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.

Kendall Lytle, a member of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Youth Council, is involved in planning the   event this year. “I’m so excited for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community to be introduced to a multitude of Black-owned businesses in food vendors throughout the area,” Ms. Lytle said. “The movement to #BuyBlack has always been so important to me, so the opportunity to promote these Black-owned businesses is an honor.”

 Here’s a peek at what to expect:

Live Performances
The main stage will feature a variety of local musical acts, including the Gospel Winds, the R&B ensemble Souls of Joy, hip-hop performer Kevin “Rowdy” Rowsey, and steel drummer, Mickey Mills & Steel. Chapel Hill Poet Laureate CJ Suitt and Carrboro Poet Laureate Fred Joiner will also perform on this stage. 

Small Business Fair, Non-Profit Expo, & Local Food 
Local Black-owned business and organizations will be highlighted throughout the event. Small business vendors will sell handcrafted goods and wares inside the center, while non-profits and community groups will engage eventgoers outside. Local Black-owned restaurants and food trucks will serve a variety of foods and special menu items. 

Kids Programming
The celebration will feature an entire zone dedicated to our youth with arts, books, crafts, games, and more. Head inside to the Hargraves gym for a basketball skills clinic and a performance by the Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope team.  

Local History
Different exhibits will be on display for attendees to learn about local Black history and discover local Black culture. 

Learn more at chapelhillcarrborojuneteenth.org. This event is made possible through collaboration with several local organizations. 

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Carrboro Celebrates Juneteenth with Town Holiday 

The Town of Carrboro will observe the Juneteenth holiday on Monday, June 20. 

Town offices will be closed. Yard waste collection will be postponed until Tuesday. 

What you will want to know about Juneteenth: 

• The community is invited to participate in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration (see story above). 
• Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.
• On July 14, 2020, the Carrboro Town Council adopted a resolution designating Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for Town employees. 
• The proclamation declaring Juneteenth in Carrboro will be posted following its reading by Mayor Damon Seils at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/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 14, to consider an agenda that is posted at carrboro.legistar.com and https://bit.ly/3zDv5lJ 

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.  

Past Meeting 
The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday, June 7, and took the following actions on the agenda posted at https://bit.ly/3MgTPmt 

• Welcomed Council Member Eliazar Posada, who was sworn into office by NC Representative Ricky Hurtado. A special election was held on May 17, 2022, to fill an open seat on the Council when Damon Seils was elected to the mayorship in late 2021. 
• Recognized and appropriated contributions made to the Carrboro Fire Department. 
• Authorized the Town Manager to execute a contract extension with Ramey Kemp & Associates (RKA) to complete the preliminary design for the S. Greensboro Street sidewalk project. Learn more at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/2303/S-Greensboro-Sidewalk 
• Authorized staff to request an amendment to NCDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) to allocate local discretionary funds to the Jones Creek Greenway Project. The project will provide walking and cycling options for the Lake Hogan Farms, Legends, Ballentine, and Fox Meadow neighborhoods to destinations such as Morris Grove Elementary and Twin Creeks Park. 
• Held a public hearing on the Recommended Town Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. View the proposed budget at http://www.carrboronc.gov/2708/Recommended-Annual-Operating-Budget-2022 
• Considered a development application for a new three-story commercial and retail building at 201 N. Greensboro St. This was a continuation of a public hearing for the development application for this building. Council directed staff to prepare a findings of fact decision incorporating the modified site plan, sidewalk and a few other conditions. This item will be brought back to Council for final approval before summer break. Located at the corner of Greensboro and Weaver streets in downtown Carrboro, view project plans at  https://www.beaconpropertiesgroup.com/properties/detail/downtown-carrboro-201-n-greensboro-st 
• Received the Annual Orange County Food Council presentation and progress report. The Orange County Food Council (OCFC) is a coalition of community members working to grow a local food system that ensures health, sustainable agriculture, a thriving local food economy and access for all.
• Approved a special use permit application for the ArtsCenter to renovate an existing building at 400 Roberson St. Plans for the center include an auditorium, painting studio, youth center, and various other spaces for artists. Learn more at https://artscenterlive.org/our-new-home/ 
• Adopted the Carrboro Connects 2022-2042 Comprehensive Plan. The plan is built on the foundations of racial equity and climate action and, for the first time, brings the goals of the Town as a whole into a single document. The policies and projects reflect the vision, ideas, and commitment to Carrboro that were shared by thousands of residents, businesses, and organizations. Learn more at https://www.carrboroconnects.org/ 

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, Council Member Eliazar Posada, and Council Member Sammy Slade. More information is available at  http://carrboronc.gov/248/Town-Council 

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Carrboro Community Garden Coalition (CCGC) Garden Tour

Help Carrboro kick Pollinator Week off right! Come to Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 1120 Hillsborough Road from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 18, for a short presentation and discussion about pollinators. A gardener will show visitors around the site, and explain the importance of pollinators, how they built and care for the pollinator beds in the garden, and how having pollinators is important for growing food. 

The community is also invited to visit the Cedars neighborhood pollinator garden to learn about Carrboro’s local pollinators and how you can start your own pollinator garden. Just a 15 minute walk from MLK Park, the community garden is located on the corner of Bolin Forest and Stable roads (parking also available on Bolin Forest Road). 

* On Google Maps, type in Stable Road for walking or driving directions. 

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Stormwater Control Measures & Mosquitoes

If designed and maintained properly, stormwater control measures (SCMs) should not promote mosquito breeding. Stormwater management is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of human impacts on the environment, including controlling flooding, improving water quality, increasing groundwater recharge, and reducing stream channel erosion. Ensuring that stormwater facilities are properly designed & maintained is the key to limiting mosquito production in these practices. 

There are many Stormwater Control Measures within Carrboro, some of which are large, end-of-pipe basins that contain and treat water from large drainage areas. Others are small, landscaped practices located within right of way areas, schools and libraries, and on private property that collect and treat smaller volumes of water close to the source. Some SCMs will pond water temporarily and some retain water permanently to improve water quality. Some are owned and maintained by the town most are privately owned and maintained.

SCMs that Hold Water Permanently: Stormwater management ponds typically are not preferred breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Wet ponds and stormwater wetlands with aquatic habitats maintain natural predators that control mosquito populations.

SCMs that Hold Water Temporarily: Dry detention basins, bioretention, and rain gardens are designed to detain and infiltrate stormwater. Facilities fill up during storm events and then release the water within two to three days. Because these systems are designed to hold water for only short periods of time, these practices should not sustain mosquito populations.

What You Can Do to Reduce Mosquitoes on Your Property

Mosquitoes cannot complete their life cycle to become biting adult mosquitoes if: 

• Water is flowing, like in a stream, river, or fountain
• Predators like fish, frogs, salamanders, dragonflies, and aquatic insects prey on the mosquitoes
• Water drains within a week. 

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant, standing water. As little as a teaspoon or bottle cap of water standing for more than a week is enough for eggs to develop into adult mosquitoes! By preventing standing water you can eliminating breeding places and help reduce mosquito populations. Doing a quick weekly yard walk through helps to  identify and correct standing water in your yard.

• Clean out roof gutters and down-spouts screens.
• Flush birdbaths and saucers under potted plants at least once a week.
• Turn over children’s wading pools, buckets, wheelbarrows, canoes, and garbage can lids so they don’t hold water.
• Drain water trapped in folds and arrange tarps so water runs off.
• Fix dripping outdoor water facets.
• Get rid of puddles from air conditioners.
• Dispose of trash such as plastic bags, bottles caps, open drink cans/bottles, styrofoam cups, or food wrappers.
• Throw away used tires. If you have a tire swing, drill holes in bottom of the tire so water can drain.
• Check recycle and trash bins if left out in the rain and dump our water.
• Drain water that collects on swimming pool covers.
• Add an aerator or fountain to your birdbath or ornamental pond.
• Keep rain barrels  tightly closed, use debris screens to filter the water entering the barrel, and use the collected water within a week.

For more information visit https://townofcarrboro.org/2711/Mosquitoes or contact stormwater staff at Stormwater@CarrboroNC.gov or 919-913-2999.

Are you interested in becoming a firefighter? 

Apply today to join the Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department. 

carrborofire.org/APPLY

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