News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC (April 25, 2023) 

Great to see everyone enjoying these beautiful spring days in Carrboro! Bring your picnic, lawn chairs, and blankets for evenings of live music at Freight Train Blues coming up this May at Town Commons. Also in this issue, read the announcement about a new director for the Rec, Parks & Cultural Resources Dept. and access the video link showing the big concrete pour at our new library under construction! 

Earth Day Celebration rescheduled for Sunday

Join us this Sunday, April 30 at the  Carrboro Town Commons to celebrate Earth Day 2023! 

With the Chapel Hill Service League, the Town of Carrboro is partnering on an Earth Day Celebration on Sunday, April 30 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St.  Note that this event was originally planned for last weekend but rescheduled due to rain. 

Carrboro's Earth Day event will feature a variety of information and education tables to learn more about climate and environmental topics in our community and Community Climate Action initiatives such as Carrboro's Green Neighborhood initiative, Solarize Carrboro, weatherization, sustainability, food footprint, composting, recycling and EV vehicles.  There will be activities for children including a parade (animal and plant costumes welcome), planet-friendly vegan and vegetarian food for purchase, and climate and environmental Earth Day Free Book giveaways.  Celebrate the Earth with Carrboro!

Together, we can create a strong sense of community as we work to better our Earth. Come get inspired. The earth is in our hands! 

Happy Earth Day! Honoring the life and beauty of the Mother Tree

In celebration of Earth Day, the Town of Carrboro welcomed artist Kathrine Cays on Friday, April 21, and her temporary art installation at the elm tree in front of Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. 

Poet Laureate Liza Wolf-Francis read the poem "Mother Elm" written by Joan Barasovska.

The temporary art installation was originally planned to take place during Carrboro's Earth Day celebration, which has been rescheduled (due to inclement weather) to Sunday, April 30, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. 

Read more about the art installation and read "Mother Elm" in the full news flash.

“FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES” CONCERT SERIES RETURNS MAY 5

The Town of Carrboro, N.C., proudly presents the Music Maker Foundation’s Freight Train Blues Concert Series. Come enjoy concerts every Friday evening from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., between May 5 and June 23, 2023, at the Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main Street. The series is a collaboration among  Music Maker Foundation; the Town of Carrboro; WUNC 91.5 FM; and The Forests at Duke.

Bring your picnic, lawn chairs, and blankets for an evening of live music on the lawn. Public parking is available and free in downtown Carrboro.

More information: www.freighttrainblues.com 

The concert series is an annual event that honors GRAMMY-winning folk and blues artist and North Carolina Music Hall of Famer Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, born in Carrboro, N.C. in 1893. Cotten’s soulful voice and unique guitar style have rendered her a legend in the world of blues, leading her to receive National Heritage Fellowship in 1984 and a GRAMMY award in 1985. She lived to be 104 years old and died in 1987. Her songs, like the iconic “Freight Train,” have been reimagined by artists like The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Music Maker Foundation honors Cotten’s legacy in the world of roots music by emphasizing the cultural diversity, complexity, and vitality of her music and the music of many other artists local to her community and all over the country.

Read more at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2359

Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Director Announced

After a national search, Town Manager Richard J. White III has selected Jerry Glenn “J.G.” Ferguson Jr. as director of the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department. 

“I am excited to continue to build upon the outstanding programs, events and facilities currently offered by the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department,” Ferguson said. “I’m looking forward to meeting and getting to know the community while working with staff to provide quality programs, events and facilities to the citizens of Carrboro.”

Ferguson has been with the Town of Rolesville for 15 years, serving 11 as parks and recreation director and three years as the public works director. Rolesville has been one of the fastest-growing towns in North Carolina . He has been instrumental in building both departments in response to the exponential grow and service delivery demands. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations with a minor in recreation and leisure facilities. 

Some of his career accomplishments include acquisition of 116 acres for a future park and 15 acres for a future public works facility; development of a Farm Site Master Plan; Parks and Recreation Comprehension Master Plan; Open Space and Greenway Master Plan; Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan (NCDOT Grant); and expanding and improving programs while maintaining and upgrading facilities. 

“J.G. has provided events, programs and facilities that encourage all residents to come together and create positive memories with their families, neighbors and friends,” Town Manager White said. “I look forward to him joining the Town’s Management Team. His experience will serve the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department and the Town well.” 

Mildred Council Community Dinner scheduled for April 30

The Orange County Human Relations Commission and Office of Equity & Inclusion are co-sponsoring the 23rd Annual Mildred Council Community Dinner to be held Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the McDougle Middle School Cafeteria, 900 Old Fayetteville Rd. in Chapel Hill, NC. 

The Community Dinner is a community building event, crossing economic, racial, religious and ethnic barriers and presenting a wealth of wonderful, culturally diverse food and entertainment from our own community.  In 2014, The Community Dinner was a winner of a National League of Cities Award for Cultural Diversity

Mildred Council, aka "Mama Dip," was the creator of this event and our source of inspiration and partner for 21 Community Dinners, celebrating our community's cultural diversity. She is sorely missed by all who knew her. Her legacy continues through her children and grandchildren.

Mildred Council's family at Mama Dip's Kitchen will be coordinating the menu and, along with the Carolina Inn, provide the Dinner's main courses. We are very pleased that the Council family want to keep their association with this event, which was so important to their mother, Mama Dip. In addition, many local restaurants and churches donate side dishes and desserts to complete the feast. This gives attendees the opportunity to taste food from our many community partners who contributed dishes, all in one place.

You can make a one time or recurring donation to this effort here. Create an account, navigate to donate page, select Community Dinner under "Select a Fund" drop down menu.

For more information about the Community Dinner, visit the Community Dinner Website at www.communitydinner.com.

Council renews support for Temporary Protected Status program for Guatemala

 At its Tuesday meeting on April 18, 2023, the Carrboro Town Council renewed its support for the Temporary Protected Status program for Guatemala and urged the Department of Homeland Security to designate Guatemala as a Temporary Protected Status country. 

The Town of Carrboro has long shown support for its immigrant communities, including many immigrants from Central America. Carrboro has resolved that it is a welcoming community for minors seeking refuge from violence in their home countries, and urged the federal government to ensure that those seeking safety in the United States receive due process and legal representation.  

The resolution was received by Consul Genera Jorge Archila of the Consulate General of Guatemala in Raleigh. It will be forwarded to Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. 

Special guests to the Town Council meeting for this resolution included (left to right) Marilena Maraziegos, Mayor Pro Tem Susan Romaine, Council Member Eliazar Posada, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Eliazar Cifuentes, Council Member Sammy Slade, Wendy Tenorio, Mayor Damon Siles, Jorge Archila, Luis Quincin, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Klisman Garcia, Council Member Danny Nowell, Klisman Garcia and Judith Montenegro. 

Read the full resolution at https://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions

Second Floor Rising!

Such excitement at the construction site of Carrboro's new library and civic building today (Friday, April 21, 2023)! There was a very large concrete pour to complete the second floor the building, The 203 Project. 

The 2023 Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources

Summer Brochure is now available 

This session also includes registration for our youth Fall Baseball and Flag Football programs. Registration for Carrboro residents begins on May 3, 2023, and for all others on May 4, 2023. 

View the full PDF Brochure to learn more 

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 https://www.carrboronc.gov/list.aspx

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 Carrboro Town Council will hold the next Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The agenda is available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/  and https://bit.ly/3H6Hotp 

This meeting will be held at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream at https://carrboro.legistar.com/   OR YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

To download a copy of the full meeting calendar visit https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12313

Past Meetings 

The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, April 18, 2023, for a Council Meeting and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3n1c7l4   

• Approved a Resolution Supporting Extension of the Temporary Protected Status Program for Guatemala. Read more at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2398 
• Set Legislative Public Hearings for Voluntary Annexation and Conditional Rezoning at 820 and 904 Homestead Road, and 310 Lucas Lane The requested rezoning to R-3-Conditional (R-3-CZ) would allow for the subsequent submittal of an application to develop an Architecturally Integrated Subdivision (AIS).  
• Appointed Nathan Jorgensen and Samantha Carney to Appearance Commission.
• Held a public hearing on renewal of the annexation boundary agreement between the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
• Received a presentation from the Appearance Commission and provided comments.
• Reviewed and provided input regarding a Memorandum of Understanding with the Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough, and Orange County to create the Intergovernmental Climate Council of Orange County.
• Appointed the following to in-town seats on the Planning Board: April Barber, David Peretin, Galen Kirkpatrick, and re-appointed Elmira Mangum. Further, the Council recommended the following appointments to the Orange County BOCC- David Clinton (ETJ seat) and Susan Poulton (Joint Planning Transition Area seat). 

Town Council 

The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Damon Seils, Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Romaine, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Danny Nowell, Council Member Eliazar Posada, and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at https://www.carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council 

Carrboro to celebrate Arbor day

The Town of Carrboro is celebrating Arbor Day on Friday, April 28 at 8 a.m. by planting two Flowering Dogwood trees ( (Cornus Florida) ) at the Anderson Community Park roundabout, 302 N Carolina Hwy 54 W, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

The Town of Carrboro recognizes the importance of trees in promoting a healthy environment and improving the quality of life for its residents. Trees provide many benefits such as cleaning the air, reducing noise pollution, and providing shade and cooling during hot summer months.

Carrboro has been long been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation and seeks to encourage open, honest discussion of ecological issues and find solutions to the environmental challenges we face.

Attention Food Truck Operators!

We are accepting application for the 2023 Freight Train Blues Concert Series at Carrboro Town Commons. 

Contact Michelle Blume at mblume@carrboronc.gov or 919-918-7367

Stormwater maintenance underway in neighborhoods

A contract crew for the Town of Carrboro will be cleaning and performing a video assessment of stormwater infrastructure over the next couple of weeks. 

This work is an important element of both ongoing maintenance and a new townwide stormwater infrastructure condition assessment motivated by climate action and community resilience. 

This round of work will be done in the following locations:

• Barred Owl Creek Neighborhood
• Webbwood Subdivision
• Quarterpath Trace Subdivision
• Bolin Forest Subdivision
• Waverly Forest Subdivision
• Fidelity Street
• Poplar Street
• Davie Street
• Starlite Drive
• Brewer Lane/ Hargraves Street Area

There may be minor traffic interruptions in these areas to allow for safe access to stormwater infrastructure such as inlets and manholes, but roadways will remain open to traffic. The crew may need to access structures within Town-owned easements, if they need to enter your property, you will be informed in advance.

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact the Carrboro Stormwater Division at 919-913-2999 or Stormwater@CarrboroNC.gov.

2023 Jacquelyn Gist Summer Apprenticeship in the Arts

The Carrboro Arts Committee is offering an award of up to $1,000 to assist emerging young artists in developing their talent through the Jacquelyn Gist Summer Apprenticeship in the Arts program.  A total of up to three (3) apprenticeships are available.

More information can be found at https://www.carrboronc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2372

Deadline: May 1, 2023 at 5 pm