Mayor Seils Proclaims Black History Month in Carrboro
Mayor Damon Seils has declared Black History Month in Carrboro this February.
“I encourage all residents to participate in local Black History Month events and to learn about and celebrate the lives, history, and contributions of Black people during this month and throughout the year,” Mayor Seils said.
Local celebrations this year will include a reenactment of one of Frederick Douglass’s last great speeches, “The Lessons of the Hour,” followed by a panel discussion at the Carrboro Century Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10.
The proclamation recognizes that Black people have played and continue to play significant roles in Carrboro’s economic, cultural, spiritual, and political development.
It further recognizes the Town of Carrboro’s commitment to advancing racial equity. The Town joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in 2018, and in 2019 established a Racial Equity Core Team of employees who are leading the way toward an equitable systems change across the organization. Find out about more actions taken by Carrboro, in the proclamation linked below.
View Black History Month events occurring in Carrboro at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2002
View events around the Triangle at https://triangleonthecheap.com/black-history-month/
Read the full proclamation about Black History Month in Carrboro at https://townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/10575/Black-History-Month-Proclamation-2022
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Black History Month Events in Carrboro
The Town of Carrboro is celebrating Black History Month throughout February.
Since its beginnings as a weeklong recognition by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926, Black History Month has grown to include opportunities for education, reflection and celebration. All month long, we’ll share various celebrations of Black history.
Access the full schedule at https://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2002
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Celebrating Black America: The Lessons of the Hour
CARRBORO, N.C. -- The Town of Carrboro welcomes the community to join us as we host Celebrating Black America for Black History Month.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., the town will host local history scholars and community leaders to view Fred Morsell’s 1994 re-enactment of one of the last great speeches by Frederick Douglass entitled “The Lessons of the Hour.”
Delivered at Jan. 9, 1894, at Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Douglass’ speech addresses topics ranging from racial terror and lynching to colonization and voting rights.
“There are many things in this speech that are extremely relevant today,” said James Williams Jr., an organizer of Celebrating Black America. “For example, Douglass wanted to see the vote expanded, much as we want today. Voting, and the ability to participate in democracy, is a racial justice issue as much as it is a civil rights issue. He makes this point nearly 130 years ago.”
Following the video re-enactment, a panel discussion will be conducted by the following community members:
- James Williams Jr., Chair the NC Commission On Racial And Ethnic Disparities and Retired Public Defender for Orange and Chatham Counties, N.C.
https://nccred.org/ - Dr. William Sturkey, Associate Professor, Department of History, UNC-Chapel Hill
https://history.unc.edu/faculty-members/william-sturkey/ - Barbara Foushee, Town of Carrboro, Town Council Member
http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/793/Council-Member-Barbara-Foushee - Greear Webb, Morehead-Cain Scholar Student, UNC-Chapel Hill
https://www.wakeed.org/honoree/greear-webb
The program is co-sponsored by the Town of Carrboro, the Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department, and the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition.
The Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition was formed in the fall of 2018. It partners with the Equal Justice Initiative to document and memorialize the victims of racial terror violence in Orange County. Through programming, the coalition educates and engages the community on this history and how its legacy lingers today. OCCRC seeks to foster meaningful dialogue about race and justice as we work to build a society rooted in equal justice. To learn more, please visit https://occrcoalition.org/
This program will also be available via the Town of Carrboro YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/CarrboroNC
For updates on the program, please continue to check the Town of Carrboro’s website at http://carrboronc.gov/ and via town social media channels.
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East Main Street Sewer Rehabilitation Project to Begin
News from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA)
Construction for the East Main Street Sewer Rehabilitation Project is anticipated to begin on the night of Feb. 11, 2022, and be completed by June 2022. That timeline could be extended by weather or other factors.
The project work will include replacing approximately 2,000 feet of sewer line, replacing and installing new manholes, and several smaller repairs (shown as point repairs in the below map) within the project area but outside of Main Street.
OWASA will provide updates on any changes to the construction timeline.
How the Work May Affect Customers in the Area
- Normal work hours will occur each weekend from Friday night at 8 p.m. through Monday morning at 6 a.m. Once work commences Friday night, it will continue throughout the weekend in order to minimize the time period we impact the community.
- Some smaller tasks will occur during weekday nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Traffic impacts are expected during construction times. Signs will be provided for detours, changes in traffic patterns, and accessibility around construction.
- Businesses in the area will be open during construction.
- All travel lanes will be open at the end of each weekend with no impacts to vehicle traffic.
It is possible that customers will have short sanitary sewer service interruptions (typically a few hours) while their service is reconnected to the new sewer line. Property owners will be notified 48 hours prior to any planned service disruptions. No drinking water service interruptions are anticipated as part of the project.
For more information
Thank you very much for your patience and understanding as we complete this critical work.
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NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Opens Statewide
The NC Homeowner Assistance Fund is now accepting applications from North Carolina homeowners whose finances were impacted by the pandemic and who need assistance with housing-related expenses. Established through the 2021 American Rescue Plan to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements and foreclosures for homeowners experiencing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fund offers assistance of up to $40,000 for qualified homeowners as long as funding is available. In addition to COVID-19 financial impact, applicants must be seeking assistance for a primary residence in North Carolina and meet income and other requirements.
For qualified homeowners, the fund offers:
- Housing payment assistance for primary residence in North Carolina (for example, single-family home, townhome, condo or mobile home).
- Assistance for mortgage reinstatement to catch up on late payments (first or second mortgages) or other housing-related costs due to a period of forbearance, delinquency or default.
- Assistance covering other housing-related costs such as homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, homeowner’s association dues/fees or delinquent property taxes to prevent foreclosure.
Homeowners can learn more and apply for help by calling 1-855-MY-NCHAF (1-855-696-2423) or by visiting https://nchaf.gov
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Town Council Update
Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News at carrboronc.gov/signup
Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at council@carrboronc.gov
Coming Up
The Town Council will meet next virtually at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, to consider an agenda https://bit.ly/3gucAoR that also will be posted at carrboro.legistar.com
Past Meeting
The Carrboro Town Council met virtually Tuesday, Feb. 1, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3r8OdDe
- Authorized the 2022 street resurfacing contract.
- Authorized a contract update with Stantec for a bike loop detector construction project.
- Received the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Independent Audit for 2021 Fiscal Year.
- Received a presentation on the One Orange Racial Equity Framework, which is a countywide effort to advance racial equity. The Council adopted the framework in a unanimous vote. This document is a working framework used to guide racial equity work being done in each jurisdiction of Orange County. The framework provides structure and oversight as each jurisdiction develops individual strategies to advance racial equity.
- Received public input for the Town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022.
About the Town Council
The Town Council is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, consisting of the following: Mayor Damon Seils, Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Romaine, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Danny Nowell and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council
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Town Council Honors Catherine Dorando
The Carrboro Town Council expressed its gratitude to outgoing Town Clerk Catherine “Cathy” Dorando for more than a decade of service as Town Clerk to the Town of Carrboro. The honoring resolution was presented on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022.
Mayor Damon Seils stated: “Cathy brought a level of professional knowledge and skill to her work that helped modernize and raise the profile of the clerk's office in ways that will serve her successors well for many years to come—all while contributing to a sense of community in Town Hall and building countless lasting friendships.”
Among her accomplishments was a comprehensive revision of the Town Code to gender-neutral language. Also, she was invited by the University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute to share lessons from that process at a summit examining the use of language in inclusive, just workplaces.
Dorando holds the Master Municipal Clerk designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. She served as staff liaison to the Truth Plaque Task Force; the Pride Subcommittee; the Citizens Academy, which she helped launch in 2018; and as staff representative to the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition.
The Council expressed its thanks for her professionalism and friendship, and offered best wishes for Cathy, her wife Melissa, and their growing family.
Access the full resolution at https://townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/10574/Resolution-Honoring-Town-Clerk-Cathy-Dorando-February-2022
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Hot Off The Presses!
Is this the year you learn how to line dance? Take a kayak trip? Participate in a Butter Bean Auction? There is SO MUCH to learn and do and it's all in our brand new Rec & Parks & Culture Catalog. Check it out online at http://townofcarrboro.org/864/Recreation-Publications
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Our Public Works Department in the Spotlight!
On February 1, Spectrum News did a feature story about our tough-as-nails Public Works Department. They wanted to see how Carrboro was doing after three weekends of winter weather. Watch the story here https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/news/2022/02/01/carrboro-winter-weather-budget
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Bring a Little Kid You Love to See Jeghetto This Wednesday!
After working for years as a poet, visual artist, and barber, Tarish Pipkins was inspired to take up the art of puppetry after a conversation with Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He chose the stage name “Jeghetto,” a portmanteau of Geppetto and ghetto, to reflect his childhood in the projects of Pittsburgh, and their influence on his artistic vision. Using only recycled materials, he has created a world of astonishing 21st-century puppets, which include a dinosaur, a dreadlocked cellist, the Beast, and an Afro-futurist breakdancing android who wants to be a real boy.
Appropriate for All Ages
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Time: 10:30-11:30am
Location: Century Center
100 N. Greensboro St.
Carrboro, NC 27510
Cost: $3 per participant
Children 12 months and under admitted free.
Please note that masks are required for everyone 2 years and older.
Pre-Registration is required. If you have not registered for programs with the Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department previously, please allow a couple of days for account approval.
Registration Website: https://register1.vermontsystems.com/.../ncca.../splash.html
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Get a Free N-95 Mask at the Carrboro CVS
While supplies last, head on over to the CVS at Carr Mill Mall for a FREE N-95 mask! These masks are made in the USA and courtesy of the federal government.
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Low-Cost Rabies Clinic for Pets
If you have a fur baby, save some money on rabies shots and microchips at the discount clinic offered by Orange County Animal Services on February 26. Get more details at https://www.orangecountync.gov/308/Low-Cost-Clinics.
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We are hiring!
The Town of #Carrboro offers competitive salaries and one of the richest benefits packages available in our region.
➡️ https://nc-carrboro.civicplushrms.com/careers/