Mark Chilton's blog

I have been thinking more and more lately about how inappropriate the name 'Carrboro' is for a town that is so focused on alternatives to the single occupant motor vehicle.  I mean, I realize the town is named after Julian Shakespeare Carr, rather than the ubiquitous vehicle of the 20th century, but still . . . having our town's name begin with that object that we are working so hard against just makes no sense to me.

Also, it is important to remember who old Jule Carr was.  Mr. Carr was an officer in the Confederate Army, and later he was a captain of industry.  He owned many, many businesses including several mills in Durham.  And for most of his life he lived in Durham.  He even called his mill in our downtown "Durham Hosiery Mills."  In fact, we might just note that although he was a supporter of UNC, Jule Carr was also closely related to the Duke family.  In sum, Mr. Carr was not actually all that much of a Carrboro kind of guy.

I imagine many OP readers have heard about area residents who are concerned about the new fence blocking access between Estes Park Apartments in Carrboro and Village West Townhouses in Chapel Hill.  The management of Estes Park erected a fence and gate which is padlocked.  The fence is 8' tall with three strands of barbed wire at the top.  It blocks a traditional connection between the two neighborhoods and by extension connections from each neighborhood to downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill.