Weekly update, May 29

Happy Friday!

The next print issue is coming your way next week. It's a combined, bigger issue for June and July so we can take a short break next month, orient new contributors, and return with an even better print edition in August. In the meantime, we'll continue to post stories online weekly and email weekly updates. And, of course, the calendar will keep up with events in Carrboro. The Radio Hour also continues uninterrupted, on WCOM-FM 103.5 (wcomfm.org) on Mondays at 4. Thanks, again, for your support of our efforts to connect through community journalism--local news from the people living it.

Here is an update on the construction along NC Hwy 54 from Becca Eversole, Carrboro's Transportation Planner:
There was a safety study conducted by NCDOT in 2019 and endorsed by Chapel Hill and Carrboro that recommended several improvements along the NC 54 corridor, including the two pedestrian improvements in Carrboro and one in Chapel Hill. According to NCDOT, work on the project should be completed by the end of December, 2026. The improvements will allow for signalized pedestrian crossings at the three locations (Westbrook Drive, Abbey Lane, and Kingswood Apartments), which all have bus stops on both sides of the highway. There will also be refuge islands in the median that will allow pedestrians to wait to cross the highway until the next signal. The new signals will allow for signalized left turns into the side streets and right turns onto the highway and will be controlled in a manner that will mitigate congestion.  

Recognitions

From PORCH: Longtime PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro volunteer Laura Malinchock has been awarded the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service, North Carolina’s highest honor for volunteerism. Over more than a decade, Laura has played a key role in expanding programs that now support more than 800 local families each month. Congratulations, Laura, and thank you for your service to our neighbors!

Do you have an announcement or recognition to share with our community? Send to: info@thecarrborean.com

Online this week

John Nicholson wrote about Oasis, our local wellness botanical bar, nestled in the Carr Mill Mall. And Jeanette O'Connor shared tips for planting natives, a follow-up to her piece in March explaining why we should plant natives.

On The Carrborean Radio Hour

Last week, Ariella Tal, Emily Hoppes, and Whitney Fry discussed menstrual health research and femtech innovations. May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month.

Next week, we'll host a special discussion of this place. Catherine Lazorko will talk about Carrboro's latest Community Resident Survey and Alys Traylor will read her winning piece from The Carrborean's first annual essay contest for high school seniors, which had this theme: What have you learned from living in Carrboro that you will take with you on the next step of your journey? Thanks to our contest sponsors: Golden Fig Books and Carrboro Coffee Roasters! Tune in to WCOM-FM 103.5 or stream at wcomfm.org on Monday at 4.

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. In June and July, you'll find us at Oasis in the Carr Mill Mall on Mondays from 5-6pm.

News from OWASA, Schools, Town, and County

OWASA is not currently reporting a water shortage despite ongoing drought conditions. Reservoir storage is at 82%.

OWASA will host a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and 4% rate increase on June 11, 2026. They will accept public comments in person, via email, or via mail. See owasa.org for more information.

Welcome to Lucas Paulsen, new Principal and Nicholas Von Hoene, new Assistant Vice Principal at Carrboro High School. Mr. Paulsen is returning to CHS after four years as principal at Culbreth Middle School. He said, "It's been great to reconnect" with the Jaguar community.

Huge thanks to Dr. Diego Mureño for serving as interim Principal at CHS this year and for serving as Assistant Vice Principal in previous years. We wish him great success as he takes on the role of Principal at Culbreth Middle School.

Town Council meets next on Tuesday, June 2 at 6pm at Carrboro Town Hall. There will be a second public hearing on the Town's budget.

Carrboro's Tourism Development Authority will hold a public hearing at 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 1 to receive comments on its Proposed Budget for FY2026-27, which you can view at www.CarrboroNC.gov/Visit. See a paper copy of the budget at the Economic Development Office during regular office hours at the Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. Send comments to: EconDev@CarrboroNC.gov or attend the meeting.

For more info from Town, see Carrboro This Week.

The Chapel Hill Transit short-range plan: See the updates and take the survey (español).

The Orange County Board of Commissioners met May 26. Summary: The Orange County Board of Commissioners weighed bond timing, pay‑as‑you‑go tax changes, and potential project delays to manage a looming 2029 tax spike while protecting school capital plans. Commissioners also debated using county‑owned land for affordable housing, considered employee raises and a higher living wage, adjusted solid waste fees, and refined transit funding to keep services reliable.

There was another meeting with public comment on the proposed budget last evening (May 28) but OC has not yet released the video of the meeting. You can expect an update next week.

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

“We All Need Clean Clothes” by Dr. Amanda Bennett, Poet Laureate of Carrboro

We have organized language
around the insecurities of men
rather than the care
it takes to preserve the peace
of a sleeping child

To kill
To maim
To harm
To hate

Each sentence lives as a knife
wielded by a body too afraid
to face itself

In dreams we are eternal
as the past
elastic as the future

A dream is a hero with no laurels
unthanked as a woman washing up
dishes while her husband dazzles
the stage

We are in search of…
What we want is…
The future will hold…

I leave these questions unending
as laundry left to dry in sunlight

May you find salvation
in the bottom of a basket
of visions left dirty
yet returned invisibly clean

I promise you
a woman already has.