How Orange County schools are working to help immigrant families - The Daily Tar Heel 125 Years of Editorial Freedom 3/5/2019, 7:55PM How Orange County schools are working to help immigrant families A school bus drives down MLK Jr. Blvd., on Monday, March 4, 2019. The Buy Photos Orange County Board of Education passed a new resolution in which the board refuses to share information regarding the immigration status of students and their families to immigration agents. This comes after more than 200 North Carolina residents were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the past month. ZAYRHA RODRIGUEZ BY ANDREAMARIE EFTHYMIOU In an effort to protect the privacy of students and families, the Orange County School Board unanimously adopted a resolution in support of immigrant children on Feb. 25. https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/immigrant-children-resolution-0305[3/20/2019 1:48:09 PM] How Orange County schools are working to help immigrant families - The Daily Tar Heel This resolution states the district will neither inquire about a student's immigration status nor share it voluntarily with immigration agencies. The district will allow students to receive a public education, regardless of their immigration status and will promote collaboration between local advocacy groups, government entities and Orange County Schools. “I agree with this resolution, and I believe that (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) involvement is making a negative effect in all aspects of students learning," said community member Cristina Carrasco in an email. With over 200 North Carolina residents arrested by ICE in February, this resolution was passed during a time when ICE involvement in North Carolina remains in the public eye. “I think that the uptick that you’ve seen is again a direct result of some of the dangerous policies that some of our county sheriffs have put into place," said Sean Gallagher, Atlanta field office director for ICE, in a press conference. "It really forces my officers to go out on the streets to conduct more enforcement operations out in the community, at courthouses, at residences, doing traffic stops. This is a direct correlation between the sheriffs’ dangerous policies of not cooperating with ICE and the fact that we have to still continue to execute our important law enforcement mission.” EDITORS PICKS Column: Best Bar in Chapel Rep. David Price addresses Editorial: Weeknight Hill Democratic agenda in parking, lots of greed Raleigh town hall https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/immigrant-children-resolution-0305[3/20/2019 1:48:09 PM] How Orange County schools are working to help immigrant families - The Daily Tar Heel Gallagher is referring to the recent trend of newly elected sheriffs vowing not to participate in ICE programs in the North Carolina. While this was happening, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle joined other North Carolina mayors in denouncing the ICE activity. In December 2018, the arrest of Durham resident Samuel Oliver-Bruno concerned UNC students about the safety of the community. Brenda Stephens, chairperson of the Orange County Schools Board of Education, said she is seeing alarm in public schools now as well. “ICE activity has increased, causing anxiety throughout our area," Stephens said in an email. "Consequently, the board believed that we should reaffirm our resolution from several years ago. And, that’s exactly why we voted unanimously to pass the resolution in support of immigrant children on Monday evening.” In December 2014, the board established its position on equal access to education for immigrant children by unanimously passing a resolution affirming the board's commitment to educational equality and social justice. Stephens mentioned the school district’s collaboration with the Family Success Alliance as an example of existing ties between the district and immigration advocacy networks. The Zone Navigator Program connects community members to navigators who can serve as guides for families in need of different https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/immigrant-children-resolution-0305[3/20/2019 1:48:09 PM] How Orange County schools are working to help immigrant families - The Daily Tar Heel resources. Thilini Weerakkody, a UNC sophomore and co-director of outreach for the Campus Y, helps organize events to promote social justice in the Chapel Hill community. She said she supports the board's resolution. “Immigrant families are experiencing heightened fear and anxiety because of the new immigrant control tactics,” Weerakkody said. “... Education is a human right, and I am proud that my county is choosing to make it more accessible and comfortable for its students.” @andreaefthy [email protected] Next up in UNC-CHAPEL HILL Healing in the wake of emotionally abusive college relationships Vaults, concrete and holograms: Here's what people wanted done with Silent Sam Allegations against IoP founder have created a rift between students and stakeholders SPONSORED Chapel Hill’s Heavenly Buffaloes provides flavorful wings and good company for all Next up in EDUCATION The Kidzu Children's Museum is moving. Here's where and why: Community reacts to CHCCS Board of Education chair resignation How parents' trust of school officials can lead to segregation https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/immigrant-children-resolution-0305[3/20/2019 1:48:09 PM] Not everyone was happy with OWASA's improvement report, despite a community focus - The Daily Tar Heel 125 Years of Editorial Freedom 2/24/2019, 11:43PM Not everyone was happy with OWASA's improvement report, despite a community focus OWASA workers monitor the amount of water flowing in and out of Chapel Hill Buy Photos during the Feb. 2017 water shortage. ALEX KORMANN BY ANDREAMARIE EFTHYMIOU Community partnerships seemed to be the highlight of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority's annual update to the Board of Orange County Commissioners at a Feb. 19 meeting. The main speaker, OWASA secretary Raymond DuBose, presented OWASA's improvement plans for the upcoming year. One change is the implementation of quarterly check-in meetings between the members of https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/02/owasa-report-2019[3/20/2019 1:54:00 PM] Not everyone was happy with OWASA's improvement report, despite a community focus - The Daily Tar Heel the BOCC and the appointees of the OWASA board. DuBose said this was designed to create greater communication between OWASA and the community it serves. OWASA's main system improvement for the upcoming year is a new water main assessment and prioritization model. OWASA did not directly address the large-scale water emergency that happened in Chapel Hill in 2017, nor the water main break that happened in November of 2018, but the new assessment system was originally suggested in the wake of the November event. Each year, OWASA invests about $20 million in capital improvement projects — upgrading pipes, pumps, equipment and more — to increase system resiliency. Nearly 50 percent of customer payments fund these projects, according to Linda Low, OWASA’s communications and community relations officer. These projects would fall under the system improvement plan. OWASA also announced at the meeting that the sewer construction in the historic Rogers Road area is now expected to be complete by the end of April 2019. Construction began in September 2017, but OWASA encountered a lot of dense rock that affected the timeline of construction, according to DuBose. EDITORS PICKS Column: Best Bar in Chapel Rep. David Price addresses Editorial: Weeknight Hill Democratic agenda in parking, lots of greed Raleigh town hall https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/02/owasa-report-2019[3/20/2019 1:54:00 PM] Not everyone was happy with OWASA's improvement report, despite a community focus - The Daily Tar Heel DuBose also discussed OWASA’s new strategies for addressing affordability by partnering with community organizations. In the last year, OWASA has worked with the Orange County Family Success Alliance to share conservation outreach materials translated into Spanish, Burmese and Karen. Mary Tiger, OWASA’s sustainability manager, is now attending the Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative's meetings to learn about its initiatives and how OWASA can help. OWASA is progressing with its Care to Share program, where customers can contribute to the payments of other OWASA customers in need. Donors to this program have the opportunity to make fixed monthly donations or round up their water and sewer bills. In 2018, the program's contributions totaled $7,650. Agua Vista is an initiative to upgrade OWASA’s water meters to simplify customers' ability to monitor their own water use. OWASA's hope is that this will allow easier leak detection and even decrease greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down vehicle miles and related costs. OWASA currently serves more than 80,000 people in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Myra Dotson, an OWASA customer who has lived on Orange Grove Road since the 1980s, complained at the meeting that OWASA has been dumping sludge on her neighborhood's soil. "It is hypocritical for Orange County to have OWASA play any key role in climate change actions because of the polluting activity of OWASA,” she said. https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/02/owasa-report-2019[3/20/2019 1:54:00 PM] Not everyone was happy with OWASA's improvement report, despite a community focus - The Daily Tar Heel She summarized her complaints by criticizing OWASA's environmental footprint in general. “If OWASA was actively working on an alternative to poisoning farmland, air, water and food with sludge, then and only then could I really take them seriously regarding any role in curtailing climate change,” she said. Low said one of OWASA's priorities is educating people in the community on how they can work with OWASA on limiting environmental externalities.