News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC (May 9, 2023) 

Have you made weekend plans? Friday kicks off the first of eight Freight Train Blues concerts starting at 6:30 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons. Saturday morning is the Strawberry Jamboree at the Carrboro Farmers Market. And Sunday is Carrboro Day! Come by Town Commons from 1 to 5 p.m. to meet your neighbors, learn about aspects of the Town’s history, connect with Town staff and elected leaders, and learn more about local services. Take a day to celebrate Carrboro! 

FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES CONCERT SERIES MAY 12: David Childers and Thomas Rhyant

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 

David Childers

Born and raised in Mt. Holly, N.C., David Childers has written hundreds of songs and recorded nearly 20 albums on various record labels. David and his band, The Serpents, have played extensively in N.C., V.A., and T.N. for more than 20 years. They have played numerous festivals such as MerleFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, AmericanaFest, Albino Skunk Fest, McMenamins Great Northwest Music Tour, Avetts at the Beach, Mountain Stage, and more. Childers, who has collaborated with members of The Avett Brothers for years, joined the band on stage at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum, to sing his song, “The Prettiest Thing,” which they have covered since 2011.

Thomas Rhyant

After decades of touring in gospel quartets, Thomas Rhyant launched a solo career. His prowess for vocals and nimble acoustic guitar work are clearly felt in his touring tribute to Sam Cooke, whom he claims as his greatest influence. Rhyant uses music to tell the stories of those who came before him, allowing people to not only understand but emotionally connect with history. Rhyant’s 2022 album, Love Lifted Me, brought Rhyant to the Newport Folk Festival.

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

Don't miss our great Bike Month Events

Bike Month Events Rolling Your Way

• Wednesday, May 17: Bike to the Carrboro Farmers’ Market -- 3-6 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons
• Friday, May 19: Bike to Work Day 
• Carrboro Bike on Bus Workshop -- 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons
• Carrboro Ride for the Ages -- 12 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons
• Wednesday, May 31: Ride into Pride with Carrboro Mayor -- 7 p.m. at Carrboro Town Hall

…and other events organized with local partners including the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition, the Bicycle Alliance of Chapel Hill, and the Town of Chapel Hill.

Read more about Bike Month in the full proclamation here: https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12695/2023-Bike-Month-Proclamation

Carrboro Day 2023

It was lovely seeing everyone who came out for Carrboro Day — meeting your neighbors; enjoying a smashingly cool offering of music, poetry, plant sharing, arts and crafts, and food truck offerings; and chatting with town staff and local leaders about services and town initiatives! Thanks for helping make beautiful community connections!

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, May 2, 2023. The agenda is available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/  and https://bit.ly/40Rlxxh 

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 25, 2023, for a Council Meeting and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3H6Hotp  

• Recognized the Arbor Day Proclamation - https://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions
• Recognized the Bike Month Proclamation - https://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions
• Set legislative public hearings on May 23, 2023, to consider a request for conditional rezoning at 501 South Greensboro Street and associated text amendments. The application includes a request for a text amendment to add certain multi-family residential uses to the M-3-CZ district, and other associated changes relating to the proposed residential uses. 
•  Set a public hearing on May 23, 2023, to consider amendments to the Land Use Ordinance to revise notification associated with attendance requirements for boards and commissions. 
• Awarded a contract to Griffin & Strong PC to perform a disparity study for the Town of Carrboro contracting and procurement and to authorize the Town Manager to sign any necessary documents. 

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 partner with Building Integrated Communities (BIC) 

To improve communication and leadership of immigrant and refugee residents, the Town of Carrboro this spring is beginning a partnership with the Building Integrated Communities (BIC) initiative at the Institute for the Study of the Americas.

Over the next year, a team comprised of UNC BIC staff, representatives from the Town of Carrboro, and the Refugee Community Partnership will bring stakeholders together to write and implement a language access plan.

The Building Integrated Communities Program is an initiative of the Institute for the Study of the Americas at UNC-Chapel Hill. It works in collaboration with local governments, community residents, and community organization leadership. Since 2010, the statewide BIC initiative has partnered with the local governments of Washington, Chapel Hill, Siler City, Greenville, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Sanford and has gained national recognition for its work from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. To date, more than 2,000 residents from 26 countries of origin have participated in these planning processes.

For more information, visit the BIC website at https://migration.unc.edu/building-integrated-communities/ or contact Hannah Gill, associate director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas, at hgill@email.unc.edu.

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