It's fascinating to see the decision taken to apply for this before there is any evidence of probable use! There may be a great deal, but I question all of the work that will be done by the Town of Chapel Hill (and for those who live in Carrboro, there, too) and UNC to put an application together before the evidence of need and probable use has been collected. It looks like a big team of people and that's a lot of government time being used and diverted from other work.
"Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC to Apply for Google Fiber for Communities
Posted Date: 3/3/2010
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have teamed up to apply for Google's ultra-high speed Internet project. A strong application will depend on identifying community resources that can contribute to the Google effort and enthusiastic community support for the project.
On Feb. 10, Google announced the initiative to deploy and test fiber optic networks that will deliver Internet services at a speed of 1 gigabit per second, which is more than 100 times faster than the speeds available to most Americans today. The communities selected by Google will be "testbed" communities that will help the company demonstrate the new capabilities enabled by faster and better broadband access.
Google will pay for the construction and operation of the networks and will charge customers competitive rates for the service. Besides the great benefit to business, economic development and the home user, ultra-high speed bandwidth will enable new consumer applications, as well as medical, educational and other services.
An inter-jurisdictional team is preparing the competitive application that is due on March 26. Team members include Ken Pennoyer, Dwight Bassett, Bob Avery, Sabrina Oliver and Catherine Lazorko from the Town of Chapel Hill; Andy Vogel, James Harris and Matt Efird from the Town of Carrboro; and John Streck, Linda Convissor and Shannon Tufts from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Residents, businesses, and community and University groups are encouraged to provide input through an upcoming public forum and an online survey, by joining the Bring Google Fiber to Chapel Hill & Carrboro NC Facebook group and may also provide input directly to Google. Learn more at www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/overview
• Joint Public Forum - A Joint Public Forum is being planned for 7 p.m. Monday,
March 15, at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., to receive public comment regarding community interest in the fiber optic trial and how residents would use an ultra-high speed Internet network.
• Public Survey - A survey has been posted at www.surveymonkey.com/s/QLM5QST. The survey is being used to gauge public opinion for the project and to receive ideas and comments for the application. Survey questions were taken from the Google Request for Information guidelines."
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"BOG to launch search process" - Herald-Sun
My thoughts on all this as I expressed them to a "BOG" member over the weekend:
"As I understand it, he will leave UNC at the end of 2010 or whenever y’all select a successor.
In France, where you may recall I spend a great deal of time, we are constantly debating how many roles government officials can play. In Nice, where we have our home, our Mayor is an extraordinary guy, having grown up in the public housing of Nice and having become one of the most astute and articulate politicians whom I know in either country.
But, he serves concurrently as Minister of Industry in the SARKOZY government AND as Mayor of Nice. Yes, there are advantages for Nice, but I have told him on a number of occasions that it’s a little like thinking you can drive an automobile and talk on the phone without being distracted from your driving. It’s impossible.
Likewise, one cannot be the fulltime Mayor of Nice and French Minister of Industry without devoting less than 100% - a lot less – to one job or the other.
Having watched BOWLES’ interview this evening on the NewsHour with Jim LEHRER, I am fully convinced that you and the other governors face the same quandary with the two roles he is now playing.
To be fair to the people of North Carolina, he should either resign immediately as UNC system president or you should tell him he gets to choose between that and the co-chairmanship of the commission….or he accepts at least a 50% cut in his compensation as UNC president until a successor can be found.
Sure, it’s nice to see him appointed to this important post, and I am sure he and Alan SIMPSON, with whom I worked on a number of issues when in DC, will do great things. But once past that good news piece of this, there is the bad news that the UNC system will, without question receive less of his attention than he was engaged to give it.
Either he needs to step down entirely, accept reduced compensation, or you need to find a successor immediately, interim or otherwise.
I am not sure yet how hard I will press this point publicly, and I wanted to share it with you directly before I take any other action to advance this position."
"As I understand it, he will leave UNC at the end of 2010 or whenever y’all select a successor.
In France, where you may recall I spend a great deal of time, we are constantly debating how many roles government officials can play. In Nice, where we have our home, our Mayor is an extraordinary guy, having grown up in the public housing of Nice and having become one of the most astute and articulate politicians whom I know in either country.
But, he serves concurrently as Minister of Industry in the SARKOZY government AND as Mayor of Nice. Yes, there are advantages for Nice, but I have told him on a number of occasions that it’s a little like thinking you can drive an automobile and talk on the phone without being distracted from your driving. It’s impossible.
Likewise, one cannot be the fulltime Mayor of Nice and French Minister of Industry without devoting less than 100% - a lot less – to one job or the other.
Having watched BOWLES’ interview this evening on the NewsHour with Jim LEHRER, I am fully convinced that you and the other governors face the same quandary with the two roles he is now playing.
To be fair to the people of North Carolina, he should either resign immediately as UNC system president or you should tell him he gets to choose between that and the co-chairmanship of the commission….or he accepts at least a 50% cut in his compensation as UNC president until a successor can be found.
Sure, it’s nice to see him appointed to this important post, and I am sure he and Alan SIMPSON, with whom I worked on a number of issues when in DC, will do great things. But once past that good news piece of this, there is the bad news that the UNC system will, without question receive less of his attention than he was engaged to give it.
Either he needs to step down entirely, accept reduced compensation, or you need to find a successor immediately, interim or otherwise.
I am not sure yet how hard I will press this point publicly, and I wanted to share it with you directly before I take any other action to advance this position."
"Survey: Munich has Europe's best public transportation; Paris, London lag" - USATODAY.com
Imainge where Chapelboroham would have ranked, had it been included!
"Leading Scholar’s U-Turn on School Reform Shakes Up Debate" - NYTimes.com
I think there is a need to get more people with no direct family stake in the school system involved in the discussions and debate. My own view, consistent with Dr. RAVITCH's new view, is that school policy is a matter for all of us, not just for activist parents with kids in school.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
"Driven to Distraction - Electronic Billboards Called Another Driving Distraction" - Series - NYTimes.com
Do we have any of these in Chapelborham?
Monday, March 1, 2010
"Tea Party Patriots"
I am not sure if this is the main "Tea Party" group - its website.
In any case, for this group, they seem to have a number of groups ostensibly in Chapelboroham.
In any case, for this group, they seem to have a number of groups ostensibly in Chapelboroham.
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