Columns

Chatham County Animal Welfare Conference on June 8
[May 2, 2013] On Saturday June 8, we will hold the first county wide animal welfare conference. The purpose of the summit is to bring together as many of the animal welfare groups and individuals in the county as possible to discuss strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate animal suffering in Chatham County. In addition to inviting non-profit groups and interested citizens, members of the county health department advisory committee, animal control and others are being invited. However, it's important to note that is not an official county sponsored event. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

I will do my part to protect the freedoms spelled out in the U.S. constitution
[Feb. 13, 2013] There has been a lot of discussion lately in the community regarding gun and ammo sales at local retailers, specifically Wal-mart. Some have suggested that we, as a board of commissioners, should try to stop walmart from selling these items as a means of increasing public safety. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

Transcript: 2012 second presidential debate
[Oct. 17, 2012] President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney met in Hempstead, New York Tuesday evening, October 16, for the second of three presidential debates.

S. T. Wooten Corporation plant history and Chatham County
[Sep. 24, 2012] The S. T. Wooten Corporation plant on Sugar Lake Road in eastern Chatham County was installed around 1974 on a lease to Lee Paving Company. There were highway projects which justified this plant, including the US Highway 64 bridges crossing Jordan Lake circa 1980. At that time, there were no houses or developments on Sugar Lake Road and Sugar Lake itself was still a stone quarry operated by American Stone. By Tom Glendinning

A few comments about the 2012-13 Chatham County Budget
[Jun. 28, 2012] On June 18 we passed the FY 2012-2013 budget. I want to touch on the highlights of the budget and make a few comments in areas that might need some clarification. To see the approved budget and a more complete summary please visit the county website. When the majority took office we pledged to make spending cuts, focus our spending on core functions, and raise taxes only as a last resort. We knew that by prioritizing dwe could increase spending in core areas without additional tax burden to the citizens. I'm pleased to say that the county staff has been able to once again prepare a budget that allows us to maintain our property tax rate at 62.19 cents. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

My vote on the Western Wake Partners pipeline
[Feb. 22, 2011] Like most decisions that the board of commissioners has to make, this one was not as straight forward as it might first appear. The decision to allow the Western Wake Partnerships to route the pipeline that will carry clean water from the New Hill treatment facility was made after careful consideration and deliberation. I realize many disagree with my vote. The answer for me came down to the fact that I believe this is best for the affected landowners and Chatham County as a whole. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

Chatham County's budget reduction strategy
[Feb. 22, 2011] During our county commission planning retreat earlier this month we discussed different strategies to reduce spending. We all agreed that an across the board spending cut was not the best approach. It's important that while we are working on spending reductions we simultaneously work to prioritize our spending. The result will be an overall reduction in spending but some services may receive an increase in overall allocation from the county. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

Did Chatham School Superintendent Logan issue a gag order on the issue of school reorganization?
[Feb. 14, 2011] On February 3, 2011 Chatham County Schools Superintendent Robert L. Logan issued a memorandum to all Chatham County Schools personnel outlining the proposed school system reorganization.

Chatham County Commissioner retreat recap
[Feb. 2, 2011] We wrapped up the second day of our three day commissioners retreat on Tuesday. (Final day will be on February 8). It was a very productive two days with most of the time spent discussing our priorities, the budget policy & process, budget reduction strategies, and the capital improvement plan (CIP). By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

My vote on the Chatham County landfill
[Feb. 2, 2011] t our meeting on January 18, we voted to halt our efforts to identify a potential landfill in the county. I understand that we have a responsibility to deal with our trash but am not convinced that a landfill is the best long-term solution. Over the past 18 months the solid waste advisory committee has been studying various alternatives for us to dispose of our trash. We currently ship our trash to a regional landfill in Sampson County; an 81 mile drive. We all agree that this isn't the best long-term solution. By Brian Bock
Also: Commissioner Bock Blog

Taxpayers foot 99% of the Pittsboro Express cost
[Jan. 24, 2011] Why did the Board of Commissioners decide not to continue funding the Pittsboro Express Bus after the current contract runs out? Let’s look at some background and numbers. By Donna Kelly

No real need for a Sustainable Communities director position in Chatham County
[Jan. 17, 2011] We keep hearing now that the Sustainable Communities director position was created to promote efficiencies and reduce redundancies in county government departments. How about we look at the minutes of some of the BOC meetings when the position was being created to see what the BOC was saying at the time? By Donna Kelly

Civitas releases poll results for the NC House District 54 race
[Aug. 19, 2010] A recent poll of 350 voters in NC House District 54 revealed some interesting trends. The seat has been a Democratic stronghold for thirty years by one individual, Rep. Joe Hackney. There was little concern regarding the seat in 2008 as Mr. Hackney enjoyed a 70% approval rating as well as a budget surplus. However, times have significantly changed. Mr. Hackney, along with Governor Beverly Perdue and Senator Marc Basnight, have rubberstamped the largest deficit in North Carolina history. This has caused Mr. Hackney’s approval rating to drop 19 points. The other difference this time is the emergence of a serious and legitimate contender for his seat in Republican candidate, Cathy Wright.

64 known JournoListas
[Jul. 24, 2010] JournoList was a private Google Groups forum for discussing politics and the news media with 400 journalists, academics and others, most with left of center political views. A Free Republic poster compiled this list of known members of the Journolist. The following 64 names are confirmed members of the now-defunct JournoList listserv.