Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Death by train | The Herald-Sun

Really troubling. Compare with France.

Guns - Again - Chapelboro.com

We need politicians in Chapelboroham to say there are too many guns here and everywhere.

DSL vs. Cable High-Speed Internet

I would never look at this, written by Comcast, but it does point out the need for a wiki-style review of the internet access options and issues in Chapel Hill.

North-South Corridor Study, Chapel Hill by MindMixer

We should see a lot more of this for all issues in Chapel Hill.

Town of Chapel Hill : Obey Creek

Another that calls out for a wiki overview - violent crime.

In Affordable Housing Push, Chapel Hill Sticks With DHIC - Chapelboro.com

This is a good example of an issue - affordable housing - that needs a full wiki-style description, updating later as circumstances change. Initially, it ought to include an inventory of affordable housing in Chapel Hill.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Argentina uses drones to root out wealthy tax evaders - Telegraph

Where are we on drones in Chapelboroham?

Local businesses

Who are the local businesses of Chapelboroham? What does that mean? Simply located in the community? Owned by someone who lives in the community? Unaffiliated with a store outside Chapelboroham? It's complicated.

The Daily Tar Heel :: Concern escalates over students trapped in elevators

Yikes!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Friday, September 26, 2014

'A Deadly Wandering,' by Matt Richtel - NYTimes.com

Here in Chapelboroham?

Protests in North Carolina Challenge Conservative Shift in State Politics - NYTimes.com

Where is all this now?

North Carolinians Fear the End of a Middle Way - NYTimes.com

How is this playing out in Chapelboroham?

The Daily Tar Heel :: Meals on Wheels food truck rodeo coming to Carrboro

Seems worthwhile.

The Daily Tar Heel :: UNC students weigh in on Alert Carolina

Why restrict to the UNC campus?

The Daily Tar Heel :: NC investigating voter form fraud

In Chapelboroham?

The Daily Tar Heel :: UNC likely won't meet its 2020 coal-free deadline

How does this affect what we breathe here?

Blame Your Neighbor, Not The Town Manager - Chapelboro.com

A large part of the problem is that few really have a grasp of the facts and the likely impact. There needs to be a set of core principles and then some way to apply everything that happens to them, whether it not passes by the Town Council, Roger STANCIL or simply a leasing agent, property owner or merchant.

Solar Company and Bronx College Plan a Technology Hub - NYTimes.com

How much solar do we have today in Chapelboroham? Who is keeping track? Anyone?

Thursday, September 25, 2014

eBay's surprising bet on brick-and-mortar stores | Marketplace.org

How much will this change the character of Chapel Hill?

UNC Health Care can do so much better than this

Why should I have had to go to a password protected website in order to find out what the message was?
"DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL
Dear Walter Terry Maguire:
You have a new message waiting in your My UNC Chart account.
Sign in to your My UNC Chart account, go to Message Center and select Inbox to read the full message.
Sincerely,
UNC Health Care
----- Confidentiality Notice -----
The information contained in (or attached to) this electronic message may be legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the message."
--
It was a message telling me to wear sunscreen!
The person responsible for this is C.J. BLANC at 919-966-7260. He was very nice on the phone but the system was very poorly designed.
--
The person who tracked down BLANC for me was "Janie" at 1-888-996-2767.

The Daily Tar Heel :: SafeWalk gets funding back from Student Congress

Good!

The Daily Tar Heel :: Chapel Hill's affordable housing supply threatened

Complicated.

Kay Hagan’s Surprising Strength - NYTimes.com

I wonder if the surge in 65+ support is true in Chapelborham as well?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Money's rankings of 50-300,000 cities

Cary at 19 and Chapel Hill at 36. The list seems odd to me for some reason. Reston at 10.

A California Dream: Not Having to Settle for Just One Bedroom - NYTimes.com

Compare and contrast with Chapelboroham.

Duke Energy Progress to replace street lights | WWAY NewsChannel 3 | Wilmington NC News

All over Chapelboroham?

Uber Criticized For Surge Pricing : NPR

What are we seeing in Chapelboroham?

Dinner for only $385/person!

Such a bargain, huh?

The Daily Tar Heel :: UNC evaluated on freedom of speech

Ought to be part of a larger community discussion.

Dispatch From Athens, Day III: Home Sweet Expensive Home - Chapelboro.com

Useful, but why not one Chapelboroham?

Community Design Commission Stalls Village Plaza for a Month - Chapelboro.com

Somewhere in too much stuff to try to digest there must be diagrams showing predicted pedestrian and vehicular traffic and views from some distance? I, however, fear that this is not the case.

Form-Based Codes Institute - Fostering Time-tested Urban Form : Form-Based Codes Institute

Also might be useful.

Form Based Codes

Might be useful.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Flooding Risk From Climate Change, Country by Country - NYTimes.com

We ought to be able to apply this kind of creative graphics to where we live in Chapelboroham whether it has to do with traffic, pollution, shopping, education, etc. We should be able to "see" what may be coming. Imagine playing with all of the variables and then figuring out which button most likely have to be pushed in order to avoid some of the worst potential. Surely, we must have experts in this sort of graphics work here in Chapel Hill, likely at UNC, but not necessarily.

Les élections sénatoriales expliquées en infographies | Dernière minute | Nice-Matin

Where is our version of this?

Too Much Power For Stancil? - Chapelboro.com

Seems like fair comment.

CHPD, CPD Quickly Nab Young Car Thieves - Chapelboro.com

Good.

Dispatch From Athens, Part I: Yes, THAT Greenville - Chapelboro.com

As well.

The 2014 Inter-City Visit, As Told By Aaron Keck: Monday Evening - Chapelboro.com

This too.

Dispatch From Athens, Part II: The Da Vinci Form-Based Code - Chapelboro.com

Very helpful. Want to read this more carefully.

North Carolina, in Political Flux, Battles for Its Identity - NYTimes.com

Speaks for itself.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Chapel Hill, NC Air Quality

Worth more study.

Sidewalk pressures on council heating up | The Herald-Sun

Well it should!

Peter Thiel and David Graeber Debate Technology’s Future - NYTimes.com

Is this not where Chapel Hill, especially, finds itself?

"The two men, unsurprisingly, parted ways sharply on the kind of politics that would unleash innovation. To Mr. Graeber, the key is replacing what currently passes for democracy with a genuinely participatory system of the sort prefigured by the Occupy movement. The problem isn’t a lack of good ideas, he said, but that “the overwhelming majority of people are constantly being told to shut up.”

Mr. Thiel, describing himself as a “political atheist,” said that people should spend less time trying to change the system than simply creating things outside it. And the key to progress, he said, may not be more democracy.

In the real world, innovative organizations are often “shockingly hierarchical,” he said. “A start-up is really far from a democracy. People don’t get to vote on things.”"

Global Rise Reported in 2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions - NYTimes.com

How are we doing in Chapelboroham?

The Daily Tar Heel :: Local environmentalists raise climate concerns in rally

Who is keeping track of our local environment?

The Daily Tar Heel :: Carrboro to appoint town historian

Seems good!

Kinnaird: Carrboro Could Be More 'Business-Friendly' - Chapelboro.com

If done smartly....

Sunday, September 21, 2014

CHAPEL HILL: Chapel Hill’s 1st form-based project headed to review | Chapel Hill | ChapelHillNews.com

My reaction:



"To Chapel Hill Mayor and Town Council,


What I think would be most helpful in reviewing the Village
Plaza Apartments plan http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=2504
is to see these things clearly presented:

1.      
Edited photos of the current site, showing the
proposed structure in place, as seen from a half dozen perspective close-up and
any places in the surrounding neighborhood where one would see the building.
That is the only way we can really imagine what this would look like if
constructed, and see it in the context of what will remain there for now.
2.      
A map of the area, showing all buildings,
parking lots, roads and sidewalks within a one mile radius of this proposed
construction. The map would be color-coded to show the ways in which this new
structure would connect with the surrounding area and roads and sidewalks that
would be affected, and how, by what is built and the people, businesses and
organizations that make use of it in any way.

The Town owes us this so that we can see, efficiently, the
difference that this structure would make to appearance of the Town and to the
movement of people and vehicles around the proposed building.

Terry MAGUIRE"

Dale Coker: Why form-based code doesn’t work in Ephesus-Fordham | Guest Columns | ChapelHillNews.com

Our Mayor and Town Council do an exceptionally poor job of explaining their actions and then staying with them to explain what goes right as a result, and what goes wrong.

Terri Buckner: On being ‘ahead of the community’ | Guest Columns | ChapelHillNews.com

It's unfortunate. I voted for her.

And The Happiest Place On Earth Is... - CBS News

Not sure if this morning was another rebroadcast on Sunday AM. But they made the point that all Danes live or are supposed to live within a 15 minute WALK of a park! If so, what a great rule!

Affordable Housing for Retirees - NYTimes.com

How well are we addressing this?

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Durham Station | Rail and AMTRAK Service in North Carolina

This needs a much more focused description of what one might do arriving by train in Durham and how to do it. With 16 stations, it is a wonderful way to see a lot of different places in NC. The site ought to provide a range of accommodation options, walking and other maps from the train station, places to eat and what to see beyond that.

A different way of looking, a different way of living | Places and Home | Indy Week

We need to find ways to walk more and see more.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Thursday, September 18, 2014

A History of Misses for RadioShack - NYTimes.com

I think this has a lot say for Chapelboroham.

CHAPEL HILL: Town may seek new affordable housing partner | Chapel Hill | ChapelHillNews.com

This strikes me as a debacle.

The Daily Tar Heel :: Chapel Hill Public Library comes to historical society’s aid

Has anyone analyzed the selling price of the building and the process?

Most educated town in NC - Fearrington

Well, this is good and not so good. Nice to have the town with the largest percentage of college graduates here in Chapelboroham, but not so nice that it is at only 76%. More than half the states in the country have places with higher percentages than here in NC. 

The Daily Tar Heel :: Tar Heel Takeout delivery service no longer accepts cash

Part of the answer to the delivery question.

Des start-up françaises jouent l’hyper-proximité pour livrer en ultra-express

Where are we in Chapelboroham on the whole delivery issue for all businesses and services?

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Legacy opportunities?

What are the optional ways in which people can leave part of their estates to organizations and institutions in and around Chapelboroham?

Aging in Community: Start thinking about transportation before you need it | Guest Columns | ChapelHillNews.com

Seems to me that there are some more fundamental issues - like identifying places in Chapel Hill where one can easily walk to a bus. How about such a map?

THE WEEKLY HALTS PUBLICATION - Chapel Hill Magazine

I did not know that the publication had failed.

The Daily Tar Heel :: Local police forces explain surplus military equipment

In an emergency, imagine the significance of this - that's what we have to do.

New Lessons From Old Wars - Chapelboro.com

We have so much unlearned from history, abroad and down the street.

VINELink ver. 2.0

Looks like an extremely important resource.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Villes intelligentes : vous êtes datapolis ou participolis ?

Worth some careful reflection.

Awards?

You have to wonder what the competition was!
"Town of Chapel Hill wins 3CMA Awards
Recognized for Innovative Communications
Posted Date: 9/11/2014
The Town of Chapel Hill was recognized for communications excellence and received two national awards from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA) during a ceremony at the Music Box Theatre in Minneapolis on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The SAVVY Awards competition recognizes outstanding local government achievements in communications, public-sector marketing and citizen-government relationships.
The Town of Chapel Hill's communications strategy states that its goal is to build community through the highest standards of openness and participation. We reach out to people where they are to tell the story of what we are doing and how our actions affect them. The winning projects were created or spearheaded by staff members from the Town's Communications and Public Affairs Department -- Director Sabrina Oliver and staffers Catherine Lazorko, Melanie Miller, Amy Harvey, Jennifer Phillips, Christina Strauch and Betty Byrd with UNC-Chapel Hill intern Caroline Simpson.
The entry "Mayors Innovation Project Video" won a Silver Circle Award in the TV and Video - Promotional Video category. (view at https://vimeo.com/84253841). The Town partnered with the Chapel Hill and Orange County Visitors Bureau, which funded the project and provided creative collaboration; Beery Media of Carrboro on video production; and the Community Beat Making Lab at the Street Scene Teen Center, 179 E. Franklin St, on the music track. In the four-minute video, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt and Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle provide an overview of the community and welcome message to visitors.
About the video, judges stated: "Outstanding camera work and impressive variety of locations for such a short time with the mayor. The use of local music talent was a great touch, as was structuring the video to be used as a general visitor's video as well. Very well done! Inviting, informative, and effective. Your mayor has "star" quality and appeal and this video showcased that with great results. Exciting and engaging. High production value - loved the mayor's involvement in the project; great on-camera asset. Transitions were excellent. Great multi-use potential for promoting the Chapel Hill area."
The entry "CaPA How-to Guides" won a Silver Circle Award in the Printed Publications - Internal Publications category. Judges stated: "Very practical, well thought out, we should do this too!" The How-To guides resemble the unintimidating format of the popular "For Dummies" guidebooks, synthesizing best practices into topic specific one pagers that employees can easily reference.
The Town of Chapel Hill has been recognized with past national awards from 3CMA including Most Innovative Communications (2011), Digital Interactive-Website (2010), Printed Publications-Guides (2010), and Internal Newsletter (2006).
About The SAVVY Awards
Sponsored by the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA), the Savvy Awards competition recognizes outstanding local government achievements in communications, public-sector marketing and citizen-government relationships. The Savvies salute skilled and effective city, county, agency or district professionals who have creatively planned and carried out successful innovations in communications and marketing."

On Facebook, Nobody Knows You’re a Voter. Well, Almost Nobody. - NYTimes.com

It seems to me that we need to look at how all of this affects Chapelboroham. What impact does all this stuff have on our lives from politics to shopping and well beyond?

The Digital Wallet Revolution - NYTimes.com

Who looks at how this will affect Chapelboroham? The Chamber of Commerce?

Ken Larsen's web site - Chapel Hill Issues

This is a great start!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Downtown Chapel Hill Experience Survey

These voluntary surveys are worth very little and are dangerous.

Lloyd Farm developers to meet with public Wednesday in Carrboro Town Hall | Carrboro | ChapelHillNews.com

All of this gets treated like an island assault.

CHAPEL HILL: Group questions Chapel Hill town manager’s performance | Chapel Hill | ChapelHillNews.com

The response will be interesting, perhaps.

Here's What's Becoming Of America's Dead Shopping Malls : NPR

It sure seems to me that University Mall, for example, could be better connected to all around it, starting with how people as opposed to vehicles move. Imagine what the layout in the parking lot and all surrounding properties might be if one were to assume that there were no vehicles, but only people to move around. How would that transportation network be designed to work best. With that in place, then work in the vehicles AROUND that network instead of what we do now - design the environs for vehicles and let people fend for themselves.

The Daily Tar Heel :: Block party brings together UNC student and Northside residents

We should do more of this.

Mostly White Forces in Mostly Black Towns: Police Struggle for Racial Diversity - NYTimes.com

Look at Siler City. What about the rest of Chapelboroham?

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

The Daily Tar Heel :: Bubble wrap producer to bring 1,000 jobs to the state

North Carolinians should be proud of this?

Rendez-vous des Associations - Conseil général des Alpes-Maritimes

Do we something like this in Chapelboroham? How about a "speed joining" event where everyone moves around spending a couple of minutes at each association?

The Daily Tar Heel :: Petitioners suspect fiscal mismanagement by Chapel Hill town manager

Serious charges poorly presented.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Elections, Politics, and Power Struggles from Ancient Rome to Modern North Carolina – Program in the Humanities

We have so many neat programs like this.

Running on Sunshine and Sweat

How could we make more of this all over Chapelboroham?

Running on Sunshine and Sweat

How could we make more of this all over Chapelboroham?

Walking on Wednesdays | North Carolina Chapter

Might be fun.

CHAPEL HILL: Mixed-use project to test Chapel Hill redevelopment rules | Chapel Hill | ChapelHillNews.com

"At 95 percent residential, the project is expected to set the pace for other property owners in the 180-acre district who might redevelop their strip malls and parking lots. The town’s goal for the district is to fund needed traffic and stormwater improvements, while increasing the commercial tax base."

Let's see a drawing of this in the actual location so we can see other existing buildings, etc.

CHAPEL HILL: Ariz. solar firm drops Orange County farm | Orange County | ChapelHillNews.com

Don't we want more of this?

Hillsborough shows off its trails | The Herald-Sun

This needs a lot more attention.

Police statewide gear up for pedestrian, cyclist safety | The Herald-Sun

Needs more attention.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Ombudsmen in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think we need an ombudsman for Chapelboroham, starting with Chapel Hill. Why not just create one and see what happens if the job is done rigorously, fairly and honestly?

New York Will Require More Builders to Add Affordable Units - NYTimes.com

Do we do enough to encourage smaller units at lower cost?

The Daily Tar Heel

There was a full page ad on 4 Sep in the Daily Tar Heel from Carol FOLT, the UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor. It was about the sexual assault policy and the group that advised her on it. Why were there no lawyers with experience in prosecuting and defending sexual assault cases in the group? Why no police or other law enforcement? Why no liaison to the Town of Chapel Hill?

The Daily Tar Heel

There was a full page ad on 4 Sep in the Daily Tar Heel from Carol FOLT, the UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor. It was about the sexual assault policy and the group that advised her on it. Why were there no lawyers with experience in prosecuting and defending sexual assault cases in the group? Why no police or other law enforcement? Why no liaison to the Town of Chapel Hill?

UNC-Chapel Hill Friday Center What's the Big Idea?

Looks like it would be interesting and valuable.

Two Cities With Blazing Internet Speed Search for a Killer App - NYTimes.com

Compare with here.

Roger Waldon: Looking ahead: Chapel Hill’s changing demographics | Guest Columns | ChapelHillNews.com

Not quite sure the message here?
--
In any case, I sent WALDON this request:
"Dear MR. WALDON,
I see that you have written something for the Chapel Hill News and intend to write more.
Please provide a list of all of your clients, past, present, and prospective – since leaving your Chapel Hill post almost 10 years ago – who are either located in Chapel Hill or have, or might have, a financial interest in Chapel Hill. If you are associated with a consulting firm, please include the firm’s clients as well who meet the same criteria.
We should all know who is paying your bills, and then judge what you write with that added knowledge."

Commentary: Chamber of Commerce taking divisive approach | Guest Columns | ChapelHillNews.com

Are we talking past one another?

Friday, September 5, 2014

Fire destroys house; dogs rescued | The Herald-Sun

Why don't we get a report at the end of the investigation as to cause so we can learn? Or from this one.

Livecast - 92Y On Demand

We should have a program like this from Chapelboroham. Did I miss the announcement?

F.C.C. to Promote Choices for High-Speed Broadband - NYTimes.com

How are we handling this in Chapelboroham?

The Daily Tar Heel :: Durham startup Youth Digital moves to Chapel Hill

This seems positive.

Carrboro's Lloyd Farm Developers Plan Public Input Meeting - Chapelboro.com

This looks like the right way to consider this project.

The Pedicab Was the Last Straw - NYTimes.com

What is the market potential in Chapelboroham?

Monday, September 1, 2014

Would Solar Roadways Work? A Government Engineer Discusses the Controversial Technology : Greentech Media

I think this is more fair-minded view of the technology and the idea. It may prove unsuccessful, or at least unworkable, but science demands a more open mind.

Why Solar Roads are a Bad Idea - Chapelboro.com

I think this is an extremely narrow-minded approach to the issue.