Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Temporary trail closing

"A section of the paved Fan Branch Trail through Southern Village will be closed for about 2 weeks to allow replacement of bridge decking on the 2 pedestrian bridges. The closure period may be longer if we experience poor weather. The section of trail that will be closed lies between Culbreth Road and Edgewater Drive. Attached is a photo of one of the bridges.

Because of the nature of the work (removal and replacement of bridge decking) we cannot reopen the trail after each day’s work.

For everyone’s safety please respect the closure until the work is completed. It is our goal to complete the project as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions please contact me.

William WebsterAssistant DirectorParks & RecreationTown of Chapel Hill200 Plant RoadChapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: (919) 968-2819Cell: (919) 809-4721Fax: (919) 932-2923"

Monday, September 21, 2009

"Florida Town Tries Walking School Bus Project" - NPR

SpotCrime

"Thank you for contacting us about our syndicated SpotCrime.com content. We have been told that Chapel Hill is one of the next communities to be added to this service. The speed of integration depends largely on the availability of reliable and timely feeds from law enforcements agencies. Our SpotCrime contact is waiting on some information from the Chapel Hill Police Department before giving me a launch estimate. As soon as the data is available, we will add a link for Chapel Hill.

Best regards,

John Conway
Creative Services Director
WRAL.com / GOLO / WRALSportsFan.com / HighSchoolOT.com / Triangle411.com
O: 919.821.8849 / C: 919.614.6803 "

Garbage weight

I thought I would weigh our solid waste garbage today - 2 lbs. That's for two people for a week, composting and recycling the rest.

Siren test

"Next week, on Tuesday, September 22, the University will TEST its emergency sirens between noon and 1 p.m. as part of Alert Carolina, our campus safety awareness campaign. We test the sirens each semester to remind everyone what to do if they hear them go off for a real emergency and to make sure the equipment works properly. We just wanted to let you know about the test in case you hear the sirens. You don't need to take any action.
The sirens will only sound during a life-threatening emergency such as an armed and dangerous person on or near campus, a major chemical spill or hazard, or a tornado sighting. The sirens also broadcast brief public address announcements.
In a real emergency, the sirens will sound a second time with a different tone when authorities determine the situation is “All clear. Resume regular activities.” UNC police will use the “all clear” signal during Tuesday’s test.
People outside on or near campus, including downtown Chapel Hill, may hear the sirens. The sirens are at five locations: Hinton James Residence Hall off Manning Drive; the Gary R. Tomkins Chilled Water Operations Center behind the Dogwood Parking Deck; Winston Residence Hall at the corner of Raleigh Street and South Road; near Hill Hall behind University Methodist Church; and at the Giles Horney complex off Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The Alert Carolina web site, www.alertcarolina.unc.edu, is the best source of information during a campus emergency. You can learn more about the sirens and hear samples of the alert and “all clear” tones at the Alert Carolina site.
If you are the contact person for your neighborhood or community group, please forward this message to your members and others who may be interested."

"UNC alums pitch bike rental kiosks" - The Herald-Sun

Southern Village too?

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Changing players

The real estate salesperson, Rhonda STULTS, and her partner Cindy GUDEMAN sent out new refrigerator magnets with Southern Village telephone numbers. I had an old one on the fridge and it is interesting to see what's changed.

Gone from the last one:

Bloom
Citrus
Cottage Shop
Market Street Books
Plum Spring
Pringles
SV Police Substation

New:

Atttorney, Tom Holt
Bilal Saib, DDS
Edible Arrangements
SV Pediatric Dentist

I am not sure if the real estate salespeople charge for the listing or not......

Then I found another, older one.....from Coldwell Banker. Listings on the older one that are not on the newest:

Homemade Suppers
Marrakesh
William H Bunch, CPA
Edwards Jones Investment
H2O Cleaners
Hatfield-Berrang Hearing Aid Center
Julie Mol, DDS
Ship On Site
State Farm Insurance
Travelink-American Express
UNC Dermatology
Coldwell Banker
Souther Village Apartments
Montgomery Carolina

I don't think it serves our interests well to be putting out lists without indicating that there are exclusions. Our businesses and organizations in Southern Village deserve our support and we need to be reminded frequently who they are and how to reach them!

Friday, September 18, 2009

"I.B.M. Sets Out to Make a City in Iowa ‘Smarter’" - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Why don't we do this in Southern Village?

"Ithaca’s Pioneers of Dog Waste Composting" - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com

What an opportunity for Southern Community Park!

"Health Ills Abound as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells" - Series - NYTimes.com

How much do we know about which chemicals and other things are being washed into the drains of Southern Village from lawn treatments to other disposal? One would think that this could occasionally be tested? Does not everything that runs off ultimately pass into the stream that follows the trail to Culbreth? Does anyone ever test that water? How could we do that?

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Diversity and sustainability

In thinking about the word "sustainable" and how one might apply it to Southern Village and its environs, I cannot help but think how important to sustainability is diversity. If there is one thing we could all do to promote a more sustainable environment here it would be to reach out when a house or condo is for sale and try to make sure that people of all colors know about the sale and, even more important, know that they would be welcome here. Anyone who walks around the neighborhood as I try to do cannot help but be struck by the lack of such diversity here today.

Strike a positive blow for diversity and help your neighbors by making sure that people of color consider a home here when properties are on the market!

"Following Trash on Its Journey Through the Waste Disposal System" - NYTimes.com

We may have a lot to learn from this in Southern Village.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

"More Schools Encourage Commuting by Bike" - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

What are the trends by people living in Southern Village or its environs to use bicycles to reach the schools that are eithere here or serving this area. At a minimum, that includes Scroggs, Culbreth and Carrboro schools. Any others? Much more important: what are the trends?

Monday, September 14, 2009

Weaver Street Market contest

Why not start a contest among us in Southern Village and environs for either or both - largest amount of purchases at Weaver Street Market each year and/or largest percentage increase from previous year? That sort of thing......

"USDA Urges Schools, Hospitals, Others To 'Buy Local'" - NPR

How can we make this work in Southern Village and environs? Where does Scroggs get its food? We know Pazzo! gets a little from the Scroggs school, but where does it get the rest? How about other food vendors in Southern Village? And how about all of us?

"UNC recycling effort keeps 300 pounds of plastic out of landfill" - Herald-Sun

How are we doing in Southern Village and environs? How could we measure this? A central plastic bag collection point in partnership with Weaver Street Market? What else?

Is there more than one place today - Weaver Street Market - where we can drop off plastic bags for recycling?

"Risk taking may be back for banks" - Herald-Sun

How do we get an update on the financial situation at Harrington Bank, following the Office of Thrift Supervision agreement? The Bank's newsletter seems to have died more than two years ago.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Google and Pazzo!

Two interesting short items in the new issue of Chapel Hill Magazine. One mentions that Google has a small office of technicians on Market Street and the other notes that Pazzo! is using some of what is being grown in the garden at Scroggs school. The magazine is not online.

Recycling day now Thursday

It appears as though they have changed our recycling pick up day to Thursday for all of Southern Village, effecting this week. Even with a full page ad in the Chapel Hill News, delivered to every home in Southern Village and with postcards mailed to every address, at least in principle, about 10% of the homes I passed today (9/15/09) still had their recycling out for pickup, today being Tuesday and not the new Thursday pickup day. As in the military, as one traditionally says, there is always the 10% that don't get the word!

"Bow and arrow hunt draws fire from PETA" - Herald-Sun

"The Walk-to-School Fight" - NYTimes.com

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Water violations


This is how the area around us looks in this NYTimes interactive chart.
There are many fascinating numbers relating to North Carolina, such as 50% of the registered facilities in the state have violated the Clean Water Act!

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Labor Day weekend at the Park

At 5 PM today, I saw 25 or so people -- mostly kids and adults in the play area.

A couple of guys were shooting baskets. I have yet to see anyone playing a game of basketball there.

The playing fields, once again, were empty except for a fellow training his dog, hopefully trained already in the art of not relieving itself on expensive grass!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Mid-week morning at the Park

Well, here are my sigthings at about 9:30 this morning:
  • 3 joggers
  • 1 biker
  • 3 walkers
  • 3 Town supervisors (or so they appeared)
  • 1 child
  • 3 adults

Not a soul on any of the playing fields.