Economy & Downtown
Chapel Hill's downtown has long benefited from its proximity to a captive audience of University students without cars. While downtowns around the country have been failing, ours has survived fairly well. However, we have seen an increase in the number of chain stores locating downtown, and instability in the Downtown Economic Development Corporation. In the near future, we will see new Town-directed development on two major parking lots have a big impact.
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Carrboro's downtown has also done better than many towns of comparable size, thanks largely to the presence of Weaver Street Market and progressive shoppers from the rest of the county. The Board of Aldermen has been addressing the evolution of the downtown, and have established a number of community resources in the downtown area including free wireless Internet access, and a low-power radio station.
From Internationalist Books & Community Center:
The yearly protest of consumerism, inspired by Adbusters magazine, will feature a day of sharing skills and resources. We'll be open for our regular hours, but no money will be exchanged. Help oppose the
brutally exploitative and wasteful consumer economy by boycotting the biggest shopping day of the year and forging connections with other like-minded people! More details to come soon.
Date:
Friday, November 28, 2008 - 6:00am to 3:00pm
Location:
Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
From the IFC calendar:
"RSVVP" stands for "Restaurants Sharing 10 Percent" (The V's are Roman numeral 5's, so V+V=10). Participating restaurants contribute 10% of their total proceeds on that day to benefit the IFC, Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina and the Urban Ministries of Durham Community Kitchen to fight hunger in the Triangle.
Now you have an excuse to go out and eat! Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn't matter. Visit an old favorite, or give a new restaurant a try. Tell your friends and family to not only feed themselves, but feed others in the community at the same time! Read more at www.rsvvp.org.
Date:
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 1:00am to 6:00pm
While I know that UNC has programs that attempt to help students afford college, with the current economic downturn, the problem is going to become more wide spread. In addition UNC is likely to find a further economic squeeze, from State budgets to reduced alumni contributions.
It is my belief that affordability should never limit a qualified student once accepted from attending that college. I also do not like the idea that a student graduates with massive debt.
So my question is should UNC be planning any changes to assure affordability for any student to whom it sends an acceptance letter? Should it change priorities, e.g. slow growth,funnel a larger share of money from the state, contributions, endowments to ensure the affordability for all accepted students?
While I was out (since the last post) this email appeared in my email box.
Wall Street Journal has an interactive map of the United States that shows where people are "underwater" on their mortgages. Underwater is a new term for me. I always heard upside down, but the meaning is the same - the house is now valued at less than is owed. The percentages shown on the map are only houses purchased in the last five years.
I was disappointed but not surprised to see Orange County, NC on the map.
Only 10% of homeowners are underwater this week. That's nowhere near as bad as Orange County, California where 40-80% of homeowners are underwater. But that number could change if housing prices decrease, the percentage does not include people who may be underwater and bought six or seven years ago and the last five years saw an awful lot of houses constructed and purchased as well existing and changing hands in Orange County. It begs the question just how many families is that?
Map here for your viewing pleasure:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122341352084512611.html#project%3DUnderwater0809
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