News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC (April 12, 2023) 

Get ready for Carrboro Open Streets this weekend, attend a Poetry Month event, learn more about preventing food waste, read about the approved Truth Plaque to be installed this summer, and check out the 203 Project April update in this issue of Carrboro This Week.

Council approves Truth Plaque for Toney and Nellie Strayhorn Homeplace

 The Carrboro Town Council has approved a Truth Plaque to be installed at the Toney and Nellie Strayhorn Homeplace located at 109 Jones Ferry Road.

 The plaque will read: “Enslaved in Orange County, Toney and Nellie Strayhorn were one of the first Black families to settle in Carrboro. After purchasing 30 acres of land, they built a one-room log cabin in 1879, which has been added onto over the years. This home is a historic landmark and a testament to their faith, resilience, and determination to persevere.”

 An unveiling ceremony will be planned for the entire community.

 The goal of the truth plaques program is to recognize Carrboro’s history while uplifting the truth and acknowledging an unjust past. The first plaque, located at Carrboro Town Hall, explains Julian S. Carr’s ties to racial segregation. The second plaque recognizes the site of a former school for freedmen next to St. Paul’s AME Church at 101 N. Merritt Mill Road.

 Learn more about the Strayhorns by watching “Seven Generations in Carrboro: A Conversation with Dolores Clark and her daughter Lorie Clark” on the Carrboro YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xcUgT0S1EUA 

Experience Carrboro Open Streets

Dance. Bike. Jump. Play. Experience your streets in a whole new way!

Join your neighbors at Carrboro Open Streets, which will be held Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 12 to 4 p.m. along Weaver Street in Carrboro. Carrboro will close the street to motor vehicle traffic and open it to all sorts of other traffic and activities at this popular event. Bring your friends, family, bikes, and your comfortable shoes to experience the streets and your community in a whole new way. All of the activities are free!

For more event information visit: http://townofcarrboro.org/745/Carrboro-Open-Streets

Welcome to Food Waste Prevention Week

Mayor Damon Seils has proclaimed April 10 -16, 2023 to be Food Waste Prevention Week, urging all citizens to commit to reducing food waste. 

Food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills and municipal landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. Over one-third of the food produced in the United Stated is never eaten and North Carolina residents generated about 3.5 billion pounds of food waste in 2019.  

While North Carolina ranks tenth in the nation for food insecurity, particularly among minority and low-income populations, a family of four could save an average of $1,800 a year on uneaten food. 

Preventing and reducing food waste presents opportunities to increase food security for all, foster productivity and economic efficiency, preserve our natural resources, promote energy conservation, and address climate change. 

Preventing food waste will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting Carrboro’s Community Climate Action Plan goal for the Town and community to reduce 2010 levels of greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030. A reduction is integral in meeting the goals of the Carrboro Connects comprehensive plan. 

We will be sharing simple solutions on our social media all week for reducing food waste at home, work, school, and in our communities.

Check back daily for tips and to test your knowledge about food waste! 

More Information:

• Visit www.FoodWastePreventionWeek.com for events including a student art contest, webinars, and more. 
• Read the full proclamation here: https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12624/2023-Food-Waste-Prevention-Week-Proclamation  

April community update for the 203 Project

Crews are finishing construction of the foundation system and first floor cast-in-place concrete on the 203 Project this month. 

Preparations are being made to pour the second floor concrete slab on Wednesday, April 19. Utility crews are expected to begin removing old aerial communication cables around the site in the coming weeks. Please check the Town’s social media for ongoing utility work notifications.

In other updates, the Town Council will be considering policies and procedures for naming the building at the April 25 regular Town Council meeting.

Background 
The $42 million development will be the future home of the Orange County Southern Branch Library. The facility will also provide a permanent home for the Orange County Skills Development Center; Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department; WCOM Radio; and performance/multipurpose uses. The 203 Project will provide opportunities for education, art and community connection.

More information:

• The Town of Carrboro posts regular updates to the community on the Town website and through social media. Sign up to receive Carrboro Town News updates at www.carrboronc.gov/signup 
• If you would like to be included on a neighborhood email distribution list, which includes residents living in the adjacent neighborhood and the local business community, please notify the203project@carrboronc.gov
• For more information and the latest drone videos, please visit  https://www.the203project.org/

Local Government Communications Survey 

Thanks to the email subscribers of Town of Carrboro news and information who provided feedback to the Communication & Engagement Department on a government communication survey. The online survey link was provided in a few of the Carrboro This Week email newsletters during February 2023.  

We are reporting the results as part of our commitment to follow up and acknowledge the feedback provided, although the response rate was low at 3%.

 About 90% of respondents report reading the newsletter regularly or occasionally. Overall satisfaction with news updates rated at 66% (about 19% were neutral on the question). Some 72% of respondents report satisfaction with the ability to participate in local government (about 12% were neutral).

 As expected from a survey targeted to the Town’s email subscribers, 85% reported that Town email subscriptions as their primary source of info from the Town. Runners-up for information sources were Town social media, Town website, and word-of-mouth from friends and colleagues.

 Comments include the following:

• I just signed up recently and I'm glad I'm getting them. I lived here for a lot of years before I discovered that I could subscribe to the email updates. I'm glad you have them.
• I wish more of the regular updates were included in the body of emails, rather than having to click through to the town website. 
• They are well-designed and informative.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Communication & Engagement Director Catherine Lazorko at clazorko@carrboronc.gov 

Carrboro to Celebrate Earth Day!

Join us 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 Saturday, April 22 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. 

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! 

Food trucks, organizations, vendors and crafters wishing to participate in Carrboro's Earth Day Celebration can apply at: 

https://www.carrboronc.gov/FormCenter/Communication-and-Engagement-Department-31/EARTH-DAY-and-PRIDE-Celebrations-at-Carr-219 

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/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
There will be No Council Meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

The Carrboro Town Council will hold the next Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The agenda is available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/  

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 4, 2023, for a Council Meeting and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3zr1jz5

• Elected Danny Nowell to chair the April 4, 2023 meeting.
• Absences of three Council Members excused.
• The Poetry Month 2023 Proclamation and The Resolution Supporting Extension of the Temporary Protected Status Program for Guatemala are moved to the next Council Meeting (April 18, 2023).
• Appointed Margaret Kurz, Beth Vollins and Deanna Hardesty to the Stormwater Advisory Commission.
• Approved the expansion of the Climate Action Team from nine to thirteen members.
• Appointed Jane Danielewicz, Meg Molloy, Greg Randolph, Riz Rashdi and Nicholas Stover to the Climate Action Team.
• Approved the wording and location for a double-sided Toney and Nellie Strayhorn Homeplace Plaque.
• Considered information on potential naming policies for town-owned facilities and rooms.
• Postponed appointments to the Planning Board to the April 18, 2023 agenda.
• Requested clarification on what information will be used and how education will fit into the public engagement plan for Bolin Creek Greenway.

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

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WELCOME TO CARRBORO, FRANK Gallery! 

Their new address is 370 E Main St. Suite 130, Carrboro, NC 27510 next to Hickory Tavern and the Hampton by Hilton hotel.  

Read more at https://www.frankisart.com/move

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

MUSIC MAKER FOUNDATION’S NINTH ANNUAL “FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES” CONCERT SERIES RETURNS, EXPANDED TO EIGHT EVENING EVENTS FROM MAY 5 - JUNE 23

The Town of Carrboro, N.C., proudly presents the Music Maker Foundation’s Freight Train Blues series of live concerts every Friday evening 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 

An annual event, the concert series 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