Gun Violence Awareness Day in Carrboro 

The Town of Carrboro will display orange flags at the entrance of Town Hall on Wear Orange Weekend, and the Town of Chapel Hill will host a rally and flag raising ceremony at Peace and Justice Plaza on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill on Friday, June 3rd, at 12:30 p.m. 

Carrboro will recognize Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 3, as proclaimed by Mayor Damon Seils. 

“I encourage all residents to attend the rally at Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill on June 3rd and to support local efforts to raise awareness about gun violence, such as the work of Students Demand Action and the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action,” Mayor Seils said. 

Mayor Seils also encourages all residents to contact state and federal lawmakers—including Senator Richard Burr and Senator Thom Tillis—to insist they enact widely supported gun restrictions and gun safety legislation, and to remind them that lawmakers’ continued inaction on such legislation helps to make guns easily available and contributes to the deaths of North Carolinians and people across the United States.

Recent mass shootings—including the incident of racial terrorism at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and the massacre of children and teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas—are horrifying reminders that the United States stands alone among high-wealth countries in its exceptionally high level of gun violence. 

Read the full proclamation at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions

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Town Council Update

Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News at carrboronc.gov/signup

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at Council@carrboronc.gov 

Coming Up
The Town Council will meet next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, to consider an agenda that will be posted at carrboro.legistar.com

This in-person meeting will be held at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream at carrboro.legistar.com OR YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

To submit a comment on this agenda, please contact publiccomment@carrboronc.gov to reach the Town Clerk.  

Swearing-in Ceremony 
At the start of the June 7 meeting, the Town Council will hold a swearing-in ceremony for Eliazar Posada, who was elected earlier this month to fill a vacant seat on the Town Council. 

Notice of Public Hearing 
The Town Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7 in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 301 W. Main St., to receive comments on the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget for FY2022-23. The budget document may be viewed in the Town Clerk’s Office from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or on the Town website at http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/250/Financial-Documents  People are invited to make written or oral comments.  Comments may be emailed to wbarker@carrboronc.gov or presented at the public hearing on June 7, 2022.  

Past Meeting 
The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, May 24, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/38hyaMP 

• Received reports from the Fire Department, Stormwater Utility, Economic Development Department, and Police Department. 
• Awarded retired Police K9 “Turbo” to Police Officer Karissa Kimrey following the dog’s retirement after more than eight years of service to the Carrboro Police Department. 
• Received an update on the Town’s Affordable Housing Activities. 
• Held a public hearing to consider a special use permit application for the ArtsCenter to renovate an existing building at 400 Roberson St. 
• Approved the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) 2023-2027. The CIP totals $68.3 million and includes $34.3 million for projects that are currently underway and $34 million for proposed additional projects. View the plan at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2709/Capital-Improvement-Plans-2022-2027 
• Approved an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Adopted Budget for the General Fund Operating Budget and the Affordable Housing Special Revenue based on year-to-date actual revenue collections and trends. 
• Received a presentation on the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. A public hearing on the Town Budget has been set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7. View the proposed budget at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2708/Recommended-Annual-Operating-Budget-2022
• Received an update on the development of a comprehensive plan to allocate the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The framework to be developed for use of ARPA will be centered around six principles: 1) Council goals and policy; 2) racial equity and inclusion; 3) environmental justice, 4) Town climate action plan; 5) leverage local and regional partnerships; 6) use existing data or limited data and /or outreach. 

About the Town Council

The Town Council is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, consisting of the following: Mayor Damon Seils, Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Romaine, Council Member Barbara Foushee, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Danny Nowell and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at  http://carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council 

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Freight Train Blues Concert this Friday 

The concert this Friday, June 3, will feature Larry Bellorin & Joe Troop, and La Banda de Los Guanajuatenses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. 

The Town of Carrboro continues to present the Music Maker Foundation’s Freight Train Blues series of free concerts every Friday evening through June 10. We are thankful for our partners Music Maker Foundation, North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC, and The Judy Weinstock Team (Keller Williams) for making this event possible.

More information: www.freighttrainblues.com  

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Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration

A coalition of local organizations invites the community to be a part of the second annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration. The event will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 19, at Hargraves Community Center, 216 N. Roberson St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Attendees can expect live performances by local Black artists, a Black-owned small business fair, kids activities, food trucks, and more. 

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro proclaimed the observance and commemoration of Juneteenth on June 19, 2020 and encourage residents and employers to recognize the holiday. 

Planning for the event is led by representatives from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP and NAACP Youth Council, the Marion Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Office of Equity and Engagement, the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA), and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. 

Planning is still underway for Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s in-person Juneteenth Celebration. Regular updates will be shared via social media and the official website at chapelhillcarrborojuneteenth.org. This event is made possible through collaboration with several local organizations. For media inquiries, contact Melissa Bartoletta at mbartoletta@townofchapelhill.org. 

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June is Pride Month 

“I encourage all residents to celebrate and affirm their LGBTQ family members, friends, and neighbors, and to participate in Small Town Pride events throughout the month,” said Mayor Damon Seils, who has proclaimed June to be Pride Month in Carrboro. 

The Town of Carrboro is collaborating with the Town of Chapel Hill to host “Small Town Pride,” a series of in-person events, art installations, online gatherings, and other opportunities, including Orgulla Latinx Pride on Saturday, June 11, on the Town Commons from 5 to 9 p.m., and culminating in a Pride Food Truck Rodeo & Dance Party on Friday, June 24, on the Town Commons from 5 to 8 p.m.  

Carrboro is committed to supporting LGBTQ people and ensuring that all residents, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, are treated with respect and dignity.

There is still much physical and psychological violence inflicted on LGBTQ people, and 2021 was the deadliest year on record for transgender women; LGBTQ people, especially transgender people and LGBTQ people of color, experience disproportionately high rates of poverty; there continues to be bullying and harassment of LGBTQ youth, who make up a disproportionate number of homeless youth in the United States; and the General Assembly continues to entertain bills targeting LGBTQ people, including this year’s House Bill 755, North Carolina’s own “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Read more about Carrboro’s proud history of advancing the rights of LGBTQ people by accessing the proclamation at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions  

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Small Town Pride Events in June 2022

• Ride Into Pride | Tuesday, May 31. Meet at Carrboro Town Hall at 6:45 p.m. 
  Join Mayor Damon Seils and Queer Ride Carrboro, a monthly cruiser ride for LBBTQIA+ folks in the Triangle to promote queer and cyclist visibility. 
• Chapel Hill Pride! Promenade | Saturday, June 4 from 2-4 p.m. (downtown Chapel Hill)
  Wear your colors. Wave your flag. Walk with Pride. This celebratory march starts at Peace & Justice Plaza, 179 E. Franklin St., and ends at 140 West Street Plaza, 140 W. Franklin St.
• Poets Open Mic Night | Tuesday, June 7 from 7-9 p.m. (via Zoom)
  Celebrate LGBTQ Pride through your poetry with other local poets. This event encourages the writing, reading, and listening of poetry. Hosted by Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department. Join the zoom event here. 
• Drag Story Times | Saturdays, June 11, 18, and 25 from 3-4 p.m. (locations vary)
  Drag Story Times celebrate glamour, imagination, play, and gender fluidity while providing positive queer role models. Bring your kids to enjoy a fabulous hour of story time by some of the most prominent Drag royalty in the Triangle!
• ORGULLO LATINX PRIDE | Saturday, June 11 from 5-9 p.m. (Carrboro Town Commons)
  Celebrate Latinx Pride! with local food trucks, a drag show, a DJ, and games for the kids. Organizers from El Centro Hispano aim to create an event that fosters unity, inclusivity, and empowerment by showcasing our community’s talents while providing social, healthcare, and advocacy resources, and family fun.
• Pride Piper Walk | Friday, June 24 at 4:30 p.m. (Carrboro Century Center)
  Join local officials and the Bulltown Strutters, to help roll “Rainbow Ram” down Weaver Street from the Century Center to Town Commons for the Pride Food Truck Rodeo & Dance Party. 
• Pride Food Truck Rodeo & Dance Party | Friday, June 24 from 5-8 p.m. (Carrboro Town Commons)
  Join for food, dance, and frolicking on the lawn. If you’re interested in participating as a vendor or by setting up a table, fill out the application form at https://www.carrboronc.gov/FormCenter/Communication-and-Engagement-Department-31/PRIDE-Events-at-Carrboro-Town-Commons-201

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Small Town Pride hopes to promote the equality of the LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as increase visibility, challenge anti-LGBTQ legislation, and bring awareness to other LGBTQ issues. Progress for true equality requires the support of everyone, including straight allies who know that support for LGBTQ+ people strengthens the entire community. To learn more about Small Town Pride and engage with the celebration, visit carrboronc.gov/pride 

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Carrboro Celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month

June is Immigrant Heritage Month in Carrboro, proclaimed by Mayor Damon Seils. 

“I encourage all residents to celebrate the many contributions that immigrants have made in Carrboro and across the country, to learn more about immigrant communities and histories, and to offer assistance to local organizations that support local immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities,” Mayor Seils said. 

Carrboro is home to nonprofit organizations like El Centro Hispano, the Refugee Community Partnership, and the Refugee Support Center that support immigrants, migrants, and refugees through community building and organizing, language access, legal assistance, after-school programs, job training, distribution of food and essential goods, and more.  

The Town of Carrboro has long shown support for immigrants and immigrant communities by calling for comprehensive reform of immigration law and policy, working to defeat wage theft, and supporting training and outreach programs for immigrant workers. 

Learn more at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions 

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Video Posted: The Groundbreaking Ceremony 

Our community gathered to help break ground on the Orange County Southern Branch Library and Cultural Center for Carrboro (also named The 203 Project) at 203 S. Greensboro St. in Carrboro, N.C. on May 5, 2022. 

What a great day! And it was Cinco de Mayo! WATCH THE HISTORIC VIDEO AT https://youtu.be/UhhQtZd1e-8

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on the current town-owned parking lot site across from Open Eye Café at 203 S. Greensboro St.

The event included remarks by local officials, a reading by the poet laureate of Carrboro, and a dance performance by Takiri Folclor Latino. Following the ceremony, refreshments were served at Open Eye Cafe.

The library will serve residents in or near southern Orange County. The facility will also provide a permanent home for the Orange County Skills Development Center; Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department; WCOM Radio, the Virtual Justice Center; and performance/multipurpose uses.

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Fire Department Ceremony  

The Carrboro Fire Department held a Swearing-in, Promotion and New Apparatus Ceremony on May 26, 2022. 

Promotions were recognized for Captain Chad Woods, Lieutenant Hugh Miles, and Driver Operator Kassandra Kreplak. 

Oaths of office were taken by probationary firefighters Cory Horner, Bryan Mariani, Tally Lassiter, Taylor Burton, Michael Lane, Christian Pacheco, Nicholas Clapp and Eric Nichols. 

Fire Chief Dave Schmidt led the ceremony, which concluded with a tradition of "pushing-in" a brand new tanker truck into a transit bay. 

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