News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(December 19, 2023) 

Here's what's new in Carrboro:  Happy Holidays, Carrboro! Check out the Holiday Collection Schedule from Public Works. See how the third grade classes of Frank Porter Graham Bilingüe Elementary School celebrated Braxton Foushee Day of Service. Save the date for Libba Cotten Day and the MLK Jr. Day Event in January 2024. 

The Carrboro Holiday Tree is lit!

What an amazing turnout for the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at Carrboro Town Hall on Friday night. Thanks to the students of Carrboro Elementary and McDougle Children's Choir for their festive singing under the direction of music teachers Emma Lincoln and Erika Pawlowski. The program was led by Mayor Barbara Foushee, joined by members of the Carrboro Town Council. 

December Holiday Service Schedule

The Town of Carrboro will observe the holidays Dec. 22-26 and Jan. 2.

Town Hall and other administrative offices will be closed. 

Residential trash will be collected one day prior to your regular collection day for the week of Dec. 18-22.

• If your regular collection day is Wednesday - Your trash will be collected on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
• If your regular collection day is Thursday - Your trash will be collected on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
• If your regular collection day is Friday - Your trash will be collected on Thursday, Dec. 21.

Yard waste will not be collected the week of Dec. 25.

Recycling pick-up will be delayed by one day for the week of Dec. 25-29 and Jan. 1. Learn more at https://www.orangecountync.gov/1741/SWM-2018-Holiday-Schedule

Third grade field trip meeting minutes now available

We really enjoyed having the third grade class from Frank Porter Graham Bilingüe Elementary School last week on Braxton Dunkin Foushee Day of Service. The Mock Council Meeting Minutes are now posted. It makes staff's day to receive thank you notes like these!!

It’s a wrap! 2023 Highlights from the Town of Carrboro 

A Year in Review of the Town of Carrboro highlights. We’re celebrating all the great events and look forward to serving the community in 2024. 

• Watch the video on our Carrboro YouTube Channel
• Read the full 2023 Highlights document (PDF)

Save the Date: Carrboro Honors Dr. King 

Join us on Jan. 13, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in Century Hall located at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. Carrboro, NC 27510 to hear from speakers and friends of the community.

This youth-led event strives to bring the community together to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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

Save the Date – Libba Cotten Day in Carrboro 

Legendary North Carolina musician Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten will be celebrated by her hometown on her birthday anniversary. Friday, Jan. 5, is “Libba Cotten Day” in Carrboro. 

A special reading at the NC Historical Marker on E. Main Street will occur at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 5. The Libba Cotten Bikeway will be decorated in her honor, and there will be a community bike ride. Details will be posted out soon! 

About Elizabeth Cotten -- Born on Jan. 5, 1893, Cotten wrote her signature song “Freight Train” about the train she could hear from her childhood home on Lloyd Street in Carrboro, North Carolina. Cotten's talents as guitarist and songwriter came to light while she was working in the home of the Seeger family, who encouraged her career as a professional musician. Cotten toured across the country, recording several albums and winning a Grammy Award and a National Heritage Fellowship before her death in 1987.

Triangle’s Transportation Agencies Seek Public Feedback on Goals for Region’s Future Transportation System

If you’re interested in future highway, bicycle, rail, pedestrian, and transit projects for our region over the long-term, now’s your chance to give feedback on the goals and objectives that will guide the planning process. 

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) are working on Destination 2055, an update to the Triangle Region's long-range transportation plan, the 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). Destination 2055 will identify future highway, transit, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and other transportation projects for the region over the next 30 years. As the planning process gets underway, it is important for local leaders to understand public perspectives related to the transportation policy goals that will guide future investments. 

Learn more about how to participate.

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.

Leaf Collection Information

Have you noticed leaf piles around town? It’s certainly that time of year. The Town of Carrboro would like to remind everyone that leaves should not be piled into traffic lanes, bike lanes or sidewalks, as they become a dangerous public safety hazard.

Residents should also check collection schedules for yard waste and leaves, so that piles do not remain at the curb longer than necessary. 

Typically, residents receive yard waste and loose-leaf collection twice per month, either on the first and third Mondays of the month or the second and fourth Mondays of the month. It’s important to note that although the collection day is Monday, depending on the volume of material placed at the curb, the routes may take more than one day to complete.  There is no collection on the fifth Monday of the month.

 Check your solid waste collection schedule and note the holiday schedule.

Requirements for Leaf Pickup

•  Residents must pile their leaves behind the curb.
• Don’t put leaves in the street or block sidewalks, bike lanes or storm drains.
• Optional use of a roll-out cart which is collected with an automated side loader refuse truck. 
• No plastic or paper bags are allowed.
• Keep the gutter clear. Allow at least 1 foot between the curb and the leaves.
• Loose leaves waste must be free of all debris.  No dirt, sod, rock, or concrete. 
• Separate loose leaves and brush. Piles that contain limbs, brush or other yard waste will not be picked up.
• Place your leaf piles away from trees that have overhanging branches less than 14 feet from the ground, or lower branches that protrude into the lane of travel. These branches pose hazards to our equipment.
• Park vehicles at least 10 feet away from piles.
• Do not place leaves in lanes of travel (bike lanes/travel lanes).
• Help keep your neighborhood safe for people walking, biking, and driving by placing your trash, recycling and yard waste carts where they don't block the sidewalk, bike lane, or traffic flow.

Facts

• Loose leaves are picked up at no extra charge to our residents. 
• This program helps to keep gutters and storm drainage grates clean and working properly through the winter.
• Carrboro’s Loose Leaf Collection Program is year-round. 
• Often, when residents see our machinery approaching, they will come out and move their parked vehicles so we can access their leaf piles more easily. The crews appreciate this, as it makes the process go more smoothly.
• The Town recycles leaves as compost. Diverting these natural materials from the solid waste stream helps extend the usable landfill space and keeps methane-producing materials out of the landfill. FREE leaf compost is available to Carrboro residents. 
• With appreciation and recognition to the New Hope Audubon Society, the Town is encouraging residents to follow the "Leave the Leaves" initiative. Leaving leaves where they fall, or close thereby, saves time and money and recycles nutrients into the local ecosystem. 

More information about Loose Leaf Collection.

Contact Carrboro Public Works at (919) 918-7425 or PWorks@carrboronc.gov  

Put your ideas into action! 
Apply to serve the Town of Carrboro

The Town of Carrboro is seeking volunteers to provide a fresh perspective on important local issues.

Carrboro local government has various advisory boards and commissions that advise the Town Council on a wide range of issues. We are currently looking to fill vacancies!

When you serve, you become an advocate for the Town of Carrboro, provide feedback to the Council, and help strengthen the community with your unique perspective. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people as you put your ideas into action.

Learn more about the openings available.

Happy Holidays from Carrboro Town Staff

Carrboro Town Staff gathered last week to celebrate the season. We played games, celebrated employees with five- to 20-year service milestones, and shared a good meal.

Carrboro This Week will be taking a short break, returning refreshed and renewed in the New Year.

We hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season!