News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(January 23, 2024) 

What's new in Carrboro? Warmer temps, we hope! Floraffiti will be coming to town next month to host poetry workshops with Carrboro Poet Laureate Liza Wolff-Francis. Carrboro is also excited about planning for Black History Month and hosting community at free concerts and programs, including a health and wellness fair. Open this issue for details on these events, check the Council Update, and  learn more about a new town program assisting families facing financial challenges with food, housing, utilities, transportation and childcare. 

Floraffiti comes to Carrboro and Chapel Hill

Floraffiti, a community engagement and placemaking project, is returning to Carrboro and Chapel Hill this spring. 

The  Floraffiti program will focus on environmental justice (EJ), a movement of environmental concern and activism. The adverse consequences of climate change and its environmental crises will be explored in upcoming poetry workshops. Workshops will address social-political challenges and inequities that are exacerbated by the climate crisis.

Carter Hubbard, Floraffiti founder, teams up with Carrboro Poet Laureate Liza Wolff-Francis and Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Cortland Gilliam. Floraffiti will combine eco-social engagement through poetry workshops. It will share the community members’ words by planting them in the ground to grow with the intent to inform and educate.

These free workshops are open to all skill levels for teens and adults:

• Saturday, Feb.10, 2024

  Floraffiti Poetry Workshop with Carrboro Poet Laureate, Liza Wolff-Francis
  1:30-3:30 p.m.
  108 Bim St., Carrboro, NC

• Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
  Floraffiti Poetry Workshop with Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Cortland Gilliam
  2-4 p.m.
  Chapel Hill Public Library, Room C

The public is invited to volunteer with Carter Hubbard and poetry workshop participants in planting the seeds of Floraffiti in an atmosphere of welcoming and inclusive community engagement, supporting conversation, interaction, and a positive relationship-building experience. There are two opportunities to plant this year.  All tools, gloves, and materials will be supplied for ages 13 and up.

Various Carrboro locations

• Saturday, March 2, 2024  
  1-4 p.m., meeting at the Carrboro ArtsCenter

Various Chapel Hill locations

• Sunday, March 3, 2024
  1-4 p.m., meeting at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Learn more about Floraffiti!

Town of Carrboro 2024 Bilingual Calendar 

Need a wall calendar? The Town of Carrboro 2024 Bilingual (English/Spanish) Calendar will be available while supplies last for interested residents to pick up from Town Hall, 301 W. Main St.

Designed in-house by Communication & Engagement staff, the calendars feature free community events and observances such as Black History Month, Carrboro In Motion, Freight Train Blues Concerts, Carrboro Pride, the July 4th Celebration and Frederick Douglass Community Reading, Hispanic Heritage Month, Carrboro Music Festival, West End Poetry Festival, and Annual Holiday Tree Lighting.  

Information is also provided about Town services, volunteer opportunities, job postings and emergency resources. 

Download the PDF Carrboro 2024 Bilingual Calendar

For more information, reach the Communication & Engagement Department at communications@carrboronc.gov 

Mayor Foushee Proclaims International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Mayor Barbara Foushee has proclaimed Saturday, Jan. 27, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

"January 27th is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day when we honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” Mayor Foushee said. “Let us also continue the fight against antisemitism, racism and all other forms of intolerance that may lead to violence. Education, awareness and love for humanity are the best commemoration."

The purpose of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is to serve as a date of the official commemoration of the victims of the Nazi regime, and to promote Holocaust education throughout the world.

This year, the day commemorates the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Mayor Foushee encourages all community members to reflect on the need for respect of all peoples, and to overcome intolerance and indifference through learning and remembrance.

• Read the International Holocaust Remembrance Day Proclamation
• Learn more about International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Carrboro Launches Family Financial Assistance Program

The Carrboro Family Financial Assistance Program will accept applications beginning on Jan. 16, 2024, for Carrboro families facing financial challenges with food, housing, utilities, transportation and childcare.

The program was approved by the Town Council on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.  Partnering on the program are the Town of Carrboro Racial Equity Commission, Race and Equity team, Housing and Community Services Department, and the Orange County Department of Social Services. 

Pick up and drop off completed applications (English or Spanish) at any of the following: 

• Access applications on the program webpage 
• Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
• Hillsborough Commons, 113-B Mayo Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 
•  Fax completed applications to 919-644-3305

The Carrboro Family Financial Assistance Program will receive applications through Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024.

For more information, contact Anita Jones-McNair at amcnair@carrboronc.gov or 919-918-7381 or Kannu Taylor at ktaylor@carrboronc.gov or 919-918-7351. 

Town Council Update

CARRBORO, N.C. -- 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.

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
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Council will join the Assembly of Governments meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill. The meeting includes governing bodies from the Town of Carrboro, Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough and Orange County Government. 

The Carrboro Town Council will hold its next regular Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. You can find the agenda on legistar.

The Town Council meets at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream on YouTube OR at on Legistar OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). 

Recap of Past Meeting  
The Council met for a work session on Tuesday, Jan. 16, to discuss the recommendations of the Community Safety Task Force. The Council meets for work sessions the second Tuesdays of most months. Public comment is generally not accepted during work sessions, and votes are not taken. 

Watch the work session replay on YouTube.

Town Council 
The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Barbara Foushee, Mayor Pro Tempore Danny Nowell, Council Member Catherine Fray, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Jason Merrill, and Council Member Eliazar Posada. More information about our Town Council. 

Coming Soon: Black History Month

The Town of Carrboro is proud to recognize and celebrate Black people and Black history in Carrboro and across the nation during Black History Month.

Black people have played and continue to play significant roles in Carrboro’s economic, cultural, spiritual, and political development.

The Town is committed to advancing racial equity and  continues to take actions in support  this commitment.

We invite and encourage all Carrboro residents to participate in local Black History Month events and to learn about and celebrate the lives, history, and contributions of Black people during this month and throughout the year.

Check out all of the great events coming in February!

Save the Date: Carrboro Open Streets

See what happens when the Town closes a street to cars and reclaims this public space with all sorts of other car-free activities! 

Come downtown to bike, dance and do your thing. Experience your street in a new way - fun for everyone with new activities every year! 

The event will be held Sunday, April 7 from noon to 4 p.m. along Weaver Street in downtown Carrboro.

Want to have a booth at Open Streets? Contact Jpoythress@carrboronc.gov .

Community Climate Conversations

News Release from Central Pines Regional Council 

Central Pines Regional Council (?formerly Triangle J Council of Governments) invites the public to attend Community Climate Conversations, to be held in four locations throughout the region. 

CPRC was awarded a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a Climate Action Plan for the region. The plan will be developed in two phases: a Priority Climate Action Plan will be completed by February 2024, and the full Climate Action Plan will be prepared by Fall 2025. 

CPRC will be hosting four identical Community Climate Conversation sessions to engage the community and incorporate community members’ input into the planning process. The counties covered in this grant include: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Orange, Person, and Wake.

Find more information and register for a session.

2024 Winter-Spring Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Program Guide Available

The 2024 Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Winter-Spring Program Guide is now available!  This guide covers programs and events from January through April, including Spring Athletic Leagues, and registration for 2024 Summer Camps.

Registration for Carrboro residents will open at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3.  Registration will open to all other participants on Thursday, Jan. 4. 

Registration will be accepted in the Carrboro Century Center during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and online via RecConnect.

If you are a new participant who wishes to register online, please be sure to set up an via our online registration site (linked below).  Please allow at least 3 business days for account review and approval.

If you have any questions, please contact the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department at 919-918-7364.

Important Information:

• Program Guide (PDF format)
• Online Registration Site
• Financial Assistance Program Information

Public parking available in downtown Carrboro

It’s easy to find free two-hour public parking in Carrboro, where you can access convenient parking at 10 public lots all over town.

Please remember that the Carr Mill Mall parking area is for mall customers and is not a public parking lot. Leaving the mall premises after parking risks towing. When in doubt, always park in public lots, and enjoy a hassle-free and relaxed shopping and dining experience.

Find more information including an interactive parking map on our Downtown Parking webpage.