New Mural of Elizabeth Cotten Coming Soon

A new mural will celebrate legendary blues musician and local hero Elizabeth Cotten.

Located on the Carrboro-Chapel Hill line at 111 N. Merritt Mill Road, the mural is part of a statewide project to honor famous North Carolina musicians in their hometowns. The mural will be painted by Chapel Hill artist Scott Nurkin, who also conceived of the statewide project.

Elizabeth Cotten was a legendary folk-blues singer, songwriter, and guitar player. Born in the early 1890s near Chapel Hill, in an area that would later be incorporated as Carrboro, she taught herself to play music on her brother’s banjo as a child, but only began publicly performing and recording in her 60s. Cotten is renowned for her distinctive musical style, created by playing left-handed on a right-handed guitar. Many of her songs reference her early life in North Carolina, including her most iconic song, “Freight Train.”  

More at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1462

Early Voting Underway

Early voting continues through Oct. 31 in Orange County. Orange County residents may choose to vote at any one of six early voting sites offered in the county, including Carrboro Town Hall at 301 W. Main St.

• Weekdays ― 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays ― 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sundays ― noon to 5 p.m. 

Read more at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1463

West End Poetry Festival Continues Saturday  

Carrboro’s West End Poetry Festival, on the theme Poetry for a Change, will take place Oct. 16-17.  As always, there will be readings by nationally known and locally famous poets, a workshop, and an open mic. But this year, for the first time, the program includes the writing and performance of a community poem. The entire event will be virtual, with some live, and some recorded elements, via Zoom and YouTube. For more information, please consult the Festival website, www.westendpoetryfestival.org

Carrboro 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 townofcarrboro.org/signup

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community.  Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views and questions at council@townofcarrboro.org

 Access the Oct. 20 Meeting Agenda and Oct. 13 Meeting Summary at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1468

Orange County Climate Council Update

Join the Orange County Climate Council for its Annual Community Update from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.

The update will be held online, and a participation link will be sent to meeting registrants. Register at https://bit.ly/31eAg9I

The Orange County Climate Council was jointly formed by Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough as a collaborative effort among the municipal governments, the school systems, UNC, non-profits and residents in 2019.

The Orange County Climate Council accelerates joint action addressing the climate emergency by sharing successful strategies and identifying equitable opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide stewardship of the natural world, and protect all County residents from climate impacts.

Join to celebrate this first year of actions. Learn more about what we can all do to reduce our impact and assist our neighbors in this unprecedented time.

Questions? Contact us at (919) 245-2626 or bbouma@orangecountync.gov

Free COVID-19 Testing and Free Flu Shots

There will be a COVID-19 testing event Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will also be FREE Flu Shots during this event!

Where: Lattisville Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1701 Jimmy Ed Road E. Hurdle Mills, NC 27541

Anyone is welcome to come for a test. Registration is on site and COVID-19 tests and flu shots are FREE. For the full testing calendar as well as more information about COVID-19 testing sites, please visit: www.orangecountync.gov/Testing

A Community Food Distribution event is scheduled for 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Carrboro High School, 201 Rock Haven Road.

Anyone in need is welcome. The distribution is first come, first served. It is free of charge, and there are no eligibility requirements. Due to COVID-19, distributions are held on a drive-through basis. Boxes are placed inside vehicle trunks.

For fliers and more information, visit https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1459

Estes-Greensboro Roundabout Update 

Crews will continue to install storm drain pipe and drainage structure this week (Oct. 16) and next week (Oct. 23) at the Estes Drive-Greensboro Road roundabout project. Road grading for construction, curb and gutter, and sidewalk are expected to begin soon. 

During the week of Oct. 7, the contractor experienced a significant incident at the intersection causing a power outage and requiring road closure for safety purposes. This unfortunate incident caused a disruption to both the community and the project. The utility owners responded quickly and worked to restore utilities and reopen the roadway once deemed safe.

NCDOT and contract staff continue to meet daily to discuss the importance of safety and traffic management for this project. Both the NCDOT and the contractor work together as a team to ensure that safety is the top priority for all people traveling through the project area and for the community.

The $3.4 million roundabout project is funded by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) through the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). This improvement is expected to reduce traffic delay and increase safety by providing smoother traffic flow. An added public benefit, aging OWASA stormwater and sanitary sewer lines are being replaced during the roadway work. 

Construction began in August 2019. The goal to have the final traffic pattern in place by the fall 2021. The contract completion date is March 1, 2022, to allow time for site clean-up, landscaping and other plantings.

Find project updates at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/2249/Estes-Dr-North-Greensboro-Roundabout

Make a Plan to Get a Flu Shot

The Orange County Health Department is urging community members to protect themselves, their families and those around them by getting vaccinated against Influenza as the county enters flu season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death,” according to Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart.  “Flu vaccines are safe and effective. A flu shot provides protection against contracting the virus and, if you do catch the flu after being vaccinated, it has been shown to dramatically lessen the severity and duration of the illness.” 

More information is available at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1460

The Town Council of Carrboro recognizes the second Monday of October as “Indigenous People’s Day” in Carrboro. The Council strongly supports the proposition that Indigenous Peoples' Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of the Indigenous Peoples of our region.

The resolution declaring the day as such was adopted unanimously by the Town Council (then known as the Board of Aldermen) in 2015 and will continue to be recognized each year. 

Please take the time to read the founding resolution in its full text at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/8124/Indigenous-Peoples-Day

Making Plans for Halloween?

The Orange County Health Department is offering the following guidance on how to celebrate Halloween without increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19. This guidance discourages traditional trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating where treats are handed to children or children take candy from a shared bucket.

“Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses,” Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said. “In-person Halloween festivities, and traditions such as trick-or-treating, pose risks to participants. It is impossible to know who has COVID-19 or who has been exposed to someone with the virus, making it both advisable and necessary to protect yourself and others by choosing safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween.”

Get great ideas for low-risk fun activities at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1433 

203 Project Updates

This week, the Council held a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to receive public comment on the 203 South Greensboro Project as it proceeds with the development of a schematic design. 

The Town has scheduled drop-in sessions to offer information about The 203 Project, which includes department programming space, the Orange County Southern Branch Library, WCOM, and more. Town staff will be available to provide information and answer questions about the project. The next session (via videoconference) is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30. 

Learn more at: http://townofcarrboro.org/1127/203-S-Greensboro-Project

Questions? Contact Planning Director Patricia McGuire at pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org or call 919-918-7324.

Access the project summary at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/8120/203-Project-Summary10-2-2020

Notice of Public Hearing 

The Town of Carrboro plans to apply to the North Carolina Department of Commerce for $900,000 in Federal Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated to the State.

More at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1466

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