News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(March 14, 2024) 

Learn about the Community Survey. Check out all our events coming up including Carrboro Egg Hunts, Creek Week and the Braxton Foushee Street Dedication. Give special thanks to your bus driver on Monday (and every day) when it's Transit Operator Appreciation Day in Carrboro. All this and  more in Carrboro This Week!

Carrboro’s Community Survey Underway

Consultants working on behalf of the Town of Carrboro will begin contacting about 2,000 residents, selected at random, to solicit their opinions on how well Carrboro’s government works for them. 

Residents will receive the survey by mail with options to complete the survey in paper or online, and consultants will conduct follow-up outreach by phone. Residents will be asked to spend about 20 minutes answering 40 questions for the scientific survey, which will be conducted through April. Topics will include safety, service, communications, transportation, and recreation.

A second survey will be conducted of residents who live in the town’s Qualified Census Tracts. These tracts have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. Respondents will be provided interpretation services upon request to answer the survey in their preferred language.  

  “The Town of Carrboro performs this survey every two years so that we can continually gauge how our residents feel about what we are doing, and what is important to them. Your feedback is essential. The survey helps us understand your experience with Carrboro's services and what matters most to you. This valuable information guides our decisions and shapes how we move forward as a community,” said Interim Town Manager Marie Parker. “I hope people will take the time to participate to consider the quality of services they receive in their day-to-day lives as town residents."

Read more about this year's community survey.

Carrboro Celebrates Transit Operators

Mayor Barbara Foushee has proclaimed Monday, March 18 to be Transit Operator Appreciation Day in Carrboro.

Communities across the United States observe Transit Operator Appreciation Day each year on this date to recognize transit operators’ dedication, hard work and the essential services they provide.

“Transit Operator Appreciation Day is a day to recognize and thank the transit operators who help us get where we need to go in a safe and timely manner,” Mayor Foushee said. “They greet us, assist us and work to ensure we reach our destinations on time. We appreciate you today and every day!”

Here in our community, Chapel Hill Transit operates the second largest transit system in North Carolina as a partnership with funding support from the Town of Carrboro, the Town of Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina, providing fare-free, 7-day-a-week transit service to help our communities and the university meet our transportation, sustainability and equity goals.

Read more about Transit Operator Appreciation Day.

Carrboro Recognizes International 

Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

The Town of Carrboro recognizes Friday, March 8, 2024 as International Women’s Day and March 2024 as Women’s History Month.

These observances offer an opportunity to celebrate the contributions that women of every race, class, ethnic background and gender identity have made to the social, cultural and economic life of the community.

“The Women’s History Month theme for 2024 is ‘Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,’” Mayor Foushee said. “Women continue to be at the forefront as they work against bias and discrimination to ensure fairer and more equitable outcomes.”

Women are serving in leadership roles throughout the Town of Carrboro organization, including several as department heads; and, since the election of Alderman Mary Riggsbee in 1971 and Mayor Ruth West in 1975, the people of Carrboro have been proudly electing women to local office, including currently serving Mayor Barbara Foushee and Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell.

Read more here.

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.

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 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19.  The agenda will be available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/

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). 

Recap of Past Meeting  

The Council met on Tuesday, March 12, for a Work Session. The Council meets for work sessions the second Tuesdays of most months. Public comment is generally not accepted during work sessions, and votes are not taken. 

Watch the livestream at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_0NnVqRLY

Council Meeting Schedule 
 The Carrboro Town Council has updated its 2024 Meeting Calendar to a schedule of two business meetings per month rather than three. This schedule takes effect in March 2024. The Council will continue holding work sessions in addition to business meetings most months. View the 2024 Council Calendar.

Town Council 
The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Barbara Foushee, Mayor Pro Tempore Danny Nowell, Council Member Catherine Fray, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Jason Merrill, and Council Member Eliazar Posada. More information is available here.

Doing Business with the Town of Carrboro - Public Input Session

A public input session is set for this April for people doing business or wanting to do business with the Town of Carrboro. All are invited to provide input on their experiences with the Town of Carrboro.

The input session is scheduled as follows via Zoom:

• Wednesday, April 10 – from 6 to 7 p.m.  Join this zoom meeting here.

The public input session is a part of the engagement process to be incorporated in a Disparity Study of the Town’s contracting and procurement practices. The Town of Carrboro is working with Griffin & Strong P.C., a nationally recognized law and public policy consulting firm, to conduct the study.

The study aims to provide insights into the Town's utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses compared to its availability to identify any potential disparities. The study's findings will inform the Town's decision-making process and enable it to develop policies and strategies to promote equitable access to contracting opportunities.

The Disparity Study is a critical step forward in advancing the Town's racial equity goals.

For more information, contact carrborostudy@gspclaw.com or visit carrborodisparitystudy.com.

New Social Worker for 
Carrboro Police Department

 A natural problem solver, Monrita Hughes is busy making community connections in her new position as diversion social worker for the Carrboro Police Department. 

Previously, Hughes worked with adults with learning disabilities within the Department of Health and Human Services in Granville County. She has also served the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as a youth counselor in Chatham County, and as a juvenile court counselor in Wake County. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from NC Central University and a master’s degree in human services from Liberty University. A resident of Raleigh, she is getting to know her way around Carrboro.

“I like to problem solve, and I care about people,” Hughes said. “Through this position, I am working to make connections to help people access resources and services. Unfortunately, many people find themselves stuck through various circumstances. We are working to connect them with resources that will help.” 

Her position as a diversion social worker with the Community Care and Diversion Response (CCDR) Team is part of a collaborative, pre-arrest and post-charge diversionary program for individuals with a history of serious mental illness. Funded through the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department, the position is housed within the Carrboro Police Department and works in close collaboration with law enforcement officers as well as social workers in other law enforcement agencies (Hillsborough and Chapel Hill) in Orange County. 

“With Monrita on the team, I feel the police department is more equipped to respond to the needs of some of our most vulnerable community members,” Police Chief Chris Atack said. “This enhanced capability will serve the entire community as folks can get the assistance they need and be directed to helpful community resources.”

The position seeks to enhance and increase diversion efforts in the community by diverting individuals in need of mental health interventions and treatment away from law enforcement and the criminal legal system. A mission of the CCDR Team is to maximize opportunities for success in diversion with an enhanced focus on serving individuals with mental illness from marginalized backgrounds, including people of color and those experiencing homelessness.

Update: Exploration of Affordable

Housing on Town-Owned Land

Crews from Summit Design and Engineering will begin work on an environmental assessment of Town-owned property on Pathway Drive and Crest Street later this month and continuing through spring.  

Assessment activities will include geotechnical investigations, environmental investigations, and site walks to observe on-site and off-site drainage patterns. Geotechnical work will include some clearing to make room for equipment. 

The Town Council has not approved a development plan on either the Crest Street or the Pathway Drive parcels but is exploring the feasibility.

Learn more here.

Questions? Contact Anne-Marie Vanaman, Housing and Community Services Director at amvanaman@carrboronc.gov

Come Celebrate Creek Week with Carrboro

Orange County's Annual Creek Week is March 16-23, 2024. Creek Week celebrates the streams, lakes and rivers that connect our human and non-human communities. It's a weeklong series of activities like litter cleanups, community science BioThon, geocaching, hands-on activities, and more. We hope to see you there!

Read more about the week of events here or visit the Carrboro Creek Week Page.

Braxton Foushee Street Dedication Event

The Town of Carrboro is planning an event to celebrate the renaming of Carr Street to Braxton Foushee Street at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 27, with a community gathering outside the Areté Studio, 203 E. Carr Street. 

The street dedication will begin with the unveiling of newly installed street signs, after which we will gather for words from community members, poetry, music and refreshments. 

Find available public parking. Parking lots close to the event site at 203 E. Carr St. include the E. Main Street Lot at 108 E. Main St. (gravel lot across from Armadillo Grill). 

Braxton Foushee is a local civil rights leader, a current Planning Board member, and the first Black member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen (now the Town Council).  The street renaming in his honor was proposed last fall on Oct. 17, 2023, when the Council heard a request from Dave Mason, president of the Lincoln High School Alumni Association, Pat Mason and Herman Murrell Foushee. The Council voted to approve the street name change on Nov. 29, 2023. The change becomes official on March 27, 2024.

Carr Street is named for Julian Carr, a noted white supremacist. The namesake of Carrboro, he was an active and influential participant in Jim Crow era efforts to create a system of racial segregation. A Truth Plaque at Town Hall reads, in part: “Although the town continues to bear his name, the values and actions of Carr do not represent Carrboro today.”

Learn more about the street dedication and renaming process here.

Spring Events in Carrboro

Maybe it's because we're coming out from a cold winter, but spring definitely brings out the weird and wonderful in us. Which means it's prime time for you to experience only-in-Carrboro festivals and events. Join us in spring as we play in our public spaces, celebrate Elizabeth Cotten, and feel that small town pride. Who’s ready to play Giant Jenga?

Open Streets – 12 noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2024  

Weaver Street in Carrboro, NC 

The Town of Carrboro closes east and west Weaver Street to vehicles and reopens this public space for recreation!  Come out to dance, do yoga, ride their bikes, climb a rock wall, make smoothies on a bike blender, and generally ‘re-create the street’! 

More info about Carrboro Open Streets.

Freight Train Blues Concert Series – Friday night outdoor concerts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from May 3 to June 21, 2024 

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510

This is a free concert series. Food and beer will be available for purchase. 

Freight Train Blues celebrates the life and legacy of Piedmont blues legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, born in 1893 in Carrboro, NC.  

Sponsored by Town of Carrboro, Carrboro Tourism and Development Authority, Music Maker Foundation, and WUNC 91.5FM. 

More info about Freight Train Blues Concert Series.

Carrboro Day – 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, 2024

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510 

This free event is about meeting neighbors, learning about the Town, and celebrating Carrboro. It features live music, poetry, art, history, kids’ activities, a walking tour and more. Games such as Giant Jenga and Giant Connect 4. 

More info about Carrboro Day.

For a full list of our events, be sure to check our our Community Events Calendar.

Carrboro's Annual Kite Fly was a Soaring Success

Thanks to the hundreds of kite flyers that came out for the Annual Kite Fly on Sunday. The sunshine and gusty winds created the perfect backdrop for all your colorful kites.

The skies above Anderson Park were filled with handmade kites,  giant squid kites, birds, T-rexes and lots of rainbows.

Thanks to Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources for making this tradition better every year since it began in 1980.

Save the Dates: Carrboro Egg Hunts

Join us on Saturday, March 23 from noon - 2 p.m. for the annual Town of Carrboro, NC Community Egg Hunt! The event will be held at Hank Anderson Community Park, 302 NC Hwy 54 West, Carrboro, NC, and is free for youth ages 2 through 10. 

Youth ages 11 - 14 are invited to the Flashlight Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30 at Wilson Park, 101 Williams St. Carrboro, NC. Bring your flashlight and basket to enjoy a fun egg hunt in the dark. Registration begins at 7:45 p.m., rules and information will be shared at 8:10 p.m. and the hunt will begin at 8:20 p.m.

Carrboro Film Fest announces

new director, new venue and new dates 

A few announcements about the Carrboro Film Fest from Bradley Bethel: 

Bradley Bethel announces that he is stepping down as director: 
“As I look back over the past five years, I see a festival that has brought film lovers and filmmakers together for meaningful reflection on Southern life and culture. Ultimately, though, it’s about meaningful reflection on our shared humanity. For I believe we can only understand the universal human experience if we first understand our specific human experiences. I’m no longer the festival director, but I’ll still be around. I’m still a human, a Southern human, trying to understand what it all means. I can’t imagine a better place to figure it out than Carrboro Film Fest,” Bethel said. 

The Film Festival’s technical coordinator, Bryan Reklis, will become the new director of the Film Festival.
“He will provide both continuity and his own vision for building on the festival’s success and reaching new heights. I’m confident that Carrboro Film Fest will only get better under Bryan’s leadership, and I look forward to seeing what he and the rest of the team accomplish,” Bethel said.   

Carrboro Film Fest will have new dates. 
Although the festival has always taken place the weekend before Thanksgiving, we decided to move the festival to a different weekend in order to avoid competing with other North Carolina festivals we love. So mark your calendars for the next Carrboro Film Fest, January 24–26, 2025, and plan to attend the festival every year during the last weekend of January.

Carrboro Film Fest will have a new venue at The 203 Project, which is currently under construction and set to open this summer. In addition to housing a new library, a new studio for WCOM, and new offices for Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources, The 203 Project will include a beautiful new performance space and the new home for Carrboro Film Fest.

About the Carrboro Film Fest: Since 2005, the Carrboro Film Fest brings “Southern films in one of the South’s funkiest small towns.” Embracing its identity as a Southern institution, the festival presents exclusively Southern films in a non-competitive setting. The Carrboro Film Fest is made possible with support from the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority.

Read the complete message about the announcements about the Carrboro Film Fest from Bradley Bethel.

Learn more about the Carrboro Film Fest.

2024 Carrboro Music Festival

Performer Application Now Open

The Town of Carrboro is now accepting online applications for the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival. The application deadline for submissions is May 31, 2024. 

The Carrboro Music Festival is a celebration of local musicians throughout Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County.  The festival also includes performers from surrounding counties located between the Triangle and Triad regions of the state. 

For more information, visit: www.carrboromusicfestival.com

Apply now: https://www.carrboronc.gov/321/Application---Performers

Save the Date: CD & Record Show

The 34th Biannual Carrboro CD and Record Show will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 21  in the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. in downtown Carrboro. Admission is free. 

The event will feature dozens tables of new and used CDs, vinyl records, and music memorabilia. Although vinyl records will be the majority of the items for sale, there will also be quite a large number of CDs, cassettes, and 45 RPM records.

Save the date to stop by and browse through what the vendors have to offer.  You never know what you may find!   

Public parking available in downtown Carrboro

It’s easy to find free two-hour public parking in Carrboro, where you can access convenient parking at 10 public lots all over town.

Please remember that the Carr Mill Mall parking area is for mall customers and is not a public parking lot. Leaving the mall premises after parking risks towing. When in doubt, always park in public lots, and enjoy a hassle-free and relaxed shopping and dining experience.

Find more information including an interactive parking map on our Downtown Parking webpage.