Weekly update, May 22

Hi there,

We're wrapping up Heat Awareness Week in Carrboro with cooler temps. Yay!

Wondering about the construction on the Carrboro section of Hwy 54? The long-awaited signalized intersections with pedestrian crosswalks are being installed at Westbrook Drive, Abbey Lane, and Kingswood Apartments between 9am and 4pm Monday - Friday. The timeframe for this project is rather long, extending until 12/1/26. We are checking with NC DOT to confirm that.

Online this week

Our posts included a story about the first Freight Train Blues concert last Friday from Iris Eyster, a Perspective about our community radio station WCOM from DJ Rodrigo Tossi (posted in Spanish with an English translation), a review of Carrboro's Knockout Artist's debut album, Ramshackle Deluxe, from Pamir Kiciman, and a summary of a conversation with authors of Orange County's Baseline Community Food Assessment describing actions we can take to strengthen our local food system.

On The Carrborean Radio Hour

Last week, Whitney Fry of Flame Tree Story hosted Tra Tran, Research and Institutional Advocacy Manager for Refugee Community Partnership. Tra shared stories of place and the power of storytelling among migrant communities. You can listen to a recording of that conversation.

The Carrborean Radio Hour returns Monday at 4pm with Ariella Tal and Dr. Whitney Fry who will discuss menstrual health research and femtech innovations. May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month. Tune in to WCOM-FM 103.5 or stream at wcomfm.org.

And 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. This month, find us at Open Eye Cafe on Mondays from 5-6pm.

News from Schools, Town, and County

Correction: we incorrectly reported the teacher of the year last week. On May 14, CHCCS hosted its annual Recognition Celebration and named LaThanya Campbell of Scroggs Elementary School the Teacher of the Year! Congratulations to all who received awards! And thanks to everyone who works to educate our youth!

Summary of the CHCCS Board meeting May 21: The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education heard emotional testimony from students, educators, and families as it weighs closing one elementary school to address long-term budget and enrollment challenges. Speakers pressed the board for clear data, transparent decision-making, and recognition of the impact on programs like Mandarin immersion and on the communities tied to Ephesus, Glenwood, and Seawell.

On May 19, Carrboro Town Council hosted a public comment session on the proposed budget. Summary: The Carrboro Town Council reviewed a balanced FY27 budget with no property tax increase while grappling with a proposed 45% cut to Human Services funding, weighing options from one-time funds to a small rate hike. Council members also heard sharp public concerns about the Bolin Creek greenway and moved ahead with board reappointments amid questions about applicant diversity. Find meeting highlights here.

Carrboro's community resident survey: "Carrboro residents continue to express overwhelming pride in their community, with the Town earning exceptionally high marks for quality of life, inclusiveness, public services, and community engagement in the 2026 Carrboro Community Survey." Summary from Town: 96% of respondents rated Carrboro as an excellent or good place to live; high ratings to the Town’s overall quality of life (93%), its reputation as a place to raise children (92%), and its identity as a welcoming and inclusive community (91%). Find more results here.

Mayor Foushee proclaimed May 17 - 23 Public Works Week. Thanks to our Town's public works staff!

The Orange County Board of Commissioners met twice this week. Summary of the May 21 meeting: The Orange County Board of Commissioners weighed fire district tax increases, the local cost of state-promised teacher raises, and housing assistance changes, while also confronting detention center staffing shortages and shifts in library funding. Commissioners debated how to fund public safety, schools, and services without pushing residents out through higher taxes.

Summary of the May 19 meeting: The Orange County Board of Commissioners heard a resident’s warning about Black families being left out of budget decisions, got a plain‑language breakdown of proposed property tax levy limits, and debated a $100,000 commitment to long‑term supportive housing at Weaver’s Grove before approving it on a 4–3 vote amid concerns over affordability timelines and accountability.

Find highlights from both meetings here.

Have you heard about the proposed cut to the Chapel Hill Public Library (CHPL) in the OC budget? Following the public outcry, the Library issued this Q&A and the Friends of the CHPL provided this information, urging community members to take action. OC issued this explainer. We attended the budget feedback session May 21 and learned that, without OC funding, it will be up to Chapel Hill to address the budget shortfall. There is nothing in Carrboro's proposed budget to address this funding issue.

Potential implications for Carrboro residents: without public funding that covers our use of the library, we may be charged to use it. Two OC Commissioners (Fowler and Bedford) have proposed a budget amendment to restore funding for CHPL. If you care about this issue, please attend the OC budget public comment session on May 28 at 7:00 PM at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. It promises to be a lively discussion.

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) and ask your favorite businesses if they advertise in The Carrborean. Subscribers at the "Angel" tier get the first-ever Carrborean T-shirt among other benefits. Thank you to The Merch for printing the shirts! 

Poetry Moment

On Not Knowing by Lesley Saunders

The nature of regret is delicate, a door
that should have been there, but is not;

what happened back up in the hills
was a matter of luck, nothing personal –

the fact of the forests, the leaf-moths,
the fork in the road. (There are no images,

save for the river running to sand, salt
on the tongue, the pulse of previous stars.)