Help to Solarize in Carrboro
Thanks to a coordinated effort across the Triangle, it's easier to add solar to your home or business in Carrboro.
The Town of Carrboro is a community partner of Solarize the Triangle, a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage, and other clean-energy technologies. The more property owners who purchase renewable energy systems, the lower the price to all buyers – through the power of purchasing together.
By promoting clean and renewable energy in Carrboro, the Solarize the Triangle campaign supports the implementation of Carrboro’s Community Climate Action Plan. This initiative will play a role in helping the Town reach its goals to reduce 2010 levels of greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030.
Solarize Carrboro will enable residents to invest in solar at a more affordable group-purchasing price and realize the benefits of financial savings through energy efficiency, the creation of new jobs, and improved air quality and public health. In 2017, the Town of Carrboro received a Gold designation from the SolSmart program for its solar community engagement efforts, solar array installation, and changes to ordinances and permitting processes to make solar more accessible for residents.
Solarize the Triangle is partnering exclusively with Yes Solar Solutions for this campaign. The enrollment deadline is Dec. 31, 2022.
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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, Sept. 13, to consider an agenda https://bit.ly/3dd8Bip available at 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).
Public comment is welcome. Questions? Please contact publiccomment@carrboronc.gov to reach Town Clerk Wesley Barker.
About the 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 http://carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council
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Suicide Prevention Month events to address the public health crisis of suicide
News from the Orange County Health Department
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. ― From 2016 to 2020, 206 Orange and Durham County community members lost their lives to suicide. Throughout the month of September, the Orange County Health Department and Durham County Department of Public Health will host events to support survivors, to share how to recognize the signs and symptoms of suicide, and to teach what to do if a loved one is in danger.
Events include:
Adult Mental Health First Aid Training for the Community: On Friday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center at 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough. This training is for community members, family members, friends, students and other people who have been affected by suicide or want to prevent suicide. The training will cover common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance abuse challenges as well as how to connect people with help. The training is free, and lunch is included. Please register at this link: https://www.orangecountync.gov/MHFA
Adult Mental Health First Aid Training for Professional Partners: On Friday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center at 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough. This training is for employers, police officers, hospital staff, first responders, public health workers, local government staff, and school employees who want to learn to identify, understand, and respond to the signs of mental health and substance use challenges. The training is free, and lunch is included. Please register at this link: https://www.orangecountync.gov/MHFA-Partners
A Path for Hope: Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk: On Thursday, Sept. 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Leigh Farm Park located at 370 Leigh Farm Road, Durham NC 27707. The event is hosted by Orange County Health Department, Durham County Department of Public Health, Alliance Health, Insight Humans Services and Healthy Carolinians of Orange County. Prior to the walk, community members will gather to hear featured speaker, Rwenshaun Miller, who believes that mental wellness begins with a conversation. Miller is an award-winning psychotherapist whose personal mission is to shift our society into one that acknowledges, addresses, and treats mental health challenges. Miller is the Founder and Executive Director of Eustress Inc., a non-profit based in North Carolina.
206 pairs of shoes will be on display to honor the 206 Durham and Orange County community members who lost their lives to suicide from 2016 to 2020. Gently used shoes, which will be donated after the event to those in need, are needed in advance of the event. To donate shoes or for questions about the walk, email Willa Robinson Allen at wrobinson@dconc.gov for Durham County or Ashley Rawlinson at arawlinson@orangecountync.gov for Orange County or call (919) 245-2440.
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Town of Carrboro announces lineups for Fall Arts Festivals
CARRBORO, N.C. – The Town of Carrboro has announced festival lineups and date information for three of the Triangle’s most beloved fall festivals starting Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.
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, Oct. 1 with a full day of outdoor concerts on Sunday, Oct. 2); West End Poetry Festival (Oct. 14-15) featuring Poetry in the Round and a Community Poem Reading, and Carrboro Film Fest (Nov. 18-20) showcasing numerous independent films that challenge and expand our understanding of Southern culture.
"Carrboro has a proud tradition of embracing these longstanding arts festivals for 15 to nearly 25 years running. This past summer, celebrating our town’s musical legacy associated with Elizabeth Cotten was a true honor,” shared Mayor Damon Seils. “Collaboration is a key component of our programs, and we’re grateful to our partners for their commitment to sharing and building on Carrboro’s legacy with our residents and visitors.”
Earlier this summer from mid-May to mid-June on Friday evenings, the Town of Carrboro presented with the MusicMaker Foundation a series of roots music concerts at the Carrboro Town Commons. The Freight Train Blues concert series honors the legacy of renowned blues musician Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, who was born in Carrboro in 1893. She is being posthumously inducted into the Rock& Roll Hall of Fame this November 2022. https://musicmaker.org/freight-train-blues-concert-series/
All festivals made possible with support from the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority. Schedule highlights below with full details and updates online. Also, see the Carrboro public parking map at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/11225/Carrboro-Parking-Map-?bidId=
- Carrboro Music Festival – October 2, 2022
Established in 1998, the festival was originally held on June 21 as an official affiliate of the Fête de la Musique, which is also known as 'Make Music Day'. One of the largest free music festivals in North Carolina, the Carrboro Music Festival will host more than 100 acts on 25 stages all over Carrboro, all for free. Venues include traditional sites such as Cat’s Cradle, The ArtsCenter, and Weaver Street Market lawn as well as new locales including Craftboro at South Green, 401 Main, and Dingo Dog Brewing Company.
www.carrboromusicfestival.com/ - West End Poetry Festival – October 14-15, 2022
The theme for this year’s festival is “Music in Poetry,” featuring Poetry Readings, a Poetry Writing Workshop, Poetry in the Round, and a Community Poem Reading. All events will be offered LIVE with Friday evening’s event occurring at Carrboro Town Hall and Saturday’s activities continuing in the Carrboro Century Center. Carrboro held its first poetry festival, organized by then Carrboro Poet Laureate Patrick Herron, in 2006. Since then, many poets from North Carolina and beyond have participated. Participants have included finalists for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize; winners of the Kingsley Tufts Award, the Los Angeles Book Prize, the Oregon Book Award, and the Pushcart Prize; recipients of fellowships Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
www.westendpoetryfestival.org - Carrboro Film Fest – November 18-20, 2022
Since 2006, the festival 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. Held at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.
www.carrborofilm.org
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Update on the East Main Street Resurfacing Project
The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) resurfacing project for East Main Street in Carrboro and West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill is nearing completion.
The pavement work is completed. The signal hardware is in place, and all of the new signal programming is also completed.
The Town is working with NCDOT to complete punch list items including the installation of the bicycle symbols and signage.
In addition, the Town is arranging for the installation of green pavement markings to highlight the new bike facilities. The green thermoplastic work should be completed by the end of September.
See the final design pictured above or visit the project webpage at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/2368/East-Main-Street-Restriping
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Avoid collisions with deer
Drivers should remain vigilant on the roads to avoid deer-vehicle collisions, especially between September and December. Deer movement increases dramatically during this time, and limited lighting makes it more difficult for drivers to see them on or near roads.
According to the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Traffic Safety Unit, about 7 percent of all vehicle crashes in the state involve animal strikes.
Orange County had a total of 706 animal crashes from 2018-2020. These collisions with deer resulted in 33 injuries and a total of $2.2 million in damages reported. More data from around the state is available at https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/driving-safety/Pages/deer-collisions.aspx
Safety Advice
Below are important tips from the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) regarding animal (usually deer) crashes:
- Always maintain a safe amount of distance between your vehicle and others, especially at night. If the vehicle ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in the crash.
- Slow down in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
- Most deer-vehicle crashes occur where deer are more likely to travel, near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams and ditches.
- Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for deer eyes reflecting in the headlights.
- Deer often travel in small herds so if you see one deer near a road be alert for others.
- If you see deer near a road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast
- Do not swerve to avoid a collision. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and cause a more serious crash.
- If your vehicle does strike a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can be dangerous or further injure itself. Get your vehicle off the road, if possible, and call 911.
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Stay connected with Town of Carrboro
Whether you’re new to the area or a longtime resident, we welcome your participation in local government and the Carrboro community.
Ways to stay connected with local happenings and get involved:
- Carrboro This Week
If you find this newsletter useful, encourage your friends to sign up at www.carrboronc.gov/signup Get weekly agendas, meeting schedules and important news releases sent to your email inbox or via text message. You can also sign up for news from our Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department. - Town Council Meetings
Watch Town Council meetings, event coverage and more on our Legislative Portal at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx or Carrboro YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/carrboronc For cable viewers, Carrboro is on government access Channel 18. The Peoples Channel is our community's public access Channel 8.
We welcome public participation in the local decision-making process. - Participate with Boards and Commissions
https://townofcarrboro.org/228/Advisory-Boards-Commissions Many recommendations and decisions that chart our future begin with Boards and Commissions. You can attend a meeting and provide comment, or you can apply to be a Board or Commission member. Openings are now available! - Participate at a Town Council Meeting
The Carrboro Town Council provides a “Public Comment” portion at each Council meeting. The meetings are held most Tuesdays at 7 p.m. - Community Conversations
The Town of Carrboro is taking additional steps to connect with people whose voices are often missing from decision making processes. Throughout the year, the Town reaches out to hear from residents on various topics via drop-in sessions, surveys, public hearings, pop-up opportunities, and listening sessions. - Social Media
We're on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Linkedin and YouTube. View all Town of Carrboro profiles at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/2652/Social-Media - Emergency Resources (Carrboro Ready)
Emergency information and resources are available at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/2633/Emergency-Resources-Carrboro-Ready - Town Information Centers
Town staff members post flyers and printed materials at outdoor kiosks around Carrboro. If you are interested in requesting a Town Information Center (TIC) for your neighborhood or community, please contact communications@carrboronc.gov for consideration. Over this past summer, we have been building more centers for convenient access from all our local parks. - Neighborhoods and Communities
Sign up to be a neighborhood liaison at https://www.carrboronc.gov/FormCenter/Communication-and-Engagement-Department-31/Neighborhood-Liaisons-Registration-170
Sign up your neighborhood association/HOA at https://www.carrboronc.gov/FormCenter/Communication-and-Engagement-Department-31/NeighborhoodHomeowners-Association-Regis-172 - Volunteer Programs
The Town of Carrboro welcomes the assistance of volunteers in a number of roles. Learn more and apply at https://www.carrboronc.gov/2698/Volunteer-Programs - Questions?
For more information, contact Communication and Engagement Director Catherine Lazorko at clazorko@carrboronc.gov or 919-918-7314.
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