November 2005

Tomorrow's the square dance we've all been waiting for, and since there will be people gathering in all corners of our fair village, I want to extend an invitation.

If you're so inclined, please consider coming out to WCHL's broadcast. I'll be moderating live talks at Town Hall Grill in Southern Village from 7:30 until the results are all in. Notable guests will include Neil Offen, Kirk Ross and Ryan Tuck, editors of the CHH, the Independent and the DTH, respectively.

If you've already got plans for somewhere else, hey, great - your civic interest is worth it in itself. But if you're shopping for a place to go, keep in mind that we have complimentary FOOD from the host, free WIRELESS to suit your blogging needs, and the poll RESULTS as they happen.

We'll also have interviews with as many candidates as will speak with us, so even if you can't come (and I hope you will) tune in to 1360 AM for live coverage.

Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday November 05, 2005

Back in March, Moses Carey articulated an accurate argument against district representation for the County Commissioners.

"Any model that promotes or encourages parochialism will be dysfunctional in this county," Carey said. "Problems don't stop at district lines. Water flows across district lines; economic development doesn't occur all in one district. Narrowing the focus and encouraging people to care only about what happens within the lines of their district is just the opposite of what we need to be encouraging elected officials to do, which is to think more broadly and make decisions that are more broadly based."

But, it turns out that Carey was not arguing against districts per se. He was arguing for a system of districts in which the candidates must live within a district but would be elected by the entire county.

This solution, not surprisingly, does not satisfy residents of the rural sections of the county who feel that the current at-large system does not provide them with adequate representation.

Howdy, all, and thanks for this very interesting site. I have a process-related question:

The N&O voters' guide says that not only will the top three finishers in the Carrboro Board election be seated as aldermen for the usual four-year terms, but that whoever finishes fourth in this Tuesday's election will also be seated, for a two-year term, when the new mayor is seated.

Can anyone acquainted with election law tell me (and us) whether:
(a) that's correct, or whether
(b) a special election will be held for the unexpired aldermanic term of Mark or Alex, or whether
(c) the seat will be filled by appointment (and, if so, who does the appointing)?

Much obliged,
Mark H. (a newbie)

Blogging isn't just a faceless virtual activity reserved for geeks. All kinds of bloggers actually meet in person the old fashioned way. These get-togethers known as Blogger Meetups can be a safe and fun way to meet the people who live near you. And no it really isn't a new dating scene. :)

Before I went to the Triangle Bloggers Conference last year I only knew a few people in Chapel Hill. But now thanks to Anton Zuiker a.k.a. MisterSugar, the conference organizer, several neighbors meet every other week. These folks have become a very important part of my local community. Their blogs have become an important way for me to stay in touch and learn new things from them. (See blogtogether.com for details.)