Pride Food Rodeo & Dance Party
Small Town Pride in Carrboro and Chapel Hill continues this June with the Pride Food Rodeo & Dance Party from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 24, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St.
To get the party started, join the Bulltown Strutters, a New Orleans-Style Parade and Stage Band, to help roll the Rainbow Ram down Weaver Street from the Century Center to Town Commons for the Pride Food Truck Rodeo & Dance Party. Join the group at the corner of Greensboro and Weaver streets at 4:30 p.m.
There will be food, dance and frolicking on the lawn! Grab your friends, and come on out!
Gastronomical event
So much great food will be available, so kick your weekend off right! Sample the offerings from Ben & Jerry’s, Cake Mommy, Charlie C’s Hotdogs, Drizzle D’s, Golden K Dog, Mike’s Vegan Cookout, Sister Liu’s Kitchen, Stairway to Veggin’, Vegan Ice Cream Man, Southern Bull Baking, OMG Lemonade – and much more!
Social gathering with special guests
Participants offering information, crafts and service resources include Queer Ride Carrboro, Hope Renovations, Flyleaf Books, Pride Prints, Queer Family Market, Chapel in the Pines, Chapel Hill NOW and Piedmont Health Services.
Music from the DJs of WXYC
Join us for curated tracks from the DJs at WXYC who will play the songs that will bring out your Freak-A-Zoid on the dance lawn! WXYC 89.3 FM is the non-commercial, student-run radio station of UNC-Chapel Hill.
Drag Show
Diamond Productions is coming to Carrboro! KiKi Diamond says these events are designed so that everyone feels welcome, comfortable, and excited. "We believe that drag is for everyone, and we strive to create a space where everyone can enjoy the art of drag."
More information
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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 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, to consider an agenda that is posted at https://bit.ly/3n7Azxi and carrboro.legistar.com
This in-person 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 carrboro.legistar.com OR YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro).
To submit a comment on this agenda, please contact publiccomment@carrboronc.gov to reach the Town Clerk.
Past Meeting
The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, June 21, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3MgTPmt
- Approved the HOME Investment Partnerships Program’s Annual Action Plan activities for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The Town of Carrboro is a member of the Orange County HOME Consortium, which also comprises the Town of Chapel Hill, Orange County and the Town of Hillsborough. Elected representatives from each jurisdiction (the Collaborative) reviewed and evaluated funding applications received for proposed FY 2022-2023 HOME funding. The four local jurisdictions contribute proportionally based on population, and the Town of Carrboro’s 2022-2023 match allocation is $14,270.
- Authorized the Mayor to execute a revised Memorandum of Understanding for the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness to better reflect how the Orange County 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness had evolved and to more accurately describe the structure of the Partnership to End Homelessness and its role in coordinating homeless program services in the County.
- Received a status report on a number of local transportation projects that are underway. These projects include the Morgan Creek Greenway, Jones Creek Greenway, and S. Greensboro Street Sidewalk, all of which are in design stages; and the E. Main Street Resurfacing/Restriping, which is currently underway with completion expected by the end of the summer. Access the full report at https://carrboro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5681978&GUID=D417627C-CE28-43BB-8085-365F9D02DC4C&Options=&Search=
- Approved a request to issue a street closing permit for the Latin American Festival scheduled noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, on W. Weaver Street between Lindsay and Greensboro streets.
- Amended the timeline and structure of the Community Safety Task Force. The timeline for the Task Force’s work is extended to May 1, 2023. As previously established by resolution of the Town Council, if the Task Force determines that it needs more time to complete its work, the Task Force may further extend its timeline up to six months and will notify the Town Council of the extension.
- Conducted a work session on the Fiscal Year 2023 Town Budget. View the Town Manager's Recommended Town Budget at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2708/Recommended-Annual-Operating-Budget-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, Council Member Eliazar Posada, and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at http://carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council
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It's Pollinator Week in Carrboro!
Pollinator Week will be celebrated June 20-26 in Carrboro, as proclaimed by Mayor Damon Seils.
Did you know that pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food you take? This is just one of the reasons that pollinators are crucial for the environment. Pollinators are responsible for pollinating about 90% of all flowering plants, and these plants couldn’t exist without them! Pollinator week is a way to learn, celebrate, and protect pollinators.
In October 2014, the Town of Carrboro became the third municipality in the national to be recognized as a Bee City USA. Pollinator species are essential partners in producing much of our food supply and provide significant environmental benefits necessary for maintaining healthy, diverse urban and suburban ecosystems.
Learn more about how you can support bees and other pollinators – and how the Town of Carrboro is creating pollinator habitats by installing native bee nest boxes, establishing a pollinator garden, and planting pollinator-friendly vegetation to restore a riparian buffer.
Access the proclamation at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/11467/2022-Pollinator-Week
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Tips for Erosion Control from Carrboro Stormwater
Carrboro is a town that has many natural streams, varied topography, and wooded areas that make up our landscape. This landscaping changes over the years with development, yard gardening, and natural processes. One of these natural processes is erosion. Over time you may have discovered an area in your yard eroding. There are steps you can take to control erosion on your property.
If you have steep slopes you may want to hire someone to help with regrading and landscape design. This type of work may require permitting to ensure that you are not impacting your neighbors. Please contact Planning, Zoning, and Inspections Department https://townofcarrboro.org/133/Planning-Zoning-Inspections for information on permitting. If you slopes are not too steep, then you have several good options for stabilizing your yard.
Before we get into what you can so let’s talk about what NOT to do. First, avoid using any invasive plant materials like English ivy and Asiatic jasmine. Most residents who use invasive plants in their yard regret the choice as these plants are hard to control, can take over not only your yard but also your neighbors, and may exasperate erosion issues. For more information on invasive plants visit our webpage at https://townofcarrboro.org/2679/Invasive-Plants Second, if you have a stream bank erosion on your property consult with Stormwater and Planning staff to ensure that federal, state, and town regulations are being followed.
The best way to control erosion on your property is to stabilize the soil as quickly as possible. You can cover the soil with a natural jute/coconut fiber ground fabric as soon as possible to stop the current erosion. Use metal or wooden stakes to hold the fabric.
The next step is to use plants. You have many options for plants. You can use grasses, sedges, wildflowers, wood shrubs, and trees in various combinations to control erosion long term. Choosing a native plants will give you deeper and wider spread roots over typical turf grass species. NC Cooperative Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ is a great resource for plant materials. You can search for plants based on site conditions, plant types, appearance, or maintenance needs.
For stream and drainage pathway erosion you can also use similar techniques to restore and stabilize the banks. There are a variety of additional techniques that can be helpful with these unique yard features. We suggest researching the material on Backyard Stream Repair https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/options-for-backyard-stream-repair from NC Cooperative extension, attending a workshop https://www.bae.ncsu.edu/workshops-conferences/sbr/ , and scheduling a site visit with town staff https://townofcarrboro.org/FormCenter/Public-Works-Department-23/Stormwater-Service-Request-134
Using native plants and landscaping with the nature of your yard can turn a perceived erosion issue into a landscaping feature. If you would like some technical advice on addressing erosion issues in your yard contact the Stormwater Division at 919-913-2999 or Stormwater@CarrboroNC.gov and schedule a site visit with staff.
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Chapel Hill Transit Names Facility in Honor of Howard and Lillian Lee
Carrboro joined in celebrations on Monday, June 20, 2022, to name the Chapel Hill transit facility on Millhouse Road in honor of Howard and Lillian Lee.
Members of the community came out to recognize former Chapel Hill Mayor and state Sen. Howard Lee's role in bringing public transit to Chapel Hill. Lee was the first Black mayor elected in Chapel Hill, and the first Black person to be elected mayor of any majority-white city in the South. Lillian Lee was an advocate for children as one of the first teachers at the UNC Hospital School in 1965. She retired after many years as a counselor and administrator in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Chapel Hill Transit is the second largest transit system in North Carolina. Transit services are provided through a partnership among Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC.
A participant in the program, Mayor Damon Seils reaffirmed Carrboro's commitment to public transit with the following remarks:
"Every day is a good day to celebrate public transit!
"But especially today, when we have this opportunity to reflect on the history of public transit in our communities, and the importance of our ongoing investments in mobility and access.
"As you’ve heard today, Chapel Hill Transit was established in 1974. It was not until 1983—inspired by Mayor Lee’s leadership, and with the help of Carrboro’s own Mayor Robert Drakeford (who recently passed away)—that Carrboro became a member of the Chapel Hill Transit partnership.
"Despite that hesitation in the early years, Carrboro has come a long way. Carrboro now has the highest per capita public transit ridership of any town or city in North Carolina. And for many years running, our contribution to the Chapel Hill Transit system has been the single largest item in the Town of Carrboro’s budget.
"We know now—as Mayor Lee knew from the start—that public transit is not a mere amenity, but a necessity—part of what makes a community accessible to more people.
"Thank you, Mayor Lee and Ms. Lee, for your leadership and your example. I look forward to continued expansion of the local transit service you made possible."
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Celebrating Juneteenth
Community members came out in droves for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration at Hargraves Community Center on Sunday, June 19.
Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On July 14, 2020, the Carrboro Town Council adopted a resolution designating Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for Town employees. Read the proclamation at http://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11464/2022-Juneteenth-Proclamation_
That's Mayor Damon Seils and Council Member Barbara Foushee in the hoops! There was a spirit of joy and togetherness with the sharing of music, food, a business showcase, local Black history -- and yes, hula hooping!
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