* Jay Bryan – Carrboro Poet Laureate; former Town of Carrboro Alderman
* Ruby Sinreich – Creator and moderator of Orange Politics, transportation advocate
* Kirk Ross – Writer & musician; longtime newspaper reporter, columnist and editor
* Jean Earnhardt – Longtime community activist & conservationist; former Board Member of The Village Project

THANK YOU! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Rob Kark’s “Best Overall” paints for me a dark & unyielding pciture:
“By Basho’s old pond,
four lanes of asphalt now run.
A frog jumps out. Splat!”
This imagery epitomizes the destruction our dependence on the automobile has wrecked on both the natural environment and the once-intimate fabric of our towns and cities, and in a relatively short stretch of time. Splat!

And I also love Rachel Hirsh’s “Most Humorous” submission:

“ ‘You god dang hippies’
Old man scoffs at gas station
Shells out eighty bucks.”

An alternate first line would be “god dang liberals.” No, it is not as visual an image; Rachel’s “hippies” harken to an earlier time of conflict I remember well. “Liberals” captures the inexplicable and maddening paradox of our present, the writhing snake of heartless idealogy devouring itself. And taking everyone else along for the drive. Who are these people – and where did they get all that money??!?

I didn’t get around to finishing my own haiku for CarFree Day until this morning.
“Hear the clouds’ cracklings,
Voices, glances, leaves’ landings:
village without cars.”

Cheers, everyone!

- Jenny
Board member, The Village Project