Weekly Update, August 7

Greetings, Carrboro. The recent rains and humidity have awoken the underground fungal networks, and I always marvel at the colorful fruiting bodies that emerge in August. Those same rains have helped Orange County move out of the frightening exceptional drought category and down to moderate drought.

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 8), the Farmers' Market will host a big celebration to mark the culmination of National Farmers Market Week. A "mini museum" in the gazebo will depict the Market's development since the 1970s, and patrons can stroll from there to the fruits & veggies photo booth, to an interactive art activity with Paint It Orange, and to a market-wide dollar-raffle for a basket of goodies donated by market vendors and the Orange County Visitors Bureau. Look for produce samples to make the event a real celebration.

Tonight, the Orange County Arts Commission has announced that the Eno Arts Mill in Hillsborough, which Tropical Storm Chantal closed down last year, will host a reopening celebration for the public, from 6 to 9 pm, with live music, studio artists on hand, and a special exhibition marking the journey to recovery.

Those of us at The Carrborean are feeling celebratory as we mark the first full year of bringing community news and events to the community. More info on that is coming in our September issue.

Speaking of birthdays, Lanza's Cafe is celebrating its fifth tomorrow with a slate of special events. The fun kicks off at 9 am with a puppy adoption event sponsored by Orange County Animal Services, followed at 11 by live music with Cam Brown, a ribbon cutting with the Greater CH/Carrboro Chamber, and free pizza. At 2, there'll be a magic show with Steven Taylor, followed by ticketed tarot readings and an evening comedy show.

TABLE has said it could put those berry clamshell containers to use, so instead of throwing them away, clean them, dry them, and take them over to TABLE at 311 E. Main Street, and they'll fill them with vegetables and fruits from local gardeners and farmers and get them to Orange County children and families in need. They also accept donations of plastic grocery bags and ice packs.

NEXT Chapel Hill & Carrboro resumed its First Thursday Happy Hour at Dingo Dog brewery on Thursday, Aug. 6, bringing together local elected officials to highlight key issues as they look ahead to the fall. Carrboro Town Council member Danny Nowell, Chapel Hill Town Council member Louie Rivers III, Orange County Commissioner Sally Greene, NC State Representative Allen Buansi and NC State Senator Jonah Garson all attended and spoke briefly. Town and county officials shared their thoughts on the importance of citizen input on revisions to town and county land use plans currently underway as well as cooperation among entities. “We are partners in land use planning,” Commissioner Greene said. The state legislators spoke about ongoing state budget challenges and the crucial elections this November, urging everyone to be sure their voter registration is up-to-date and accurate and to be sure to vote all the way down the ballot. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has tracked another 149 cases of cyclosporiasis in the state since last week, and while many of the ill people interviewed report having eaten parsley or cilantro, not all have. The mystery continues. The FDA has added North Carolina to the growing list of states affected by contaminated iceberg lettuce causing the nationwide Cyclospora outbreak.

Online this week

A year ago, baker Maddie Pries began selling her home-baked bread and treats out of Tesoro at 100 E. Weaver Street on Saturday mornings, and a loyal following showed up Saturday to mark the anniversary of Blue Tail Bakery. Read the story here.

In her story this week, Nancy Zeman outlines all the benefits of reading aloud to babies and children, a message that local nonprofit Family Reading Partners tries to instill in the community.

The Raleigh-based barbecue restaurant Long Leaf Swine is planning to open in the former Luna's space at 307 E. Main Street this fall. Pamir Kiciman reports.

On The Carrborean Radio Hour

Carrboro's former Poet Laureate and current Council Member Fred L. Joiner sat down at WCOM to share reflections on his new book of poetry, The Mirror in Our Music, published by Birds, LLC. In it, Joiner explores Black language, sound, and polyphonic communion through collaborations he's had with fellow artists over the past few decades. Listen to the interview here.

Coming up Monday, August 10, we'll be talking with Elizabeth Hambourger from Dialogue in Support of Community about apologies--why they're important for our relationships and how to make a good one. DSC has a workshop on Meaningful Apologies coming up September 16. Tune in Monday at 4pm on WCOM-LP FM 103.5 or stream at wcomfm.org.

After each radio show, join us at a pop-up newsroom to discuss all things Carrboro and stories you'd like to see, hear, or write. New month, new location! In August, you'll find us at Weaver Street Market on Mondays from 5 to 6 pm.

News from CHCCS, Town, and County

Families of CHCCS students are finally hearing from their schools with back-to-school lists, orientations, and final to-dos before the school year begins Aug. 24. High school fall sports practices resumed last week and you can find Carrboro High's schedule here on our website (we would love to post CHHS, too, if you've got it). Check out the school system calendar here.

In order to safeguard and support its urban forest, the Town of Carrboro is launching a comprehensive street tree inventory over the summer and early fall. Arborists with ArborPro will assess the health and needs of public trees, taking note of their species, size, and signs of disease or damage. Information will be stored in a GIS-based tree management system. Residents are encouraged to fill out an online survey that will help shape the Urban Forestry Management Plan recommendations.  

The Town of Carrboro salutes long-time Public Works employee Bobby Horton II upon his retirement. Horton, whose father owned Horton TV Service next to Cliff's Meat Market for years, gave 36 years of dedicated service helping to maintain and improve Carrboro's infrastructure and services.

For the entirety of the afternoon on Sunday, Aug. 23, the Town of Carrboro, in association with El Centro Hispano, will host Fiestas en la Calle. The event will feature live music, food vendors, community organizations, and family-friendly activities.

The Orange County Department on Aging is partnering with Age Friendly Orange County, NC, to create a new five-year Master Aging Plan (MAP): a strategic plan to guide all aspects of aging in Orange County. With limited resources, the county wants to maximize what it can do to make this community better equipped to meet the needs of seniors. Residents are encouraged to weigh in by filling out an anonymous survey.

Other Interesting Things

Last Saturday we poked our head in on the Cozy Journal Club meeting at the Drakeford Library. Organizers provided supplies for participants to use as they dressed up the pages of their journals in a sweet, calm, and supportive setting. This free event will resume on Aug. 15 and meet every other Saturday from 4 to 6 pm.

One more regular community event The Carrborean checked out this week: The Carolina Science Cafe, sponsored by Morehead Planetarium and hosted at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro, is a local treasure. A capacity crowd filled the seats and sat in rapt attention as Dr. Jonathan Campbell of Duke led a spirited discussion about GLP-1s. Scheduled for 6 to 7 pm on the first Tuesday of the month, these free events feature a different topic each time. The next one will take place on September 1, when state climatologist, Dr. Jared Bowden presents.

Final Notes

The Community Bulletin Board has announcements and opportunities for giving and civic engagement and is updated weekly.

There's so much going on in Carrboro! Check out The Events Calendar to see what's happening and help us keep it up-to-date.

Please consider a paid subscription to support community journalism (local news from the people living it). Subscribers at the "Angel" tier get the first-ever Carrborean T-shirt, along with the knowledge that they're making it possible for us to keep bringing you grass-roots community news-telling. Thank you to The Merch for printing the shirts! Ask your favorite businesses if they advertise in The Carrborean.

Poetry Moment

For this week's Poetry Moment, we turn to local poet Jackson D. Smith:

"A Good Poem"

 a heavy heart does not a good poem make 

nor a laden soul, certainly not poetic diction

a good poem is not made by language, per se 

a good poem is not discovered through allusion

or literary device or enjambed

lines

a good poem needs to breathe, needs light       and pause– 

I am not a good poem, and neither are you 

a good poem is simply this: a wish 

a need, a hand reaching 

back 

for a pillow         in the night