The Independent Weekly’s view on the news
An update to yesterday’s post.
Here’s the aerial photo of 700 Durhamites spelling out “Google” at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, sponsored by the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
View the full-sized photo at the official Web site.
And if you don’t know what this Google business is all about, check out the Indy’s recent cover story on the Google Fiber project. It could be coming to your town!
Supporters of Durham's application for Google's high-speed Internet project spell out the company's name. Photo by Jeremy M. Lange
Supporters of Durham’s application for the national Google Fiber project gathered at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this afternoon to spell out the company’s name on the baseball outfield.
A photographer in a plane was schedule to fly over the field around noon to take a photo of the assembly. According to Sam Poley of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, more than 700 people turned out for the event. There weren’t quite enough people to spell “We want Google,” he said. Just the word “Google.” The “We want” part will be added as text, said Poley, who is part of a committee working on Durham’s bid for the Google Fiber project. He hopes to release a photo shortly.
Durham is among hundreds of towns and cities nationwide who are vying for Google’s attention and hoping to lure the company to install fiber-optic networks that would allow for Internet connections at extremely high speeds.
See the Indy’s recent cover story and Durham’s Web site for the project for more information.
After a year of delays because of funding shortfalls, the new pedestrian bridge that’s been sitting on the side of N.C. 147 near the Alston Avenue exit will finally be hoisted into place beginning Wednesday night, according to a news release this morning from the City of Durham. If the weather is bad, the erection of the bridge could be postponed. This photo shows what it will look like once in place.
The $2.2 million bridge will connect neighborhoods around Alston Avenue that have long been separated by the Durham Freeway, and help current and future residents reach public transportation hubs, including a station for the Triangle Transit Authority. The original bridge, which was deteriorating and had limited visibility, was closed in 1995.
Traffic on the Durham Freeway will be re-routed to Briggs and Alston avenues from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 5:30 a.m. Thursday, the release said.
For more information on the project, visit the City of Durham Web site >>
In a follow-up to our cover March 10 cover story, “Gaga for Google’s fiber,” we’d like to update metrics of the involvement of the Triangle’s top three participants.
Durham’s still ahead in Facebook presence, with 2,180 fans on its “Bring Google Fiber to Durham N.C.,” page, while 935 people have signed up for “Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh!”. The western part of the Triangle is not far behind: the Facebook group “Bring Google Fiber to Chapel Hill & Carrboro N.C.” boasts 906 members.
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill, will hold a public forum at 7 p.m. today at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., to receive public comment regarding community interest in the fiber optic trial and how residents would use an ultra-high speed Internet network.
On Thursday, Durhamites hope to make a splash by corralling thousands of locals into the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 11 a.m. Thursday to spell out “We want Google” on the field, to pose for an aerial photograph. More here >>
Folks, this is even bigger than the “We Want Oprah!” sign that used to occupy the windows of a converted motel on Corcoran Street downtown.
Durham wants Google. Specifically, Durham residents, businesses, elected leaders and creatives are hoping to lure Google Fiber, an project that Google is embarking on to bring broadband fiber and high-speed Internet access to one or more lucky cities in the U.S. Google has opened the application process to the entire country, and like many cities across the country have demonstrated in recent days, Durham wants in.
To demonstrate Durham’s engagement, a committee has organized an effort to spell the words “We want Google” on the field of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday, March 18, said Sam Poley, a spokesman on Durham’s application for Google Fiber. An aerial photographer will take photos of the display that day and submit them to Google when the application is due, March 26. Continue reading »
After a meeting of city and county elected officials, it doesn’t appear that the City Council or County Commissioners will be reconsidering the Durham’s 26-page ordinance on signage any time soon. When asked by Durham’s planning department whether it’s time to revisit the ordinance, Durham leaders vehemently answered, “No.”
“I personally am not in favor of opening the sign ordinance,” said City Councilwoman Diane Catotti, at Wednesday’s meeting of Durham’s Joint City-County Planning Committee, for which she is chairwoman. “I think it’s a lot cleaner in terms of litigation to support the sign ordinance in place. I do fear litigation. It’s a lengthy and costly process and I don’t think I have to remind any of you that the city has significant litigation still pending. I’ll just say ‘lacrosse.’”
Catotti commented that sign litigation is a prominent form of action taken against governments, and that Durham itself went through a nearly 10-year battle over a signage lawsuit from the 1980s and 1990s that cost the city nearly $1.5 million. Continue reading »
Several local politicos waited until the last minute to throw their names into the hat in Durham’s local and state elections. Candidates had until noon today to declare their intentions to run.
Several previously uncontested races now boast challengers, and in three offices—Durham District Attorney, Clerk of Court and N.C. House District 29—incumbent Democrats Tracey Cline, Archie Smith and Rep. Larry Hall face no challengers.
The rundown of today’s filings:
For the full list, visit the Durham Board of Elections Web site.
Michael Vick, the NFL player convicted in 2007 for running an illegal dogfighting ring in Virginia, is speaking to a group of Durham students this morning at New Horizons Academy of Excellence on Hunt Street.
Vick, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for fighting and inhumanely killing pit bulls in the dogfighting ring. He has held other speaking events and made public apologies for his treatment of animals. He was scheduled to begin an assembly at New Horizons at 10 a.m. today.
New Horizons Academy of Excellence is an independent school that provides ongoing education and job training to middle and high school age students who have been long-term suspended, expelled, or have dropped out of Durham Public Schools.
Randall “Randy” Stewart, of Fox Run Court in Durham, filed Friday morning to challenge 10-term incumbent Rep. Paul Luebke for his seat in the state legislature. Stewart is the second Republican candidate to file for the N.C. House District 30 seat, prompting a primary race with newcomer Jason Chambers. Chambers filed late Thursday.
Mike Ashe, director of Durham’s Board of Elections, says this is the first Republican primary in Durham for N.C. House, at least in recent memory. Durham is a county where Democrats continue to make up a majority.
Candidates may file for office until noon today.
A Republican candidate filed Thursday afternoon to challenge state Rep. Paul Luebke in the race for N.C. House District 30, which represents Durham County. Luebke, a Democrat, has served 10 terms in the state legislature.
Jason Chambers, of 7705 Guess Road in Hillsborough, entered the race just before 5 p.m. His address, which is in Durham County, appears to be affiliated with a tax-exempt fraternal organization known as Woodmen of the World Life Insurance. UPDATE - Chambers called to let us know he has lived in Durham County his whole life and has been an avid political follower for several years. He is in his mid-20s.
Candidate filings are open until noon tomorrow.
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