A NEW YEAR (A WCHL Commentary)

This is Fred Black.  With the coming of a new year, some follow the tradition of making resolutions that are intended to guide our behavior or motivate us to again try to do things we said we would do in the last year but didn’t do.  It’s pretty obvious that most who engage in this practice don’t do a very go job of making the resolutions a reality, but we still start the new year with the best of intentions.  One of the important things that will happen in 2012 that will have a significant impact on our local community is the comprehensive plan.  The Town’s 2020 Chapel Hill process is designed to include as many voices as possible, indicating what they would like our town to look like in the coming years.  There are themes covering a variety of issues and all have been invited to share their opinions.  There have been three discussion sessions and more are to come.  A lot has been written about the feeling that some have about the feeling that not all of the voices that need to be included are present.  We need this process to include everyone so that all points of view are considered.  Even if you can’t attend the meetings there is a website where opinions can be shared.  Just go to www.chapelhill2020.org to learn more about the details, and go to www.2020buzz.org  to read blog posts and to leave your own comments.  If you haven’t already participated, I hope you will include doing so a priority for 2012.  When the process concludes, wouldn’t it be great for you to say, We did a good job because the “we” included me.  This is Fred Black.

PATIENCE, Part II (A WCHL Commentary)

In a commentary in March of 2008, I spoke about patience.  We had just experienced a horrific murder of an amazing , inspirational young woman who was the president of the UNC student body.  So here we are, 1 thousand, 3 hundred and 86 days later, and now after two convictions, justice has been served.  No it wasn’t like TV where there’s a crime, the police investigate, the perp is apprehended, the DA conducts the trial, and the jury comes to a decision, all in one hour, including commercials.   

Yes, the search for justice for Eve Carson took over 3 years and 9 months, but justice was served when the jury came back with a guilty on all charges verdict.  I think the jurors did a great job, as did Judge Baddour, DA Jim Woodall and his staff, and all of the law enforcement leaders and agencies who were involved.   

Some still might wonder why this case took on the life that it did and has so much emotionalism associated with it.  I think we were shaken to our core because we just couldn’t believe that someone would come into the community with the express purpose of committing a crime and end up murdering the victim.  Our disbelief was obvious back in March of 2008 and we realized our personal security was as fragile as it was.  Those things just didn’t happen here …., or so we thought.  

 So the verdict might bring some comfort and closure to the family, friends and all who live here, but we still must remember, we do live in the real world, and one where we do see that in this case, justice was served.  May the same be true in all cases.