News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC (August 30, 2023) 

Here's what's new in Carrboro This Week: Join us for the official unveiling of the Town of Carrboro Truth Plaque at the Strayhorn House at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1.  The Town's public works and public safety teams are preparing for possible impacts from Hurricane Idalia. See our list of emergency information and resources. Finally, if you haven't yet, please take the Bolin Creek Greenway Survey! Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing Labor Day Weekend! 

Carrboro Observes Labor Day

Town of Carrboro government offices will be closed Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor Day.

Yard waste typically collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Carrboro to unveil new Truth Plaque

The public is invited to the official unveiling of the Town of Carrboro Truth Plaque for the Strayhorn House at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1. 

The plaque will be placed in front of the house at 109 Jones Ferry Road. Nearby parking is available nearby off Laurel Street. 

The home is one of Carrboro’s most historically significant structures. The home was built around 1879 by Toney and Nellie Strayhorn, who were both former slaves. Home to five generations of the Strayhorn name, the house stands as a testament to one Black family’s success in the midst of racial violence that consumed Orange County during Reconstruction. 

The truth plaque will educate readers on their journey, which included buying 30 acres of property and building a one-room log cabin in 1879. Since then, the house has been upgraded and the great-granddaughter of Toney and Nelly, Dolores Clark, still owns the house. 

Learn more by reading the full news flash about the Truth Plaque for the Strayhorn House.

Carrboro Prepares for Hurricane Idalia

1:20 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 Update -- The Town of Carrboro public works and public safety teams are preparing for Hurricane Idalia by checking culverts, ditch lines and equipment.  Personnel are prepared to respond to possible effects of the storm, including flooding, fallen trees and power outages.

Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring heavy rain and gusty winds (25-35 mph) to central North Carolina on Wednesday/Thursday, Aug. 30-31, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast shows a chance of rain and storms over the next six days, beginning on Tuesday evening.

Weather and Local Information 

• Check for news and weather updates
• Sign up for OC Alerts 
• Access local resources at Carrboro Ready

Read more tips in our full news flash on preparing for Hurricane Idalia.

Take the Bolin Creek Greenway survey!

Which way for the greenway? The Town of Carrboro needs your help with a survey about the remaining phases of the Bolin Creek Greenway. Mayor Damon Seils says that your input at this early stage will help the Town plan and design, address engineering and environmental details, and secure federal funding and other grants to make the project a reality. As you respond to the survey, think about how you and your friends use the greenways in Carrboro and Chapel Hill today. How do you envision using them in the future? 

Take the Bolin Creek Greenway Survey today.

For more information, contact the staff team at communications@carrboronc.gov 

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 meet for a Special Called Meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31. The Council will then go into a closed session as permitted by General Statue 143-318.11 (a)(6).

Its next regular public meeting will be a Council Work Session at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The Council will hold a discussion about the residential traffic calming process and how it might be simplified. Also, the Council is scheduled to discuss street connectivity and the Town’s Connector Roads Policy. The agenda will be available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/   

Please note that public comment is generally not received nor is Council action taken during work sessions. The Town Council meets at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at https://carrboro.legistar.com/  OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

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

Sign up for emergency notifications 

Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for our community’s public alert and warning system, OC Alerts. This system allows Orange County to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, water and sewer emergencies and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. 

You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email, text messages or a phone application. 

The Alert Carolina Emergency Notification System communicates in multiple ways with UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors, local residents, parents and the news media in the event of an emergency or dangerous situation.

Anyone can download the Carolina Ready Safety App to receive Alert Carolina message from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Put your ideas into action! Apply to serve the Town of Carrboro

The Town of Carrboro is seeking volunteers to provide a fresh perspective on important local issues.

Carrboro local government has various advisory boards and commissions that advise the Town Council on a wide range of issues. We are currently looking to fill vacancies!

When you serve, you become an advocate for the Town of Carrboro, provide feedback to the Council, and help strengthen the community with your unique perspective. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people as you put your ideas into action.

Learn more about the openings available at https://www.carrboronc.gov/228/Advisory-Boards-Commissions

Carrboro congratulates The ArtsCenter on its official transition into its new home

The grand opening celebration was held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, with the official cutting of the ribbon on its renovated facility.

Festivities started at its current location at 300 Main Street with a procession to the new location with members of Paperhand Puppet Intervention.

ArtsCenter Executive Director Jenny Shultz-Thomas thanked the many supporters of the project. 

With the 203 Project (a new library and civic building for Carrboro) under construction a few blocks away on Greensboro Street, Mayor Damon Seils expressed excitement for a connection between the two centers in providing an anchor for arts and culture across the community.

Carrboro Is Lit! Town literature distribution

Good Morning, neighbor! Great company made it fun to walk around Carrboro neighborhoods on Friday morning (Aug. 25, 2023) to distribute Town of Carrboro literature bags -- complete with newcomer information, maps, town services, fall events, a “10 Things to Do in Carrboro” brochure, and current engagement topics. We distributed in neighborhoods around Barnes Street and Alabama Avenue.

Have we mentioned something you're curious to see and receive? Please reach us at communications@carrboronc.gov -- and we will provide you with a packet too!

Taking the group selfie here is Police Chief Chris Atack with Town of Carrboro staff members (clockwise) Catherine Lazorko, Anita Jones-McNair, Eve Greene and Duncan Dodson.

Carrboro announces lineups for marquee Fall Arts Festivals

The Town of Carrboro announces festival lineups and dates for three of the Triangle’s most beloved fall festivals starting with the Carrboro Music Festival this September. 

Fall festivals are made possible with support from the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority.

Following the successful return of another iconic music festival this past summer – the Freight Train Blues concert series, Carrboro is happy to continue to showcase a diversity of musicians from the Piedmont with FREE concerts at Town Commons, the Cat’s Cradle, and venues across the town with the return of the Carrboro Music Festival (opening night on Saturday, Sept. 30, with a full day of outdoor concerts on Sunday, Oct. 1); West End Poetry Festival (Oct. 19-21) featuring Poetry in the Round and a Community Poem Reading, and Carrboro Film Fest (Nov. 17-19) producing numerous independent films that challenge and expand our understanding of Southern culture.

"Carrboro has a proud tradition with these longstanding festivals, which have been offered for 15 to nearly 25 years running,” Mayor Damon Seils said. “Collaboration is key to our success, and we’re grateful to our partners for their commitment to cultural offerings that are shared so widely and are part of Carrboro’s arts legacy.”

FALL FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP IN CARRBORO

• Carrboro Music Festival – October 1, 2023 
• West End Poetry Festival – October 19-21, 2023
• Carrboro Film Fest – November 17-19, 2023

Read the full news flash to learn more about our fall festivals.

Latin American Festival enjoys huge crowd in Carrboro for its Eighth Year

The Town of Carrboro celebrated Latino culture at El Centro Hispano's eighth annual Festival Latinoamericano. From our information and engagement table on Weaver Street, we enjoyed the many beautiful sights, flavors and tempos of LATAMfest2023!

Second Friday Art Walk - Sept. 8 

The Second Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill is coming back with participating venues excited to welcome visitors on Friday, Sept. 8. 

Pictured here -- At FRANK Gallery located at 370 E. Main St. Suite 130, Carrboro, NC: 
Along with their individual work, R. Scott Horner and Kaidy Lewis are displaying their collaborative pieces. Working together to create paintings is a dynamic process that has been in the works for a little over a year. Learn more at https://www.frankisart.com/exhibits-events/ 

Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources 
Summer Brochure now available 

This session also includes registration for our youth Fall Baseball and Flag Football programs. 

View the full PDF Brochure to learn more

Solarize the Triangle enters Tier 4 as the deadline to enroll approaches

The regionwide group-buying program Solarize the Triangle has entered another tier of lower prices based on additional property owners in the Triangle purchasing new renewable energy systems. 

This week, the community-based campaign entered Tier 4 of progressively lower-priced tier levels. 

The program enables residents and businesses to save on the ordinary cost of solar energy and battery power through combined buying with others within 12 communities in the Triangle. 

Federal income tax credits of 30 percent make this form of clean energy even more affordable. Acting to enroll for free and without obligation prior to Sept. 30 ensures access to the lowest-price tier achieved. Rebates provide everyone the same final price regardless of when a contract is completed before the final deadline later this year. 

The deadline to sign up at no cost is Sept. 30, 2023. All residential solar and battery contracts must be completed by Dec. 31, 2023. A separate deadline for commercial/non-profit contract completions is Feb. 28, 2024. 

Read the most recent press release from Solarize the Triangle for more information on how to enroll and upcoming events in the area.