The Easthom Page

I am absolutely appalled by the Senate Bill 3930.   Here is an OPED that my husband James has submitted to the N&O and the Herald Sun, and I agree with every point.  We had a big discussion “around the kitchen table”  (as John Edwards used to reference)  about this tonight…..explaining to our kids that George Bush can take their friends’ parents down the street and throw them in jail, with no right to challenge detention. The response of my 8 year old was, “that’s not fair!!!!”  Bush must have the mind of a four year old.  Read below.Urging the Congress to pass the Senate Bill 3930 dealing with terror detainee trials, the President stated that his first priority is to provide security to the American people.   No, Mr. President, you are wrong.  Your first priority is to protect and defend the Constitution of the

United States.  Senate Bill 3930, which denies the right of Habeas Corpus, takes away a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution, the right to challenge, in Federal Court, an unconstitutional detention by the government.  Anyone who is deemed to be an enemy combatant by the President can be whisked away in the middle of the night, locked in a secret prison and denied the right to challenge their imprisonment.  Republican Senator Arlen Specter, who attempted to remedy this serious flaw with an  amendment that would have permitted a Habeas Corpus challenge, stated that “[Habeas Corpus] is a constitutional requirement and it is fundamental that Congress not legislate in contradiction to a constitutional interpretation of the Supreme Court.  His amendment failed along party lines, which virtually guarantees that this law will be struck down as  unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.   Even so, today is a sad day for our Constitution and for those who believe that preserving civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution is worth more than than the security that the President thinks this legislation provides. Urging the Congress to pass the Senate Bill 3930 dealing with terror detainee trials, the President stated that his first priority is to provide security to the American people.   No, Mr. President, you are wrong.  Your first priority is to protect and defend the Constitution of the

I am going to include an exerpt from the Princeton University weekly bulletin, dated 2004 (old).  But the information is new for our consideration in Chapel Hill.   Princeton is obviously a private university, but there are many parallels between its university research park and UNC’s Carolina North.  One similarity is in the research parks’ acreage itself and plans for future expansion.  I’d love to say both universities had the same philosophies on land preservation.  UNC has the opportunity to lead the nation in research.  But it shouldn’t stop with research.  UNC should lead the nation in research with a campus committed to sustainability :  with respect to the environment, economy, and social justice on and off campus– in the town in which it resides.  Please read to see what Princeton has done for its community amidst its own research park, Forrestal.  The last line of the article pretty much says it all.

University donates land for open space in South Brunswick 

(Princeton Weekly Review, 11/04)

Princeton NJ — In an effort that eventually could preserve 214 acres of land from development,
Princeton University has turned over the deed for the first 10 acres of property it owned in South
Brunswick Township.   The University has pledged to convey a total of 134 acres that will become part of a tract known as ”Mapleton Preserve at South Brunswick.” It will serve as an open space buffer for both the Delaware and
Raritan Canal and the village of Kingston.”These goals can fairly be described as a commitment to ’smart growth’ before the term became a central part of the regional planning vocabulary . . .”  The land is part of property the University purchased 18 years ago from Princeton Nurseries. A total of 194 acres are expected to be preserved as open space. This figure includes the Princeton property as well as about 60 acres the state’s Green Acres program is negotiating to acquire from Princeton Nurseries. The tract also will include 20 acres housing historic nursery structures that are being preserved, for a total of 214 acres.In addition to the land, the University has committed $100,000 in cash to the implementation of the preservation plan. The property is intended to be used as an interpretive outdoor educational, horticultural and historic preservation center and greenway.”This preservation project reflects goals that we established for Princeton Forrestal
Center when it began in the 1970s, and for the lands that we acquired from Princeton Nurseries in 1986,” said Robert Durkee, vice president and secretary of the University, during an Oct. 29 ceremony at the site. ”These goals can fairly be described as a commitment to ’smart growth’ before the term became a central part of the regional planning vocabulary, and to development that simultaneously enhances the economic vitality and the quality of life in our region.”At the conclusion of this open space initiative,” he added, ”  Princeton
University will have preserved 650 acres of open space in Plainsboro and South Brunswick.’   Durkee noted that the preservation represents the realization of a public/private vision involving New Jersey Green Acres, the township of  South Brunswick, the trustees of the University and the residents of South Brunswick. The University particularly expressed gratitude to South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese, to representatives from New Jersey Green Acres and to Bob Wolfe and David Knights, who manage the University’s Forrestal properties in South Brunswick and Plainsboro. The 194 acres will be preserved, maintained and owned by the state of New Jersey, South Brunswick Township and the University, which is retaining ownership of 31.5 acres that will serve as detention basins but will remain deed-restricted open space.     The University also will continue to own 150 acres of land in South Brunswick for future office/research development along Route 1. By concentrating development along this existing major roadway, the University will be able to generate resources to support its programs of teaching and research while also protecting environmentally sensitive areas, preserving historic structures and minimizing traffic impact on the historic town of Kingston, Durkee said.

The Chapel Hill Town Council is set to hear several concept plans on Monday, the 18th.  If you’d like an interesting discussion on stormwater management issues, then tune into the Aquabella Concept Plan discussion.  If affordable housing and Habitat homes are of interest, we are hearing a concept plan on a Purefoy Rd. subdivision, in the most westernmost area of Chapel Hill.  If you are a student or are interested in downtown redevelopment, then the Ram developers (same as for our downtown Franklin St. mixed use projects) have a concept plan before us with a dramatic change to the existing apartments between MLK and Hillsborough.  The DTH called me on Friday wanting to know more about the Ram project, and wondered what would happen to affordable rentals for students here if these condos were approved.   Even though the council will not definitively decide anything on Monday, there will be many interesting discussions.  Tune in or comment here.

The first meeting of the Town Council will be Monday September 11.  There are several items of interest on our agenda.  Please be aware that my opinions expressed here are initial only, and subject to change during the meeting or afterwards.  

#1–  I thought initially that we would have a draft technology master plan to look at and comment on on Monday.   It’s not on our agenda, and apparently it will be forthcoming at a future meeting.  Not sure of a timeline yet, however.  It is not included on a set date for our “tentative future agendas”.   Obviously this is something that, in my opinion, needs to get going as soon as possible. 

#2–  The Time Warner Cable Satisfaction Survey is before us.  I don’t recall that there is much discussion by the Council when this usually comes up, but I think there should be some discussion to let TWC know we care about the service we are receiving, or not receiving.   TWC points to a lot of successes by saying that things have improved.  But in my opinion, much more improvement to the bottom line in customer service is indicated! To say how wonderful it is that improvement is made (from 1 – 5 with 5 being the best):   with “how easily able to get through by phone” at a level of 3.73, up from 3.07 in 2003;  “ability to get problem resolved the first time, over the phone”  at 3.65 up from 3.12,  is not enough.  In addition,  “appointments being arranged at convenient times”  currently at 3.9 from 3.55.   I recall the funny Seinfeld episdode when Kramer kept his cable guy waiting and played some classical music into the phone while placing him on hold forever, and then giving him time frames (something like 12 to 8 p.m.) in which to come to his apartment.  I am speaking partly here out of my own frustration with TWC’s service.  But I bet I’m not alone.  TWC needs to do better. 

#3– Annual Report from Solid Waste Advisory Board.  I expected a lot more detail here.    I have a lot of concerns about our recycling program, and want to respond to countless residents’ requests about how can we expand our recycling efforts to include things such as curbside cardboard pickup, cereal boxes, etc!  We are so good at recycling here, and yet our landfill is filling up, and filling up, and by 2010 will be “filled up” !   Why not delay the inevitable? 

#4–Bicycle Loan Program.   I think this program is great.  I support it, and how it contributes to the Town’s desire to lower our emissions as part of the CRED program.  I think it satisfies our goals in the Comprehensive Plan for desirable forms of alternative transportation.  The argument against doing it seems to be mainly, we don’t know how it will succeed, if it will succeed.  I say, how would we ever give anything a chance if we didn’t start somewhere.  I say give it a year, and reassess.  I bet we will all feel good about the results we see.

Well that’s it for now.  I’m not going to comment on everything we’re doing Monday night.  Thanks for reading!