The Devil You Know - Our Turning

Four panel comic. Scene: in front of Raleigh City Hall. Zahir pats Neville on the back, saying "Neville, my man, are you excited about presenting your dream community to City Council?" Neville looks frazzled and pats his pockets while saying "Quite! I just hope I remembered everything. Let's see, I've got the memory stick, and ..." Panel 2: They enter the lobby which is full people: church ladies, woman in a head scarf, a punk with an "affordable housing for all!" tee, and a business guy on his phone. Neville says, "Wow, the lobby is packed! What's what's going on, Zahir?" He answers, "The election is just a few weeks away. Depending on how it goes, we could have a very different City Council." Panel 3: Zahir says, "Folks are trying to get budgets and approvals locked in with the devil they know." A business guy shows a proposal for a new stadium to a woman with a "Save Our Birds" tee and a gray-haired suburban lady. Another woman races by in the background. Panel 4: Zahir says "Agenda is packed too, with zoning at the end as usual." Neville says, "ZZZ is for zoning! Hey, is that Arthur and TerryAnn? In person?!?" Zahir says "Looks like they scored a last-minute spot on the agenda!" He's holding the agenda, which lists Arts Center, Hurrican Preparedness, Park for Dogs or Birds?, Recycling, Water during Drought. Finally the heading Zoning has Community Housing and Arthur & TerryAnn Update.

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Next Election: November 3, 2026

As I write this, a US national election is 73 days away. Here in Raleigh, we’ll have a looooong ballot, going from US Senator to Raleigh City Council, school board, and local judges. Please check to make sure you are registered to vote at the correct address. Here’s where to look if you live in North Carolina. Make any changes needed, and make a plan to vote early, by mail, or in person on Election Day.

The Mayor and City Council Make a Difference

City Council addresses all sorts of issues that affect our daily quality of life and our ongoing safety. For example, in July 2024 they considered whether to adopt a new Raleigh flag. I love the crisp design for our City of Oaks, which combines the silver diamonds of Sir Walter Raleigh’s coat of arms and an acorn from our mighty oaks. Oaks are the top keystone plants here in the wildlife foodweb, supporting a whopping 488 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars. The caterpillars become new moths or butterflies, or they provide essential food for baby birds.