 his career as a fiddler runs close to eight decades.

Thompson and his cousin Odell were mainstays of the square dance circuit — both black and white dances — in the Piedmont during the string music heydays of the 1920s and ‘30s. They learned the style of black string bands from their fathers, and, like them, became highly sought-after players.

More »

PlayMaker’s producing artistic director Joseph Haj. Photo Courtesy of UNC News Services

UNC News Services

CHAPEL HILL – PlayMakers Repertory Company is seeking area residents with informed opinions on conflict in the Middle East to present their views in community discussions Sept. 12-16.

The professional theater company in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will host the discussions nightly on those dates after its performances of “When the Bulbul Stopped Singing,” a play with a decidedly Palestinian point of view.

More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees got their first look at the latest plans for Carolina North last Thursday and approved a new site for a proposed Innovations Center, which would become the first project at the school’s new campus.

Trustees also voted in Roger Perry of Chapel Hill as chair of the board, the chief governing body of the university. Perry said he sees Carolina North as critical to the school’s mission and urged that the project move forward.

More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Saying he’s ready to move to the next level of public service, Orange County Commissioner Moses Carey announced last week that he’ll seek the Democratic nomination to the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Ellie Kinnaird.

Though she has not made it official, Kinnaird has spoken openly about retiring after this term.

More »

The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service has fired an employee for allegedly stealing money from the agency’s crisis intervention fund.

The IFC, which runs the county’s homeless shelter, deposits about $150,000 into the crisis intervention fund each year. The fund helps people in crisis pay their rent and utility bills.

More »

The American Red Cross Orange County Chapter blood supply is at critical status levels.

In addition, as of July 27, the O-positive and O-negative blood supply was at emergency status levels, with less than a day and a half of supply on hand.

More »

Information session on plan
Orange County will hold a public information meeting on Tuesday, August 7 to provide information and collect input for the county’s comprehensive plan.

County staff will present the comprehensive plan update process. In addition, participants will be able to ask questions and provide input on draft goals and data that can be used to guide the development of the plan.

More »

Photo Courtesy of the Dispute Settlement Center

The Dispute Settlement Center in Carrboro recently held a reception to honor Tan Schwab, who along with Beth Okun and the late Charlotte Adams founded the center in the early ‘70s – the first mediation center in North Carolina. Board president LeAnn Brown praised Schwab for her vision and her “gentle and principled” activism and presented her with a commemorative photo of Schwab and the other founders.

Rogers Road Back-to-School Bash
The Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love Church will be holding its annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 11 to provide children with supplies as they return to school for a new year. Your donations are encouraged.
More »

UNC News Services

Lt. Col. Jeff McCracken, deputy director of the Department of Public Safety at UNC, has been named the university’s director of public safety and chief of police.

McCracken, a law enforcement veteran with more than 15 years’ experience, will on August 1 take the helm of a department with a $25 million budget and responsibility for law enforcement, security, transit, transportation planning and traffic and parking. The department includes 200 permanent and 100 temporary employees, including 25 sworn reserve police officers and 52 full-time sworn officers.

More »