A group of 48 Durham and Chapel Hill clergy members stepped into the Wake County school diversity fight Friday.
The Concerned Clergy of Durham issued a statement calling on the Wake school board to restore the recently discarded policy of trying to keep school enrollments socioeconomically balanced. The group argued that the elimination of the diversity policy in favor of neighborhood schools will lead to resegregation.
The Durham clergy members explained their reason for speaking out about Wake by invoking the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
The Durham school system used to have a racial diversity policy, highlighted by the 1992 merger of the city and county schools. But amid lack of community support, the district abandoned the effort in 2001.
Survey on Meeker
Wake County Republican Party Chairman Claude Pope Jr. hasn't made his disapproval of Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, a Democrat, much of a secret. So it didn't come as much of a surprise this week when Pope and Wake GOP members moved to capitalize on Meeker's controversial June 21 remarks at an East Raleigh community meeting that members of the Wake school board's majority "are not from the area" and "don't share our values."
An online survey is now up on the county Republican website, www.wake gop.org, asking respondents how long they've lived here, whether Meeker has different values than they do and whether they "support forced busing of our children in Wake County."
The poll asks for party affiliation, but it's a pretty safe assumption that this non-scientific survey will lean to the anti-Meeker camp, considering Pope's e-mail blast this week to party members asking them to weigh in.
On water and watering
Raleigh's continuing public utilities paradox - a water system put in the red after citizens responded to the city's requests for conservation - was brought up during this week's city budget meeting where the council approved raising water rates.
Councilman John Odom took umbrage with conservation measures on the books and with the city limiting lawn watering to every other day. With Falls Lake nearly full and the city in need of more money, Odom wants to know why people who want to pay more for green lawns can't water every day.
He tried to get the seven other members of the council to back him in lifting the restrictions. He got flustered when Mayor Charles Meeker suggested that the council finish talking about raising water rates before tackling Odom's suggestions.
"It won't pass because my leverage is with the rates," an exasperated Odom told Meeker. He ended up being right, and no other council members agreed with him.
Why close?
Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt says he doesn't understand the Chapel Hill Museum's decision to close July 11 after not getting all it wanted for the new fiscal year.
The private, nonprofit museum asked for $34,000 to $49,000 in operating money and $15,000 to begin making repairs to the town-owned building. The museum board also wanted some assurance the museum would someday become part of town operations.
The Town Council voted 7-1 to give the museum $20,250 in operating money, part of it contingent on seeing a viable business plan this fall, and to put up to $50,000 aside for building maintenance. The museum announced last week it would shut its doors.
"I think the council was a little startled," Kleinschmidt said. "... I don't know what they're asking or what they're thinking."
On Friday, Town Manager Roger Stancil sent a letter to museum director Traci Davenport saying the town's offer is still good if the museum board changes its mind.
Political trails
Northern Orange Republican Women will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. July 13 at the Mayflower Restaurant in Hillsborough.
Northern Wake Democrats will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. July 14 at the Stella Mare Ristorante and Pizzeria, 7713 Lead Mine Road, in the Greystone Shopping Center in Raleigh. State Rep. Chris Heagarty will speak. Call 802-8286 with questions.
The North Durham Republican Party, a new group, is having its first meeting at 7 p.m. July 15 at Durham Pizza Restaurant, 4707 Hillsborough Road.
Compiled by staff writers T. Keung Hui,Sarah Ovaska and Mark Schultz
