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(06/24/09 4:00am)
It's official: Carolina North was approved.After almost a year of deliberation the Chapel Hill Town Council voted Monday to approve the development agreement for the new research campus" which will allow construction to move forward.""I think it turned out to be an excellent" innovative document that is worth all the time we put into it" said Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy.The UNC Board of Trustees will vote on the development agreement at their meeting today. Carolina North is a proposed 250-acre research and multipurpose campus that will be located on the Horace Williams Tract, about two miles north of the University's main campus.Before any construction could begin, the site's zoning required a development agreement to be written and approved.University and town officials collaborated to create the agreement, which outlines specific ways the development of Carolina North will be true to all parties' visions.The agreement addresses issues including parking and transportation, affordable housing, pedestrian pathways and environmental conservation, among others.A draft was completed in April. Although council members were initially worried that it would not be approved on time, the last of many work sessions with the council and trustees happened Monday, on schedule.And officials plan to continue this collaboration throughout the entire development of Carolina North, noting that revision and review must continue for the project to be successful.This is a living document" and it has a lot of ongoing commitments in it" Chancellor Holden Thorp said. The first part of Carolina North scheduled to be built is the Innovation Center, which will help entrepreneurs develop ideas and work on turning their ideas into business. Next will be a law school.According to the permit for the Innovation Center, building must start by 2011 and finish by 2013.An initial report projected that the first 15 years of development will leave the town with at least a $1 million deficit, something the council will look at in the future.Some council members, although pleased with the agreement, stressed the need for continued oversight.It's a bit quixotic"" Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said. Just because we have it now doesn't mean we'll have it a year from now."" Thorp said that while he thought this would be one of the hardest things to get done"" he was happy with the way things turned out. ""It's been enjoyable and produced a great outcome for the community"" he said. Now we need money to build a law school.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(05/20/09 4:00am)
The recommended budget for Orange County has been created to operate at a revenue neutral tax rate while addressing priorities of providing safety net services for the county.The new recommended budget will necessitate a change in the way services are delivered in various departments and reductions in county programs are recommended across the board.The $177.6 million budget developed by County Manager Laura Blackmon allocates 51.6 percent of the General Fund to county departments and the remaining 48.4 percent to fund local school districts.Blackmon is recommending a four percent funding increase in employee health insurance effective January 1 2010.She also is requesting to maintain the living wage at $10.12 an hour. No employee furloughs are expected" but a 12-month hiring freeze is recommended for vacant county positions.""The situation for next year may be worse"" she said. We want to make sure there is flexibility for next year.""Major sources of revenue for the county include property and sales taxes" monies from other governments and fees for various services.A new property tax rate of 85.8 cents is being recommended following property revaluations earlier this year.It is estimated that one cent on property tax adds around $1.5 million in additional revenue.There will be two public hearings regarding the recommended budget. The first will take place tonight at Central Orange Senior Center in Hillsborough. The second will take place May 26 at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill. The final county budget will be approved June 16.Contact the City Editor at city@unc.edu.
(04/28/09 4:00am)
5:45 P.M. TUESDAY APRIL 28 -- A former Chapel Hill Transit driver pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor death by vehicle today.James Willie Orr 65 at the time of the incident struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk at South Columbia Street while driving an NS-route bus last October.Orr was given a 45-day suspended sentence. Aside from paying cost of court Orr will have to pay a $100 fine and serve 100 hours of community service. The judge said Orr might have to serve on a motor vehicle panel where he would share his experience.Orr will remain on unsupervised probation for 18 months. During that time he will have to submit monthly motor vehicle record checks.Driving records presented to the court showed that Orr had been involved in previous incidents but none that warranted a citation defense attorney Karen Davidson said during the proceedings.Valerie Hughes33 who had been a radiology imaging specialist for UNC Health Care since 2007 died after she was struck when Orr made a left turn off Mason Farm Road onto South Columbia StreetImmediately after the incident Orr was placed on leave without pay. After further investigation he lost his job with Chapel Hill Transit.
(04/23/09 4:00am)
If Orange County Commissioners build a proposed waste transfer station their consulting firm stands to earn close to half a million dollars.The company Olver Inc. is being paid to sort out the future of the station in Bingham township" about 10 miles west of Carrboro.Commissioner Barry Jacobs and some residents say that constitutes a conflict of interest — especially when the firm is being asked to look into the option of not building a transfer station at all.The issue is part of a list of comments and concerns shared by commissioners and residents alike that complicate the validity of the county's transfer station search. ""I think it's a legitimate concern"" Jacobs said, adding that he's gotten into head butting"" with staff in the past about similar issues. ""I doubt I'm the only one who's looking with a skeptical eye.""The county has been trying to site a waste-transfer station" which would serve as collection point for garbage before it is shipped out of the county for more than two years.After the county scrapped plans to build a station on Eubanks Road in November 2007 commissioners interviewed two consulting firms to look for a transfer station site.They chose Olver which has whittled down hundreds of possibilities to a final site in Bingham.Recently commissioners also asked the company to look into the price of alternatives to building a transfer station like outsourcing the county's waste management to private contractors. If the county moved to abandon plans to build a transfer station Olver would miss out on more than $400000 in engineering fees.If the county chooses the company to manage construction it could earn even more.But Gayle Wilson the county's solid waste management director says it's not a problem to ask Olver to provide an objective perspective on something that could lose the firm money. Having a company both site and build a station is standard procedure Wilson said. The people driving the complaints are residents who can't take no for an answer" Wilson said.""Apparently there's not enough real news associated with this project"" he said. The conflict of interest is a dead end that people who are desperate for issues are trying to use.""Residents have also raised concerns that Jim Reynolds" a former manager in Wake County's waste management division now works for Olver on the transfer station project.Multiple news sources reported that Reynolds resigned earlier this year amid controversy over inappropriate expense reports that he signed. The forms had authorized staff not on official business to take trips around the country.Bob Sallach Olver's project manager for the station search who said he spoke on behalf of Reynolds" said bringing up his history is a low blow.""I think it's extremely cheap"" he said, adding that Reynolds' expertise is invaluable to Orange County. I'm not sure that anybody knows what happened in Wake County.""He said Reynolds is an analyst and not in a position to affect the future of county waste management. Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey also said there is no question of whether the company has a conflict of interest.""Professional engineers are bound by their professionalism and by their ethics to provide the best information" she said.But Jacobs wasn't sure. I'm not sure I would hire the gentleman" he said. I'm not sure I would have wanted to hire a company of which he was a prominent member.""As resident groups like Orange County Voice gear up protests" some commissioners are eager to bring the transfer station search to a close.But others say every question brings on a tangle of others" further complicating the decisions the board will have to make.""It's almost like a rug that has rough edges" Jacobs said. If you start pulling one of the edges" the rug starts unraveling and you don't know where that's going to end.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/22/09 4:00am)
Discussion about alternatives to a proposed county waste transfer station off N.C. 54 might be at an end.Orange County Commissioners said Tuesday that a decision had to be made about where to site a proposed waste transfer station that would not involve alternative options or a temporary waste transfer station in the Rogers Road community.""I think it's been clearly shown that consideration for parallel tracks should end"" said chairwoman Valerie Foushee.Despite vehement opposition to the proposed waste transfer site in Bingham township off N.C. 54 from residents, county commissioners said they would still consider the site as the prime candidate for the transfer station.The only thing you guys would like us to do" which I don't think we can do is cancel all the sites we've considered" said commissioner Alice Gordon to objectors. The proposed waste transfer station would serve as a solution to the county's waste management. The county landfill, currently located in the Rogers Road community, was originally set to be full in 2011, but as of recently might be usable until 2012.Now that they have another year, commissioners said they felt they needed more information before coming to a final decision on a site for the waste transfer station.The commissioners said that's because they were being flooded with conflicting information and reports from town residents and the consultant company.We just found out we have a year longer" and we need all the information to make the best decision for the long term said commissioner Pam Hemminger.One point of contention was whether the waste transfer station would handle solely trash or both trash and recycling operations. Preliminary reports issued to the commissioners suggested it would handle both.Orange County solid waste management director Gayle Wilson told the consultants hired by the county to figure out the costs of a waste transfer station in Bingham township to make it the minimum facility" excluding recycling operations, without consulting the board.It seemed prudent at the time" but I will keep you informed Wilson told Commissioner Barry Jacobs.Some commissioners also said they were opposed to a temporary transfer station in the Rogers Road community. Wilson said the temporary station would just involve bringing in trucks to ship the trash out of the landfill before it fills.I will say that I oppose without any hesitation a temporary waste transfer station in that community" Foushee said.Commissioners agreed they needed to set up a work session later to analyze the data fully, but a decision needed to be made soon.I think dragging this out any further is unfair to the Rogers Road community"" said Vice Chairman Mike Nelson. Part of leadership is knowing when to put a period on the end of a sentence.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/22/09 4:00am)
University officials are compromising with the town after months of debate about Carolina North.The Board of Trustees now says they will not develop part of the property for a period of 100 years after previously saying that they would protect the land for only 50.Chapel Hill Town Council members had demanded trustees designate certain areas in the development area of Carolina North as permanent conservation areas.They said lands of ecological significance demanded permanent conservation particularly a 53-acre area in the southwest portion of the proposed satellite campus on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.At a meeting with the trustees Wednesday" most council members expressed support for the compromise.""Don't think of this as" ‘It's going to be gone in 100 years' think of this as 100 years of time we've bought to demonstrate that the land is worth protecting" Mayor Kevin Foy said.UNC Board of Trustees chairman Roger Perry and most council members said they are willing to adopt the new timeline.Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward was the only dissenting voice, saying trustees were devaluing the land in the temporary conservation area.One hundred years protection doesn't have significant value to me" and it shouldn't for others who want to protect this land in its natural condition Ward said.Perry said he was disappointed in the reception for the land compromise.As opposed to you we do not think its importance is as great as fulfilling the mission of this University to the state of North Carolina Perry said. By golly" we think we've really gone the extra mile.""The map also featured a larger area covered as a conservation area because the borders were smoothed out and drawn as a simple polygon rather than an exact border.Even with a vocal agreement" the town council still needed to discuss the matter further" council member Mark Kleinschmidt said.""If the last nine years has taught us anything" any decision about Carolina North has to be justified" he said.Council members applauded the concession as a major step forward in the process to approve a final development between the town council and trustees by June.The council and trustees also discussed housing on Carolina North, saying it needed to be determined by square footage rather than estimating the possible number residents.The trustees and town council will meet again May 21.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/15/09 4:00am)
County Commissioners are looking to make the most of their public sessions by balancing efficiency with openness to public input.The Orange County Board of Commissioners discussed Tuesday ways to increase efficiency and streamline communication between board members and county staff.""I think we should hear people" but I don't think we should hear the same message" said Chairwoman Valerie Foushee.Comments sometimes prevent the board, which handles an annual operating budget of more than $170 million, from getting through the entire meeting agenda.The board is considering preventing speakers from talking about issues they had talked about at previous meetings.Commissioner Barry Jacobs said he approves of this proposal for budget public hearings, of which there are only two each year, but not for regular meetings.At public budget meetings, many people show up twice to say the same things, he said. But at regular meetings, he said, people's opinions on particular issues may evolve, and they should be able to voice their concerns more than once.The commissioners also discussed limiting public comment at regular meetings to one hour.Residents have expressed concern that the new provisions would restrict the amount of public input reaching commissioners.Commissioners referred the comments to staff and will decide on measures at a later meeting.The commissioners spent much of the evening discussing transparency and public accessibility to board affairs.The cable station's not working" said Commissioner Pam Hemminger. People just can't find out what's going on at our meetings" and that's not good.""Broadcasting recorded board meetings online might be a promising way of getting information to the public" said Commissioner Steve Yuhasz.Commissioner Alice Gordon suggested simpler means of transparency: completing and posting meeting agendas on time releasing news on issues that are controversial or complicated and issuing meeting summaries.Interim possibilities in handThe county has four possible candidates for an interim county manager who would replace Laura Blackmon Blackmon is stepping down in June.The board will go into closed session April 20 to discuss the candidates.The commissioners are working on a profile for what they would like from a new permanent manager. Representatives from the consulting firm conducting the search say it will then take about 110 days.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/08/09 4:00am)
11:25 a.m. WEDNES. April 8 -- A judge has set a trial date in the federal case against one of the men charged with killing former student body president Eve Carson.Demario Atwater22 will begin trial November 2 if all goes according to schedule.Prosecutors say Atwater and another man kidnapped Carson before shooting her in a neighborhood off East Franklin Street.Atwater was first charged federally in October and prosecutors announced in December that they would likely seek the death penalty.In the order issued Tuesday the judge set a date of May 29 for scheduling proposals from the prosecution and defense. There will be a pretrial hearing June 4 in Winston-Salem.The state trial will likely take place after the federal.Lawrence Lovette18 is also charged in statewith killing Carson but he is facing no federal charges.
(04/07/09 4:00am)
A helicopter whirred overhead. Firemen shuffled from foot to foot against the wind. Police quietly gathered on street corners.Then the noise downtown began to grow from the sporadic cheer to a steady rising roar.And when the buzzer blared 700 miles away Franklin Street was buried by thousands of Carolina blue-clad fans screaming" dancing and burning the clothes off their backs.""The crowd is unity"" said Chase Beck, a senior. I've never been prouder of my school. It's all for the Carolina spirit.""The crowd of more than 45"000 materialized in a matter of minutes after North Carolina's 89-72 win against Michigan State to claim the 2009 NCAA title.Fans poured from the doors of bars and restaurants. Waves of students sprinted downtown from their dorms and the Smith Center. Together they became a tangled mass of bodies hoisting each other onto their shoulders spraying beer across the crowds climbing street lights" hanging off trees and shouting into the mass below.""I've wanted to go to this school forever" and this is the happiest moment of my entire life" said first-year Mary Brent Barnard.In the center of the crowd — right at the intersection of Franklin and Columbia streets — someone lit a shirt. The fire grew as revelers ripped off clothes to add to the flames. And though Chapel Hill enlisted the help of more than 300 police officers to control the celebratory crowd, some students still managed to smuggle in wood to burn.We aren't worried about safety"" said sophomore Lauren Traugott-Campbell. We can't be defeated. We just want it to get bigger.""Firemen planned to let the fires burn" so long as they didn't endanger any buildings.Police patrolled the streets throughout the night along with an additional 200 public workers keeping on eye on the crowd.Costs of crowd control this year are expected to be about the same as when UNC last took home the title in 2005.The town and University footed a $165000 bill that year to manage 45000 celebrators in the streets.As of 12:10 a.m. emergency services had treated one person for a fractured arm and another for alcohol consumption. There were no arrests at that time.Police said they worried about burns" especially in the high winds. But it didn't seem like anything could damper Tuesday's raging crowd.""This is why you come to Carolina" said junior Andrew Berry. We're an academic university" but secretly everybody wants that basketball title.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/02/09 4:00am)
The first draft of an agreement between UNC and Chapel Hill for a proposed research campus has been completed. The draft is a first stab at the University and town staffs' attempt to reconcile both sides' vision for Carolina North.The Chapel Hill Town Council and UNC Board of Trustees are involved in a series of meetings to work out the outline for Carolina North which will be on 250 acres two miles north of main campus.The agreement deals with the 133 acres that lie within Chapel Hill's jurisdiction.Aspects of the development addressed in the draft agreement include:- Dedicating part of the tract for permanent conservation. This has been a sticking point of discussions between the Trustees and town council which has insisted that some of the land be preserved permanently. At a January meeting" Board Chairman Roger Perry called a 50-year length of conservation ""the absolute"" unequivocal deadline.""- The town will provide fire protection" the University will patrol with police and the county will provide emergency services as is true with the main campus. Council members have voiced concern that town police would still have to be the first responders.- Costs of Carolina North will be provided by the University state or tenants leading to no loss of money for the town.- The development will have to generate more energy than it consumes to meet University goals.- Solid waste collection will be provided by the University.- Developers can build no more than 3 million square feet on the 133 acre tract.- A minimum of 25 percent of building square footage must be devoted to housing.- All housing shall be in the form of compact multi-family units. - Housing priority will be given to students and employees of the University UNC Health Care" and ""persons with an active connection to the Carolina North project.""A report on the fiscal impact of the Carolina North development on local governments was presented to town officials Tuesday.Officials were concerned that consultants from TischlerBise had made dubious assumptions in their report" which might have understated projected costs to the town. The council will meet to discuss the draft of the agreement at a work session on April 8. It is expected to go through revision before a June deadline for final approval.A report on the development's projected impact on the town's transit system will not be completed until early May which University officials worry is too close to the June deadline.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/01/09 4:00am)
UNC officials are working to obtain a clearer model of the fiscal impact of Carolina North after local officials said the first model had several shortcomings.A user-friendly model was requested by University officials to explore more scenarios particularly because the first model was based on a healthy economy.Early Wednesday Chapel Hill officials met with Julie Herlands and Carson Bise of the Maryland-based TischlerBise Consultants who prepared the report. And in a separate Wednesday night meeting University and town staff answered residents' questions about the model.Bise and Herlands said their models for projecting costs were reliable. They assured the Chapel Hill Town Council that figures would serve as an accurate baseline analysis for Carolina North which is planned for 2 miles north of the main campus.Town council members said they were concerned about TischlerBise's methods of compiling the report especially calculations about the cost of police and fire services to Carolina North.Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said he is concerned that the cost to the town could be significantly higher than the report estimates.Town Manager Roger Stancil who attended both meetings" said town departments had time to review the consultants' findings before the report was drafted.""We worked very" very hard and took a whole lot of time to make sure department heads and those whose operations would be affected by Carolina North vetted and reviewed the information presented by the report" he said. The consultants used reasonable assumptions — that the economy would be relatively unchanged from previous years — when writing the original model, Carolina North Executive Director Jack Evans said at the night meeting. The consultants did a good job" he said.The initial report projects that the first 15 years of Carolina North development would leave the town with a deficit ranging from about $1 to $3 million.Evans said the University would likely have to look at multiple scenarios for the fiscal impact of the satellite campus' development.We may want to investigate a more conservative model or a more aggressive model compared to the first report" Evans saidThere is no timeline as to when the new model would be available, Evans said. The topic is on our immediate agenda.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/24/09 4:00am)
Being able to own a home near UNC comes down to one question: Can you afford to spend $334088?That figure the average price of a home in Orange County is the driving force behind a growing trend.As local price tags have risen the backbone of Chapel Hill's labor force — the gardeners nurses cops and custodians — has moved outside of city limits.That means hundreds of dollars a month on gas and bus tickets coming out of their pockets.That means hours on the road away from family and friends.That means a journey from their world into their employer's day after day a journey made by firemen dishwashers housekeepers — people like Ervine Purnell a stocky 52-year-old fraternity chef who likes to sing the blues.‘A type of migrant worker'While the students Purnell feeds at UNC packed their trunks for Spring Break he was on the prowl for a house. He has been in Chapel Hill since August" when he moved out from California with his wife Charmaine.He spent his first few months in a motel (""a waste""). Then he jumped from rental unit to rental unit in Cary. Now he's looking in Raleigh.The bottom line is that Purnell is struggling to find a home near work that's not several times his $32""000 income at the Chi Phi fraternity.""We're still looking" basically" he said. I'm just trying to get buckled down.""For Purnell"" who prefers to be called ""Chef P"" every day he spends in small, temporary houses, he loses more money. He spends more than $300 a month to keep most of his belongings in storage.He drives the 30 minutes or so into Chapel Hill every day. And every night he drives back.He didn't think it'd be hard to find housing in Chapel Hill, where he knew UNC attracted thousands of students, faculty and staff.But Purnell is not alone in his search for cheap, local housing.Workers at UNC and the UNC Health Care system — the county's top two employers — are moving out of the pricey houses of Chapel Hill and into areas where homes are more affordable.For UNC groundskeeper David Brannigan, the fact that in 2008 more than 70 percent of UNC staff lived outside of Chapel Hill means something's gone wrong.It's like there's a type of migrant worker" he said. Come in do your work" and leave.""Brannigan" a native of Leeds England" lives in Chatham County. He said living closer to UNC would be ""inconceivable"" on his wages.He's been in the area for six years and has seen the prices go up and workers go out.Property values in Orange County rose by about 87 percent between 1995 and 2005" while those in Durham and Wake counties increased by a little more than half that.Now county homes are frequently twice as expensive as those in neighboring areas.And many say what's missing is some kind of middle ground: homes for people who aren't on the chancellor's pay scale but don't qualify for the small amount of public housing available locally.As home prices have increased those middle options have slowly faded away said Kim Woodard" a local realtor.""I've seen it change"" she said. We've lost a little bit each year.""Purnell and Brannigan belong to the economic stratum that needs that middle ground.So do the 389 UNC housekeepers who make $25"000 on average annually and are usually fighting for better wages.And so do Brannigan's co-workers the 90 or so groundskeepers who keep the University green and pull in about $29"300 a year.Living in Chapel Hill ""requires an income that those jobs just can't provide"" said Loryn Clark, Chapel Hill's housing and neighborhood services coordinator.So many just don't live here.To a lot of paid employees" Chapel Hill is like another planet" Brannigan said, his English accent still thick.Unaffordable issuesSome officials are quick to point to a number of affordable housing providers that work in Orange County to make homes available to people not earning much.A few, like Empowerment Inc., mostly rent homes, while others, like the Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, sell.But as providers struggle to meet demands, each with their own definitions of affordable" many workers are left without options.The pricing here makes it more difficult" said Tara Fikes, Orange County's Housing/Community Development director. There are always people in Orange County who need help.""Manuel and Purificacion Santa Ana" a husband and wife pair from the Philippines" are some of them. They work as housekeepers at UNC Hospitals.""We are really poor"" Manuel Santa Ana said. If you give me a more cheaper house … we'll sell our house in Durham and move here.""If the Santa Anas decided to apply for affordable housing from the town" they could have to be patient for up to five years.There are currently about 250 people on waiting list for the 336 occupied rental units the town maintains for families with a household income of no more than $49680.That waiting list is not shrinking either.Chapel Hill puts up more and more homes and apartments" but the waiting lists just grow.""If you build them" they will come" said Tina Vaughn, director of Chapel Hill's Department of Housing.Some staff worry that even UNC's options, specifically designed to house staff, won't be within their means.UNC officials are planning a project in Carrboro that would sell homes at 20 percent of market value.There's a higher demand because this is such a highly desirable and unaffordable area"" said Crystal Fisher, sales and marketing manager at the Land Trust. People really want to be in Chapel Hill.""And the factors that influence the cost of living for UNC staff and others continue to change — gas prices reached record levels last year; credit markets are in withdrawal; housing markets keep property values in flux. Brannigan" standing on South Road with his eyes shaded by a wide-brimmed hat" talked about how last year's gas prices ""really"" really"" hurt the people he works with.He talked about how many groundskeepers live along major highways — where there's often the least greenery — to make the sunrise commute to work easier.A solution to the cheap housing shortage is far off" he said. But right now the bedrock of the Chapel Hill's labor force — the nurses gardeners firefighters and cooks — still needs help.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/20/09 4:00am)
More than 15 parents teachers and members of the community spoke to express their disagreement with the superintendent's budget at the public hearing Thursday.For more than three hours the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education listened to opinions from the public and debated the superintendent's recommended budget.A crowd of about 75 people attended the meeting applauding after each speaker.Nancy Kindem a social studies teacher at McDougle Middle said morale is low because teachers' opinions were not adequately considered in the budget suggestions.But Kindem said" ""Do not mistake low morale for a lack of commitment.""She said the teachers would continue to put the needs of students first and make sure that cuts do not affect students who require more help.Suepinda Keith is a parent to seven children and said the board needed to cut money from different programs.""You've got to come up with some better answer that don't affect our outreach to children who need it the most"" Keith said.The board questioned the six items on the budget such as eliminating a reading teacher at both Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill High Schools.Members Jamezetta Bedford and Jean Hamilton said the board might need to have an extra meeting for more discussion about what programs to cut.The board will meet again April 2.Carrboro High School arts wingAt the meeting, parents and students also urged the board to fund the construction of an auditorium and an arts wing at Carrboro High School.Parent Serena Fenton said she wished students at Carrboro High had an auditorium. Fenton said students like Emily Johnson don't have sufficient places to practice and perform.I have seen her sing in the hallways because we don't have an auditorium"" Fenton said. Why is she singing in the hallways?""Anders Dohlman" a sophomore at Carrboro High" has been the stage manager of all the productions.""I have spent over 700 hours working on school productions without an auditorium"" Dohlman said.Christian Persico, a sophomore at Carrboro High, said the board should have built space for arts groups before starting on Elementary No. 11.Why not finish a high school before you start an elementary school?"" he asked. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/20/09 4:00am)
The paramedic responding in August to a local 17-year-old's complaints of body cramps discharged him after advising that he keep drinking fluids and stretching. Hours later Atlas Fraley's parents found him dead.Two weeks later paramedic James Griffin resigned.In a report Griffin wrote that empty water bottles were on the counter. Fraley's arms legs and stomach hurt. He asked for intravenous fluids.His respiratory and pulse were normal according to the report that must be filed for each paramedic's response by the end of his shift.The report was provided Thursday by the attorney representing Fraley's parents. Griffin wrote that he tried to call both parents at work. When neither picked up" he told Fraley to continue to drink water and Gatorade and work out his cramps. ""Pt. encouraged to cont. doing what he was already doing when I arrived"" he wrote.Griffin then did what would be against emergency policy in most neighboring counties: allowed Fraley, a minor, to sign his own release. Fraley's parents found him dead later that day. Fraley was a star football player at Chapel Hill High School and had left a scrimmage earlier that day, complaining of a headache. The year before, paramedics had responded to his house and treated him with intravenous fluids for dehydration.As a minor, Fraley could not have legally been released from emergency services custody in any of the surrounding areas.Wake, Alamance, Durham and Chatham counties all require that paramedics release minors to parents or guardians. Counties set their own policy.If parents can't be contacted, they will look for principals, coaches or other family, said Wake County Chief Skip Kirkwood.We would not give medial advice to a 17-year-old"" said Jason Hensley, Chatham County training officer. Even in non-serious cases, if they can't find a guardian, they wait or take the minor to the hospital.Asked what the county policy is for notifying guardians of an emergency response, County Manager Laura Blackmon provided a 200-page document that does not mention notification. Blackmon wrote in an e-mail that she is not aware of any policy changes that have resulted from Fraley's still unexplained death. We're always looking at our protocols to see what changes are necessary"" said Frank Montes de Oca, emergency services director for the county.The 200-page Orange County document of emergency protocol emphasizes that it is just a framework for patient care.Orange County EMS personnel are expected to put the patient's interest first"" it states.No obvious answersGriffin's patient report says Fraley did not stay still long enough to receive an electrocardiogram, which measures electrical activity of the heart. Fraley would not sit down, so his blood pressure was taken standing up. He kept asking how long before the cramps would subside."" Fraley denied to Griffin any weakness or loss of consciousness. He reported no shortness of breath.In an autopsy released Wednesday" the state's chief medical examiner could not conclude how Fraley died.And it is unclear whether Griffin who worked for Emergency Services for almost nine years violated any county policies. A peer review was completed" but county staff are citing personnel laws in refusing to release details of that report.There is an exemption to personnel laws that allows county commissioners to release information when public confidence is at risk.""We will be asking more questions"" said Pam Hemminger, a commissioner who was chairwoman of the local school board when Fraley died.I was so hoping the Fraley family would get some answers.""Staff writer Victoria Stilwell contributed reporting.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/18/09 4:00am)
For the second time in three days a man has been shot to death in Orange County.The sheriff's office has charged Ronnie Ramirez30 and Steve Ramirez23 with first-degree murder for a Monday shooting in rural Orange County.Investigators say both men killed 24-year-old Thaddeus Jerrod Harris.The sheriff's office received a call that a man had been shot at the Ramirez residence at 2120 Gemena Road at about 5:45 p.m. Monday according to the sheriff's office.Upon arrival sheriff's deputies found Harris on the back deck of the home with multiple fatal gunshot wounds. Both men are currently held without bond in the Orange County Jail.They appeared in a Hillsborough court Tuesday and were assigned a lawyer District Attorney Jeff Woodall said. A judge will rule Monday on whether to set bail.It is unclear whether the suspects are related. Several calls to the sheriff's office were not returned.Steve Ramirez was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury in May 2007 and was released from prison in December. Ronnie Ramirez has no previous criminal convictions.The shooting came a day after Chapel Hill resident Eric Jermaine Bradshaw was arrested on murder charges for the Saturday shooting death of Juan Barbee Young.This death marks the second homicide of the year. There were five people killed in the county in 2007 and three in 2006.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu
(03/17/09 4:00am)
1:35 p.m. TUESDAY March 17 -- The sheriff's office responded to a fatal shooting in rural Orange County on Monday evening.Ronnie and Steve Ramirez 30 and 23 respectively were arrested and charged with first degree murder.Both are charged with shooting Thaddeus Jerrod Harris in rural Orange County about eight miles west of the UNC campus according to investigators.The sheriff's office received a call that a man had been shot at the Ramirez residence at 2120 Gemena Road at approximately 5:45 p.m. Monday evening according to the sheriff's office.Upon arrival sheriff's deputies found Harris on the back deck of the home with multiple gunshot wounds. Orange County rescue workers were unable to find vital signs.Both suspects are currently held without bond in the Orange County Jail and will appear at the Hillsborough District Court today.The shooting comes three days after Chapel Hill resident Eric Jermaine Bradshaw was arrested on murder charges after the shooting death of Juan Barbee Young on Sunday night.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/17/09 4:00am)
UPDATED 8:47 p.m. TUESDAY March 17 -- A silver SUV ran into a electricity pole on Raleigh Road near Country Club Road around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday backing up traffic around the UNC campus and cutting power to more than 170 Orange County homes. No one was injured in the collision.Police said no drugs or alcohol were involved in the single-car collision. The driver" who police said ""felt his car jerk"" before the accident" was not speeding.The car smashed into the pole head on crumpling the front of the vehicle and downing the pole.The electrified wires fell against a roadside tree's branches flashed bright orange smoldered and smoked but did not start any fires.Police and firemen are in the process of shutting off electricity to the area and replacing the pole. Sharon Gautier a spokeswoman for Duke Energy said the company hopes to have power back to Orange County by 1 a.m. Wednesday.Officers did not know when the scene would be cleared and road reopened.Traffic is not being allowed onto Raleigh Road in either direction.About $10000 in damages was done to the pole and wiring Chapel Hill Police Officer Deborah Timmons said. An additional $10000 of damage was done to the car.Check back on www.dailytarheel.com for more information.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
A study of the potential impact of UNC's research campus likely underestimated the cost to the local bus system.The University released Tuesday a study which details the potential impact of Carolina North on the local governments.The study does not take into account plans for money needed for Chapel Hill Transit because of an increase in transportation needs on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.With Chapel Hill already projected in the study to lose money from Carolina North" an increase in transit cost will likely add to the obstacles in front of its approval.""The overall picture is the town can't afford a drain on its resources"" Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said.The study, done by Bethesda, Md., firm TischlerBise, does not include the added costs because a study on transportation impact will not be finalized until late March. The study was originally scheduled to be completed late last year.They're just not in the place to provide us with input"" said Julie Herlands, project manager for TischlerBise.Because this and other studies are not finalized, the projections of costs to the town assumes current services from Chapel Hill Transit remain the same.The possibilities for expansion on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard include buses every 10 minutes, larger shelters at stops and priority bus lanes at an estimated cost of $110 million to local and federal sources through 2035.The actual changes will depend on community response, said David Bonk, long range and transportation coordinator for Chapel Hill. The local fare-free transit system is paid for by Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC. TischlerBise will answer questions about the study with the Chapel Hill Town Council. They presented the model for the study to the University so changes can be made after the release of the traffic impact study and transit plans.University and Chapel Hill officials are attempting to finalize an agreement by June on what can go on the campus but are still debating many of the major issues.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
More than 200 mainly white-haired residents crowded a county meeting Tuesday to protest the prospect of higher taxes.But officials say it's too late.Residents are asking county commissioners to throw out the county's latest property valuations which increased by an average of 22 percent since last evaluated in 2005 and take another shot. And many are challenging County Attorney Geoff Gledhill's assertion that the county has missed its Jan. 1 deadline to legally call for a do-over. Thomas Harrington an Eden attorney wrote in a letter to commissioners that the county is free to retry its valuations.Harrington said the county is only required to meet state laws which require a new valuation by 2013 eight years after the last assessment.Orange County revalues residents' property every four years to adjust taxes to market values. The most recent values released at the end of last year" have prompted organized protests from residents who say the valuations don't correspond to housing market conditions.""Nobody saw the economy taking the turn that it's taken" but now citizens of Orange County are suffering" said Tom Whisnant, a resident who spoke on behalf of many involved in the protest. It's not a coincidence that thousands of people are showing up to these meetings.""Orange County would not be the only county in North Carolina to throw out its latest valuations at the behest of its residents.Rockingham County commissioners unanimously voted to throw out their most recent property assessment last month after about 800 county residents protested at meetings. Rockingham residents' property will return to its previous value until a new valuation is completed before 2011.Many residents at Tuesday's meeting said the new values unfairly burden county residents coping with a nationwide recession.The county has not released a tax rate for the next fiscal year and won't begin to draft a budget until next month. Some commissioners have suggested the county keep a revenue-neutral tax rate or lower taxes to compensate for the higher valuations.But even if they take this step" taxes could go up significantly for residents whose property revaluation increased by more than the average.Orange County homes' average sale prices have been steadily declining since the market peaked two years ago. The average price of an Orange County house was $50"000 less in January 2009 than it was in the same month in 2007.""Every homeowner who feels that they have been wronged by this evaluation needs to be heard"" resident and real estate broker Michael Strayhorn told commissioners.I don't care if you have to meet every night of the week.""More than 200 residents were let into the commissioners meeting and hundreds of others were turned away at the door. A local chapter of Freedom Works — a national anti-tax organization led by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey — helped organized what's being called the ""Orange County Tax Revolt.""Residents can appeal their new property values before April 1.If they miss this deadline" residents can apply to a special county board.Doug Shackelford a UNC tax scholar said resistance to new taxes is the norm" especially in the U.S.""Protesting about taxes is a foundation in American history"" he said. We're pretty experienced in that.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(02/26/09 5:00am)
Since President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion federal stimulus state and local governments have had to sit tight and hope for the best.It's not clear when" how or where the more than $6 billion expected to come to North Carolina will filter down through federal and state governments.""I can't say exactly when it's going to start"" Assistant Orange County Manager Willie Best said. But we'll be ready to proceed.""To help clarify the process" N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue is taking a new Web site live this morning.The site — www.ncrecovery.gov — is modeled after the White House's own stimulus Web site and is intended to help residents and officials track how stimulus money is being spent.It's the product of the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery and Investment which Perdue created to channel stimulus funds across the state.A relatively small amount of money has been distributed already. Perdue announced $466 million for 70 highway and bridge projects Tuesday though none are in Orange County.Officials have spent the last few months trying to put Chapel Hill" Carrboro and Orange County in the best position to a receive a portion of the rest of North Carolina's stimulus money. ""It's kind of a waiting game now"" said Todd McGee, a spokesman for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners. We're curious as well.""When the time comes"" officials want to be set with ""shovel-ready"" projects that could receive funding.The stimulus package includes several funds that could benefit local governments" including monies for health care social services and transportation infrastructure.Orange County has identified construction of the $34 million Elementary No. 11 and several parks as possible projects.Chapel Hill is hoping for millions to spend on projects like library expansion" street repairs and downtown lighting. Carrboro's biggest project is a $3 million fire station.The majority of the county's stimulus dollars will come from divisions of the state government like the N.C. Department of Transportation.Some money also could come to the county and towns directly from the federal government.But it's not known when.""I don't know the timeline yet"" said Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Perdue's office. The governor is in the position of waiting for the feds.""And for now" Chapel Hill Carrboro and the rest of Orange County are in the same boat.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.