Everyone 16 and older in North Carolina is now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Walk-in clinic for COVID-19 vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) will be held on Saturday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TARHEEL TOWN PHARMACY; 370 E Main Street, Suite 160; Carrboro, NC 27510; Phone: (919) 240-7827; www.ttownpharmacy.com

News from Orange County Health Department 
The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) is ready for people to sign up to be vaccinated. To register with OCHD complete the Vaccine Interest Form (VIF) at https://redcap.link/OCHDvax or call (919) 913-8088. The phone line is operated daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spanish and other languages available.

The Orange County Health Department is not the only place to get the vaccine. See a full list of vaccinators at myspot.nc.gov or call 888-892-1162.

Find providers vaccinating in Orange County at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1670 

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Attention all cyclists: VIRTUAL CARRBORO CRUISE 2021!

We encourage you to get outside and take a ride on your own with your family or small group of friends around Carrboro at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11. Somewhere along your ride snap a photo and post it to your favorite social media with the hashtag #CarrboroCruise2021 and #CarrboroOpenStreets2021. 

We will select our favorite photo and reward the photographer with some awesome prizes. The photo must be submitted on Sunday, April 11.   

High fives! Have fun! Be safe! 

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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 townofcarrboro.org/signup

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community.  Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views and questions at council@townofcarrboro.org

Coming Up
The Town Council will meet virtually at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, to consider the agenda available at bit.ly/320On2d and also posted at carrboro.legistar.com     

To view, livestream at carrboro.legistar.com or YouTube.com/CarrboroNC OR Cable TV 18 (in Carrboro). To speak at the meeting email publiccomment@townofcarrboro.org 

More information including the April 6 meeting summary is available at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1678

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Poetry Month in Carrboro

As we enter the second year of the coronavirus pandemic, it continues to be ever so timely for a proclamation recognizing the value and essence of poetry.” –Mayor Lydia Lavelle 

CARRBORO, NC -- Mayor Lydia Lavelle has declared April Poetry Month in Carrboro, urging everyone in the town to take time this month to read selections of poetry, and to share the gift of poetry with others. 

The Academy of American Poets established the month of April as National Poetry Month in 1996, making this year a celebration of the 25th anniversary of this annual celebration. 

On a local level, the Town of Carrboro established the position of Poet Laureate in 2002, the current Poet Laureate being Fred Joiner. The poet laureate coordinates the opening of every Carrboro Town Council meeting with the reading of a poem. 

Observances in Carrboro include: 

• “Poem in Your Pocket Day” takes place on Thursday, April 29; on this specific date, people are urged to select a poem and carry it with them to share with others; this year on this date, people are urged to share their poems on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem
• Town of Carrboro will celebrate National Poetry Month with a menu of local poets reading from their works on Monday, April 26, 2021; e-mail Dana Hughes at the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department at dhughes@townofcarrboro.org to request a Zoom link to this event

Read Mayor Lavelle’s proclamation for Poetry Month below or at https://www.townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/9002/2021-Poetry-Month 

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Mayor Lydia Lavelle Signs Mayor’s Monarch Pledge

CARRBORO, NC -- Mayor Lydia Lavelle has signed the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge nwf.org/mayorsmonarchpledge a step aimed at protecting the iconic butterfly, a species whose eastern populations have declined by 90% and western populations by 99% in recent years.

Through the Mayors' Monarch Pledge, U.S. cities, municipalities, and other communities are committing to create habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators, and to educate community members about how they can make a difference.  

Actions to increase pollinator habitat throughout Carrboro include:  

• Issuing a proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat.
• Advancing a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods.
• Hosting a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
• Hosting a monarch neighborhood challenge to engage neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations within the community to increase awareness and/or create habitat for the monarch butterfly.
• Continuing an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
• Displaying educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat beyond monarch demonstration gardens.

Find more information on the National Wildlife Foundations’ Monarch Butterfly webpage at nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly   

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Orange County HOME Consortium Seeking Public Input on Draft Annual Action Plan

The Orange County HOME Consortium is seeking public input on the draft Annual Action Plan for the FY 2021-22 HOME Program. 

Each year, Orange County receives funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. The County creates an annual plan (the Annual Action Plan) that lays out how HOME funds will be spent in the upcoming program year to address the County’s affordable housing needs and priorities. 

More at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1671

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Local Resources for Free COVID-19 Testing

Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, has been around people outside of their household or thinks they have been exposed to the virus should get tested. 

Monday-Saturday Testing Chapel Hill:

• COVID-19 testing is available every weekday Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Southern Human Services Center at 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Testing will take place in the large conference room inside the front entrance.
• Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online: https://lhi.care/covidtesting 

Weekday Testing Hillsborough:

• COVID-19 testing is available every weekday Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Whitted Human Services Center at 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough NC 27278. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online. Select Orange County when registering: https://unityphm.com/campaigns/starmed

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Affordable Housing Panel Discussion

Meeting of the Minds will host a virtual, communitywide Affordable Housing Panel Discussion and Q&A on Monday, April 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The discussion will center on the housing needs of people living at 30% AMI and below.

Please sign-up for the event here: http://bit.ly/3cWtV7N and share the event with others!

Learn more at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1667

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