By Beth Mechum
Staff Writer

What started out Tuesday night at the Carrboro Board of Aldermen meeting as a discussion about construction of the Goddard day-care center in the Winmore subdivision turned into a conversation about traffic troubles on the increasingly populated Homestead Road. More »

We cannot accept the current condition of homelessness in our communities. This is especially true for a sizeable and particularly tragic segment of our homeless population. A disproportionate 16 percent of adults who are homeless are diagnosed with a severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and 30-70 percent of those also have a substance-use disorder (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2008). More »

It was very gratifying for me to hear that Mayor Randy Voller and the Pittsboro town board unanimously passed a motion to support the trial bus service from Pittsboro to Chapel Hill. The Chatham County Board of Commissioners had already passed a motion to support the bus service, but in order for this effort to succeed Pittsboro also had to support it. This type of collaboration between Chatham County, Chapel Hill Transit and the Town of Pittsboro is an example of how cooperation can be leveraged to maximize opportunity. More »

I must comment on the most recent Flora column regarding the pokeweed plant. I really enjoy reading these columns, although most of the time I am totally clueless on the plant being discussed. Most of the plants discussed are omnipresent, but unfortunately go unnoticed by the masses except for the most discerning biology disciples. More »

In the history of mankind, no group or government has enacted policies that were capable of controlling or managing the climate. While there are examples of policies that have resulted in the improvement of local environments, these policies have typically produced extreme negative effects via the unintended consequences of these poorly thought-out actions. More »

Last Tuesday was Car Free Day, an annual international event when people reflect on how our lives and our communities are improved when we develop and use alternatives to the personal automobile. Our communities are healthier when people choose to travel by foot, bicycle and public transit. More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The biggest budget story of next year has already started, and without much surprise. The construction in the Northside neighborhood of Elementary School 11 by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District loomed large over next year’s finances, as county and school officials sat down Tuesday night to look over this year’s impact of cuts to county and state education budgets.

The meeting at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill Tuesday night drew together the boards of both county school districts and the county commissioners. Its focus was the final budget numbers for the fiscal year ending June 30 and a glimpse ahead at the outlook for next year. More »

Interim County Manager Frank Clifton was a good hire on many counts. He brought in not only a high degree of competency and experience, but a fresh set of eyes on some lingering problems with the structure of county government.
Like much of the rest of this place, county government grew too quickly and too often in a reactive mode to the pressures it faced. Restructuring a very large organization was one of the biggest challenges that faced former County Manager Laura Blackmon, who took over after the long tenure of John Link. More »

By Rich Fowler
Staff Writer

He couldn’t let it go.

When Charles Brown was stopped, handcuffed, searched and held for more than 40 minutes by Chapel Hill police in a case of mistaken identity, he didn’t let it slide. The town manager’s office is investigating the matter, while Brown and the local NAACP await a response. More »

With this spring’s outbreak of H1N1 flu and dire warnings about its resurgence with the return of students, many local businesses are gearing up for the infectious disease season like never before.

While the worry may be focused on the new strain that’s making headlines, the methods being employed — more frequent hand washing, hand-sanitizer stations and more strictly enforced “stay at home if you’re sick” policies — work for any kind of flu, as well as the common cold. More »

A section of the paved Fan Branch Trail through Southern Village will be closed starting Monday, Sept. 28 for about two weeks to allow replacement of decking on two pedestrian bridges. The closure could be prolonged by poor weather. The section of trail that will be closed lies between Culbreth Road and Edgewater Drive.

Because of the nature of the work, the trail will not be reopened after each day’s work.

The Orange County Commission for the Environment has released its 2009 State of the Environment Report for Orange County. The report uses 23 environmental indicators to describe the current status of the county’s air, water and land-based natural resources.

The report also highlights major environmental challenges facing the county and recommends actions to confront those challenges. Previous assessments of the county’s environment were produced in 2000, 2002 and 2004. A pdf of the report is available on the county’s Environmental and Resource Conservation website at co.orange.nc.us/ercd/index.asp

To help prevent identity theft and save space in the landfill, the Chapel Hill Police Department and Orange County’s Solid Waste Department are teaming up to sponsor two free shred-a-thons for confidential papers.

Orange County residents are encouraged to bring confidential papers free of plastic, computer disks and other non-paper items for shredding from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7 at University Mall or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 at the recycling site behind Home Depot in Hillsborough.

The events have gained in popularity. More 400 people attended three shred-a-thons last April and May resulting in the recycling of 15 tons of shredded paper.

Would you like to know more about birding, but don’t know where to start? Or do you know a lot about birding and want to observe the fall migration with fellow enthusiasts? Triangle Land Conservancy is offering an opportunity for both novice and experienced birders to enjoy this pastime. TLC’s Creeks and Tweets event focusing on Bolin Creek starts at 8 a.m. on Oct. 3. For more information and to register, go to triangleland.org/calendar

The bulk of last Thursday’s Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board of Education meeting was devoted to Superintendent Neil Pedersen presenting his evaluation of the district’s 2008-09 priorities.

The first priority was to implement pyramids of intervention at each school. Pedersen highlighted tracking mechanisms being created, such as flags for monitoring such things as Ds and Fs on report cards or a high number of absences.

The second priority was to implement year-two strategies in the exceptional children’s improvement plan. More »