“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com
Request For Balance
A perspective from Julie McClintock
(Editor’s note: 97.9 The Hill election coverage for this year’s elections can be found here, and specific coverage on the race for mayor of Chapel Hill can be found here)
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to WCHL’s post-election coverage. We still hope to share with your listeners CHALT’s mission of advocacy for better development – development that includes owner-owned affordable housing, clean air and water, and a livable town.
Elections ebb and flow and there are many measures of success. We believe one collective success is the course of and public reception to Hongbin Gu’s run for Mayor. She ran an exemplary campaign, never criticizing her colleagues or her opposition. She made history as the immigrant who stood in Tiananmen Square, earned a research-based PHD at Carolina, and finally on Tuesday completed a compelling campaign for Mayor of Chapel Hill. Quite an achievement and a win for our entire community!
We are particularly thrilled to see health and environmental advocate Adam Searing elected to the Town Council. We also warmly congratulate other new Council members Camille Berry and Paris Foushee, and returning member Karen Stegman. All were hard-fought campaigns and we are proud that CHALT and these candidates advocated so passionately on the issues facing our town.
We are disappointed to see the poll results you cited (Editor’s note: the poll in question can be found here) and wish there were more specific data and more people polled to allow for a better understanding of the results. We are looking forward to building bridges and sharing what we’re about to the community. We are inspired by and would like to share with your listeners Hongbin’s post-election words:
“I’d like to congratulate Mayor Pam Hemminger for her reelection and Karen Stegman, Camille Berry, Paris Miller-Foushee and Adam Searing as newly elected Council members. You fought hard battles and won！
This election had many people engaged and debat(ing) over the future of our town and the role of government accountability, but it’s more important to be reminded (about) the Chapel Hill values that we all share, a diverse and welcoming community with opportunities for all and a green environment that’s resilient against climate crisis and cherished by future generations.
I pledge to do all I can to help Mayor Hemminger and the new Council lead us in our efforts to come together, to bridge our differences for a better future for all of us. It’s a humbling experience to serve the Town of Chapel Hill in the past four years.”
The rest of her post can be found here. https://www.facebook.com/hongbinguchapelhill
We thank Hongbin and those who invest in the future of our town for your service to Chapel Hill.
“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com
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