Chapel Hill

This Saturday, August 4, Young Democrat Day will celebrate the service-minded Millennial Generation by giving Young Democrats across North Carolina the opportunity to give back through registering voters, donating blood, collecting canned food, and more. Events are planned in Murphy, Asheville, Black Mountain, Dallas, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Clayton, Elizabeth City, Wilmington, and Manteo. Follow the action starting at 4 AM using the #YDDay hashtag!

Click for a full list of events and sign up form!

All over the state, Young Democrats will spend the weekend making a difference. Gaston Young Democrats will help distribute school supplies, Mecklenburg Young Democrats will donate blood, Guilford Young Democrats will collect cans to combat a shortage at the local food bank, and Young Democrats from Asheville to Wilmington will register voters.

Despite whatever impressions you may have about Chapel Hill being a bastion of progressive government, the truth is quite a bit less encouraging. Sure we get lots of things right, but we also get plenty of things wrong.

This week our Town Council will be voting on a proposed new development called Charterwood. In concept, it's an interesting project that offers dense development in an area (our northern transit corridor) where dense development makes sense. But when you look into the details, the project is a sketchy mess that has no business even being considered, let alone approved.

Light 'Em Up and Slow 'Em Down Rally! Help us throw cold water on support for fracking in NC! Join Progress NC and our Sierra Club and NC Conservation Network allies on Tuesday, March 27th starting about 5:00 PM for a rally before a Chapel Hill town hall on fracking.

Fracking Rally & Town Hall
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
RALLY STARTS AT 5:00 PM * SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT 5:30 PM * TOWN HALL STARTS AT 6:30 PM
East Chapel Hill High School
RALLY WILL GATHER ON SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL
500 Weaver Dairy Rd. Chapel Hill, NC

More background after the jump on why NC has nothing to lose if we SLOW DOWN:

Dick Baddour will step down as athletic director at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill this summer. The announcement came a day after the school fired football coach Butch Davis amid an NCAA investigation into the program. "It was pretty evident to me as the decision unfolded that that's in the best interest of the football program," Baddour said at a news conference. "That's a realization that if you're in this business, your head football coach needs to know who the athletic director is going to be.” Baddour's contract is up in June 2012.

Abbey Court is probably the poorest community in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. It’s a complex of condominiums rented out for cheap to a large community, mostly consisting of immigrant families. Every school day it’s common to see entire school buses full of kids empty out into the complex so that they can all return to their respective homes.

The N&O is demanding an apology? They should be filing a lawsuit.

When police approached the building, they ordered everyone to get on the ground, but they allowed Ferral (an N&O reporter) to continue to shoot photographs. After a few more minutes they told Ferral to get on the ground as well. Ferral told them she was a member of the media. She was wearing her press photo badge around her neck.

She remained face-down on the ground for about 15 minutes before she was cuffed with plastic zip ties and told to sit in a line with about 12 other people who had been detained.

I can understand this happening in China. But Chapel Hill? There will be hell to pay.

The statewide Pride event is happening all this weekend. There is a full schedule of events from Thursday through Sunday across the state, but of course the big event is the rally and parade in Durham.

11: 55am National Anthem for Opening Ceremony
NOON "Pride Rally with Speakers and Dignitaries, Parade Marshall and special performances"
12:45- 2:15pm PARADE LINE UP TO MARCH with Bagpipes
1pm Parade Begins (Official Reviewing Stand at Madhatter's Cafe at the corner of Main and Broad St.
1pm - 4pm Viewing Party

As y'all know, our Vice President was at the Carolina Inn last night.

Last night, I went to the DNC fundraiser at the Carolina Inn featuring our titular politician, so I'm bringing you the full report. I'm happy to return with some positive news: Joe Biden is doing a great job as Vice President of the United States.

Exactly 23 months ago today Joe Biden was announced as the veep nominee. On Kos, I made this prediction in a diary:

So the Sierra Club is hosting some great activities this weekend. I want to take a moment and mention them, and hopefully encourage you all to come out and participate.

On Saturday the 20th, Bill Bracey and a number of devoted Sierra Club members and neighborhood groups are going to work on the Bolin Creek Habitat Restoration Project off Hillsborough St. in Chapel Hill. Since the fall, this group has been working to remove invasive shrubs like Chinese Privet, Bittersweet, and Wisteria from the trail. Its a long term plan that will hopefully reintroduce a number of native species to the habitat. If you're up for some rewarding hard work, you should come lend a hand. For more information call Bill Bracey at 919-942-9934 or by email at arbornet@mindspring.com