By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer

Residents of the Rogers Road community saw some movement this week in their effort to stop a transfer station from being placed in their neighborhood after having made appeals to county and town elected officials.

Last Thursday night, Neloa Jones, a Rogers Road resident, spoke before the Assembly of Governments and an overflow audience at the Southern Human Services Center, urging that concerned citizens and their elected officials “do what’s right and bring environmental justice to the Rogers-Eubanks Community.”

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By Valarie Schwartz

For the drivers behind me on Saturday mornings, I need a bumper sticker that reads: Brakes for Yard Sales. There’s nothing like finding a treasure among another’s junk to provide a lift from the doldrums.

But this Saturday and Sunday brings a sale with no true junk, only great deals on exciting items, plus the opportunity to help make a difference for people in our community who suffer far worse than doldrums — those living with the affects of mental illness.

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It was not one of Carolina’s better-kept secrets; the only question was when the announcement would come. The answer to that was yesterday, and during his annual State of the University address James Moeser served notice that he will step down as chancellor on June 30, 2008.

In a message to the campus community released during his speech, Moeser, the university’s ninth chancellor, said that after a year’s research leave he will return to the university “with the most exalted title that Carolina confers — professor.”

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While our Carrboro Citizen editor keeps us informed of the political wilderness within the Legislative Building on the north side of Jones Street, there is a natural wilderness in action across the street, beside the Museum of Natural Sciences.

On the legislative side, weekly irrigation and mowing maintain emerald-green short turf accented here and there with evergreen shrub cones and balls for winter interest and potted tropical plants for summer color. This provides a sense of security for the elected officials and staff.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

After hearing from residents of Lincoln Park and after a lengthy discussion and debate, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen gave final approval Tuesday night to the Shoppes at Jones Ferry.

The final vote was 6 to 1, with Alderman Joal Hall Broun the lone dissenter.

Plans for the project, located on 7.71 acres now being used as a construction yard for contractor Calvin Mellott, include an “L”-shaped row of shops and a Harris Teeter grocery store.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

To a first-time attendee, the Carrboro Music Festival might seem a bit overwhelming. Best not to try to attend everything. Because with more than 150 shows on 22 stages, there’s way too much fun to be had.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the weather forecast for Sunday is sunny, with a high near 80 — pretty appealing, considering the August we’ve endured around here.

So grab your closest friends and family and head downtown on Sunday. Before you do, though, be sure to catch the kickoff celebration at Cat’s Cradle on Saturday night.

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Archer Graphics
1 - Storm Front: Carolina Blues
2 - Killer Filler: Surfy, instrumental
3 - Lithium Dove: alt-Rock
4 - Ronnie Parks & Tim Forbes: Original Carolina Rock
5 - Off The Road Band: Americana
6 - The Lids: 50’s - 70’s Rock

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Firehouse rock
The morning of Fete ’99 dawned seriously misty. Our foul-weather plan consisted of crossed fingers and a few extra tarps. The fete committee, chaired that year by Berkeley Grimball, met early and decided to forge ahead. Berkeley was pacing at home when Carrboro Fire Chief Rodney Murray’s voice came in on the walkie-talkie. “Berkeley, if y’all want to use the firehouse bay, we can move the trucks outside.” Berkeley took Rodney up on that most welcome offer, and the Carrboro firehouse went down in history as the best-sounding stage in town. Plus the décor was way cool.
— Catherine DeVine

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Gerry Williams
Festival Coordinator

The Music Festival began in 1998, when then-Carrboro resident Elizabeth Boisson and the Carrboro Arts Committee suggested to the mayor and board of aldermen that we join the handful of American communites that celebrate the summer solstice through participation in the International Fete de la Musique. After deciding to go ahead with the event (against the advice of some professional concert promoters), we agreed that we should plan the event for the Sunday closest to the actual summer solstice of June 21. There was an opinion within the committee that we should do as they do in France, and always do the event on the actual day of June 21, but most committee members realized that here in the U.S. we would have much greater participation on the weekend.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools could see two new elementary schools and a new middle school in the next 10 years, according to the district’s updated 2008-18 capital investment plan, which was approved by the school board last week.

The plan outlines the district’s anticipated capital needs through 2018, including new schools and offices, renovations and additions and technology support and improvements.

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The Carrboro High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association will hold an open house on September 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Parents will meet in the gym, then visit their children’s classes and teachers in order to learn about individual course expectations and requirements.

The meeting in the gym will last about half an hour, while each class visit will run about 10 minutes.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will hold a meeting on September 27 to collect input for the district’s new strategic plan.

In addition, school officials have created an online survey for community members to respond to three questions:

• What is the one area in which the district needs to improve in order to be considered a highly successful, forward-thinking school district?
• What is the greatest external challenge facing the district?
• What is the greatest internal challenge facing the district?

The survey has been emailed to parents and staff members and is available at www.chccs.k12.nc.us.

The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Smith Middle School auditorium.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education will meet with School Improvement Teams over the next month to review School Improvement Plans. All meetings will be held in the Lincoln Center Boardroom.

The Hospital School, Glenwood Elementary, Scroggs Elementary, Frank Porter Graham Elementary and Estes Hills Elementary will deliver their presentations at the first session, which will be held October 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.

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The committee created by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education to solicit potential names for the new elementary school will hold its first meeting October 1st at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Center.
The district’s 10th elementary school is under construction at the corner of Eubanks Road and Dromoland Road and will open in the fall of 2008.

At this first meeting, the committee will determine how to collect community input. On November 7th, the committee will select three names that will then be presented to the school board on December 6th.

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Board of County Commissioners presented land transfer and sales tax options to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County boards of education at a joint work session on Tuesday.

The board earlier this month voted to put a tax referendum on the ballot next May. Commissioners decided not to put a referendum on the ballot in November, expressing concern that there was insufficient time to educate the public.

In this year’s state budget, the Legislature gave counties the option of a 0.4 percent land transfer tax or a quarter-cent sales tax increase to help compensate for money taken away from counties in a deal to turn responsibility for paying for Medicaid over to the state.

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