Orange schools prep for cuts
With a new school year approaching and no final budget, Orange County Schools Board of Education members, teachers and parents have high hopes for the upcoming year.
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With a new school year approaching and no final budget, Orange County Schools Board of Education members, teachers and parents have high hopes for the upcoming year.
Locals schools will merge job responsibilities by creating two new positions for the upcoming school year which aim to improve student achievement from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Leon Schaller has been living in Chapel Hill for 10 years. He never considered moving until recently, and he’s not the only one. Schaller, a retiree, is among many residents of Homestead Village who disagree with the proposal of additional student housing near the neighborhood. The 33 acres of land in question are beside Carolina North. Capstone Companies, a firm that focuses on student developments, wants to build housing units there in addition to residence halls. The area would be called The Cottages of Chapel Hill, with 330 dwelling units and about 1,200 parking spaces. “We expect it to be a lot of noise and partying, and it will be disturbing to the quiet neighborhood that we live in,” Schaller said. John Acken, senior vice-president of Capstone Companies, was not surprised by residents’ reactions to the proposal. “We knew that people cared very deeply about Chapel Hill,” Acken said. “What we are trying to do now is work with the town and the residents.”Capstone is a company with residential communities nationwide, including the University of San Diego and Western Carolina University. Tim Chapman, associate director for facilities for housing at Western Carolina University, declined to comment on the relationship between the Capstone Development and the university.Acken said Capstone chose the land near Carolina North because Chapel Hill is growing in that direction. The apartments would have access to Chapel Hill Transit. Capstone has been looking to develop this land for about a year. Capstone employee Scott Radway presented the proposal to the Chapel Hill Town Council on May 17.Members of the Homestead Village Homeowners Association were present to voice their concerns. “The intent of the meeting was to put the idea on the table to get a better understanding of the vision of the community,” Acken said. “We hope there will be more feedback so we can put together a plan the neighbors feel comfortable with.” Kahtherine Young came to Chapel Hill five years ago. The thought of more development is what worries Young, not the students. “I am worried about the traffic and the density,” Young said. “What’s going to happen to the character of the neighborhood?”Young can see the undeveloped land from her back porch sitting near the railroad tracks. She wants the council to modify the proposal.“I wish they would kill it or limit it substantially,” Young said. “I think we have had enough development here for now.” A total cost for the project is not yet decided.Acken said Capstone will continue to have discussions with the town about the proposal in the future. “We want to have a creative community for college students that meets the goals of the town and is economically viable for Capstone,” Acken said. “I am very confident we can achieve that.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Mary Mason sat quietly in the front row as her peers spoke about the proposed budget for the county — but when they spoke about keeping schools funded, she clapped as loud as she could.Mason, a reading specialist at Pathways Elementary, was one of many residents at an Orange County Board of Commissioners hearing to voice concerns about potential budget cuts to departments.“I came to support two things: the commissioners to approve the proposed budget and economic development,” Mason said. “We can’t continue to tax our homeowners for money.” Finance Services Director for Orange County Clarence Grier presented the board and audience with the county manager’s proposed budget. The recommended General Fund Budget is set for $174.9 million, an $8.9 million decrease from this year’s amended budget. “The county needs economic stability if we are going to be sustainable,” County Manager Frank Clifton said. “We don’t want to build people’s expectations up if we can’t provide.”Tanya King, a county substitute teacher, told the board it can’t keep asking teachers to do more with less.“We have A.D.D., gifted and special students all in one class,” King said. “You are asking our teachers to handle all of that.” She said teacher assistants are vital to classrooms in order to minimize the level of student disruption.Jessica Lee, a dentist representative for the Orange County Health Department, told the commissioners her department can’t take anymore cuts. She said Orange County is only up to date on a third of its health inspections because of short staff as an example.“Are you willing to put the county’s health at risk?” Lee questioned. “It’s enough.”Susan Wingate, vice-president of the Orange County Special Education Parent-Teacher Association, said each classroom of her daughter’s school has a wish list with items such as tissue and snacks on it — but her wish list is a little more complicated.“My community’s wish list is that the budget takes care of our schools,” Wingate said. Commissioner Bernadette Pellissier said all of the citizens made good cases at the hearing. “When someone says, ‘please protect my services,’ you can’t do that because they’re all interrelated,” Pellissier said. “Our problem is finding a way to balance all of the services.” Michelle Laws, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Chapel Hill/Carrboro Branch, said the children are depending on the adults to make wise decisions to keep them from harm. “When we faced difficult, economic hardships, the adults never said we couldn’t eat,” Laws said. “They gave us their plates so that we could eat.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Pedestrians will soon be able to breathe easier as they cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Chapel Hill is building seven pedestrian refuge islands, or medians, in the center lane of the boulevard.The project is expected to be completed by July 1. The project will cost $403,952.The islands are raised cement medians that provide a safe place for pedestrians to wait for a gap in traffic when crossing the street. Pedestrians can deal with one flow of traffic at a time.“This is part of Chapel Hill’s pedestrian safety movement,” said Mike Mills, a division engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “There are a lot of Chapel Hill students walking across MLK and down the turn lane.”Mills said the department has stopped building center lanes for the past five years since it became law. The center lane has created safety issues.“We have seen head-on collisions and rear-ends.” Mills said cars have used the center lane as an acceleration lane for about half a mile before merging into traffic as pedestrians use the lane as a crossing point. Engineer Services Manager for Chapel Hill Kumar Neppalli said the funds are from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act includes funding construction and repair of roads and bridges. Neppalli said the islands will not restrict any driveways along the boulevard except in front of the Town Hall. The island placed there will restrict left turns. One island is in the process of being built close to the shopping center with Foster’s Market. Al Bowers, manger of Flying Burrito, said the island shouldn’t affect traffic flow into his restaurant. “Safety should be the main priority,” Bowers said. “If you can make it very safe and efficient then that is a bonus.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Chapel Hill Town Council and local residents shared similar concerns about the size of a potential student housing development during Monday’s meeting.
Funding for county projects created confusion for the Orange County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night. After an hour of deliberation, they only postponed voting.The commissioners couldn’t agree on what to do about incomplete projects in the County Capital Projects Fund. “I think we need to know what these projects are before we move any further,” Commissioner Alice Gordon said. There are 26 County Capital Projects that are still considered active although they are nearly completed or have never had activity. Closing the projects would create an additional $245,560 for other capital priorities. Twelve other projects with little activity or available funds would create an additional $737,868 for capital priorities if closed.“I want to know what the first 10 or 12 projects are before deciding on cutting,” Commissioner Mike Nelson said. “I am not comfortable with what some of these things are.”Commissioner Pam Hemminger moved to have the unresolved projects put aside until the board can decide if the individual projects need to be cut. The vote carried 6-1. The board also discussed their move to the Link Center, construction on which is set for September. County Construction Manager Jeff Thompson showed the board the current floor plan in its Link Center, the new home for the board’s meeting room. The board approved a contract with Corley, Redfoot, Zack Architects to build the center and improve upon the center’s technology, heating and cooling system and meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Commissioners Valerie Foushee and Steve Yuhasz visited six board room sites to gain an idea of how the new meeting room could look. The current proposed floor plan raised some criticisms amongst the commissioners. Hemminger was concerned about the audience seating. The proposed seating has 14 seats in each row with no middle isle, meaning the audience there would be 110 seats with no isle.“We have a lot of people come in and go when they are here for one agenda meeting item,” Hemminger said. “I see that being a major disturbance.”County Manger Frank Clifton said a middle aisle would cause a loss of 25 to 30 seats. Commissioner Barry Jacobs liked the proposed color of the board’s wood panels, because it contrasted his typical meeting room.“These rooms are designed as boring as possible,” he said.Nelson agreed on implementing the change.“Don’t be afraid of color,” he said. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners will get a look at the master plan of a new park in May after seeing a preliminary map at its Tuesday meeting.
If Orange County introduces a new method of waste disposal, the trash you throw away could become the trash you drive on.The Orange County Solid Waste Advisory Board sponsored a presentation Thursday on plasma arc technology, a process of burning waste at high temperatures until it forms into rock.The product can be used to build roads, explained Lou Circeo, director of the plasma research program at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. He has been researching plasma arc technology for waste conversion since 1971.The method would help relieve the trash burden on Orange County, which is in limbo as to how to resolve its current waste problem.The local landfill will reach capacity in 2012, when county trash will be transferred to a station in Durham.Circeo, the guest speaker, presented a PowerPoint to residents and some members of the Solid Waste Advisory Board explaining the benefits of plasma arc technology.“It can melt glass, metal and food,” Circeo said. “The gases that the plasma produces are clean and can be used to make electricity.”The process uses little air and does not waste much gas, he said.Circeo passed around a black rock similar to hardened lava that was the size of an average human hand, formed by a plasma torch.Jan Sassaman, chairman of the Solid Waste Advisory Board, said he likes the technology but didn’t know whether the technology would work for Chapel Hill. “We have not set a landfill, and we have not set a transfer station,” Sassaman said. “Can we set a plasma arc facility?”The general plasma arc facility needs tons of trash to work, Sassaman said, and a facility would need to be a joint initiative with surrounding counties. But he is not opposed to the idea, he said.“Tonight was information for us and the community,” Sassaman said. “We are going to listen to other technology and people before we make a recommendation.”Paul Spire, solid waste operations manager for Orange County, said the technology is interesting.“I think we are going to monitor the plants that are coming along,” Spire said. “This is possibly an answer to our problem.”The advisory board will post Circeo’s presentation on its Web site. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The vast majority of volunteer boards and commissions that advise Chapel Hill government don’t have enough members. The town is looking for applicants to fill 85 empty spots on 22 boards and commissions. The spots come from a combination of term expirations and already unfilled seats. Members of the groups take the workload off the Chapel Hill Town Council. But the fact that members do not get paid could discourage applicants, council member Penny Rich said.“It’s not that easy to get people to volunteer, and you aren’t getting paid for it,” said Rich, who served on the Orange Water and Sewer Authority board of directors for six years. “Some boards meet more than once a month, and that can scare people.”In addition, Rich said people with families and full-time jobs often don’t want the demanding board positions. Terms expire June 30, leaving many boards with empty seats. The Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, for example, will lose five members on top of the six vacancies it already has. Most appointments are scheduled for the summer. In OWASA’s case, having a full board is essential to ensure an odd number of members cannot split a vote, Rich said.“You have got to have the full board to vote and when you don’t, you can only have discussion and not vote,” she said. Evangelee Shuler, former member of the Public Housing Program Advisory Board, said her board always had one or two empty seats, but it didn’t affect how the board operated. “Unless an issue came up that we had to vote on, then we would have to rally up people to come and vote,” Shuler said. The town has listed the open seats on its Web site and in the newspapers as a way to get the word out. But Rich said the town needs to push harder to inform the community.“The numbers are really high and we want to make sure it’s not like that,” Rich said. “This is something that the council will pay attention to and it should not be taken lightly.” Amy Harvey, communications technician and Web manager for the town, said the number of empty spots isn’t unusual.“Thinking to the last couple of years, each board has a certain number of seats and terms that expire each year,” Harvey said. Rich is now on OWASA’s nomination committee to help appoint people to the two vacant spots it will have June 30.There are no UNC students serving on any of the boards currently, but they are welcome to apply, especially for the transportation board, Harvey said.“We are always looking for students as well to fulfill these positions,” she said. “We need a different perspective to take in to account.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
David Walker sipped sweet tea as he watched three of his employees — and closest friends — work on a black Chrysler 300 at his service station. It’s a sight he won’t see much longer.Walker is the co-owner of Walker’s BP Service Station at the intersection of Franklin Street and Estes Drive. The station will be replaced by Chapel Hill’s second Walgreens after a March 8 town council meeting where members approved the pharmacy’s special use permit for the site.The automotive station has served the Chapel Hill community since 1956, when Walker was 4 years old and his father started the business.“It’s a little upsetting,” Walker said when asked about closing. “I think my customers are more upset than I am.”Walker said he doesn’t know when he will have to close shop for good. He is now leasing the land from Walgreens and will receive a 90-day notice before he has to close permanently.“I have bills to pay, and right now, I’m afraid to pay them because I don’t know when Walgreens is going to come,” he said.Walker also has yearly garage bills but has started to pay them quarterly, just in case.Walker and his long-time friend Eddie Crain bought the station 20 years ago when Walker’s father retired.United Energy Corporation, which develops oil and natural gas properties, has owned the land for 15 years. Walker said the company tried to sell the property to him for $1 million, but he chose not to purchase it. Later, the company offered the land to Walgreens.But some residents said they don’t want to lose the local landmark.Gwen Beebe, a Carrboro resident, has been going to Walker’s BP Service Station for the past three years.“I don’t know where I’m going to go to get my gas,” she said as the employee took her debit card and pumped her gas for her. “I’m handicapped, and they are gracious enough to help me out.”Walker said he has seen three generations of customers pull up to the station over the years. His former classmates’ children come to the station for their service.Walker doesn’t have another job yet, but he hopes to find work, if even just part-time.“Customers have said, ‘We will follow you wherever you go,’” he said. “It has been a great feeling.”Crain, a veteran, has worked at the station since 1970. He has lived in Chapel Hill his whole life and came to the station after a tour in Vietnam.Crain said he was surprised Walgreens chose his location over other available properties in town.“I feel cheated,” he said. “They bought it, and business is business.”David Harris, who has worked at the station for 12 years, said he hated the idea of sending customers to another service station not knowing how they will be treated.Walker is also worried about losing connections with his customers.“I know people’s kids and their dogs,” Walker said. “I can’t imagine not seeing them.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Advocates for the Orange County Human Rights and Relations got caught by surprise by county commissioners Tuesday night.The board voted 5-2 to integrate the office into the Housing and Community Development Department at Monday’s meeting. Now, the Human Rights and Relations Department worries that after the merge, their interests won’t get heard as loudly.Functions of the Human Relations and Rights Department include enforcing the county’s Civil Rights Ordinance and operating the Limited English Proficiency Program.With the county facing a $5.7 million budget shortfall, County Manager Frank Clifton proposed the integration in hopes of saving money. The responsibilities of the two departments overlap, he said.“We are trying to be accountable for the history of what this county has done but be respected in the fact that you don’t have endless money,” Clifton said.Members of the Commission for Women, a subset of Human Rights Relations, said they did not expect the integration decision to come Tuesday. Some said they didn’t know it was up for a vote at the meeting.Jennifer Fry, immediate past chairwoman for the Commission for Women, said the decision was made without input from volunteers.“I would never consider altering a huge program run by volunteers without talking to them first,” she said.Clifton said he understands that the integration is a surprise for some. He said time was a factor in the lack of discussion to properly inform everyone about the integration.The Housing and Community Development works to provide adequate and affordable housing without discrimination. Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes said although the county budget is a factor in the integration, the department has not been forced to cut staff.Shannon Jackson, chairwoman for the Commission for Women, said she does not want to see the commission get swept under the rug. “I’m afraid that it’s going to be disbanded,” she said. “It has been serving Orange County for 33 years. That’s as old as I am.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Chapel Hill Police Department will hold its first ever series of conversations to receive feedback from the community about its performance.“It’s not about us identifying the issues, it’s about us listening,” said Chris Blue, assistant police chief for administration. “This is part of our transition to be a more community-oriented policing agency.”Blue said the police department is always asked to give insight on town issues, and the department is depending on the community to do the same.“It is a shared belief that any opportunity to hear from the community is a valuable one,” Blue said.Chapel Hill police officers won’t be in attendance so the public can speak honestly. Facilitators will be in place to start the conversation, not to lead it.Blue said everyone from the community is encouraged to attend the sessions, especially students. Four sessions will be held throughout February. The first is at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Chapel Hill Public Library at 100 Library Drive off Estes Drive. The UNC School of Government and the Town of Chapel Hill justice in action committee are helping police with the feedback sessions.Those interested in attending one of the sessions should RSVP at outreach@townofchapelhill.org. Comments also can be e-mailed.What They’re SayingRyan Hill, manager at The Clothing Warehouse:“I think they are on the ball. When you call them, they are here.“They could be more on patrol about the homeless people and cleaning up the streets.”Trent Reisberger, manager of Coldstone Creamery:“They do a really good job. I thought the back alley would be sketchy because we park our cars there. I haven’t had any incidents in the past six years, knock on wood.“The sessions are a good idea because you are going to find out what the public wants.”Bekah Cooper, UNC sophomore, undecided major:“I feel they can be inconsistent with underage drinking. Sometimes they will let you off with a warning, and sometimes they make you pay a fine. They need to decide if they are going to be strict or not.“You are going to get a lot of people who agree or disagree. It’s hard to be productive when you have people with strong ideas.”Shana Smith, sophomore, double major in journalism and communication studies:“They were doing too much last Halloween. It was too many restrictions with only allowing UNC students. Some of my friends from other schools decided not to come.“One thing they are doing well is finding out what the community wants and what they want cops to stay out of.”Adrienne Parker, UNC junior, exercise and sports science major:“The sessions are a good idea because any feedback, good or bad, will strengthen an organization.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
When the area around Fraternity Court is brighter at night, students can thank Buddy Amis.Since Amis, a junior and a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, pushed for an increase in the area’s lighting, Chapel Hill town officials are moving forward with the idea.Mike Rempson, who works for the town traffic department, said the wattage of two street light bulbs will be increased from 250 watts to 400 watts.The lights are located at the intersections where Cameron Avenue meets Columbia and Pittsboro streets.The lights are owned by Duke Energy, not the University. Rempson said the new bulbs are planned to be installed in the coming weeks, but recent weather could delay Duke Energy’s schedule.Amis decided to tell town officials about the lighting situation after hearing complaints from friends that attended fraternity parties and lived in Granville Towers and off Cameron Avenue. Amis and Rempson walked the area by Fraternity Court and Little Fraternity Court to decide where lighting could be improved.“The fact that it was near fraternity houses which are often sites of human traffic just made it a bit closer to home,” Amis said. Amis said Pi Lambda Phi has been concerned about how the lighting not only affects guests, friends and students but also residents of fraternity houses. In a single weekend last fall, Sigma Nu, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Kappa Sigma lost about $13,960 in valuables from theft. Amis said future theft could be prevented with better lighting. Amis also asked for more light poles in the area, but Rempson said the process for this request could be lengthy. He said new light poles must meet historic district criteria.The Historic District Commission oversees physical changes in areas identified as historic to preserve their character. The commission usually acts independently of the Chapel Hill Town Council.Amis said although he wants the historic feel of Chapel Hill to be preserved, adding new lights wouldn’t take away from the history. “My parents went to this school and I would love to be able to share the same history with my children, friends and family,” he said. Senior Hakeem Rizk said lighting should be improved campuswide, and more lights wouldn’t take away from the historic feel when safety is an issue.“History won’t save you,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Residents of northern Orange County protested Thursday against hunters using dogs to track and kill deer.The Orange County Board of Commissioners then voted unanimously to seek legislative authority to ban “dogging deer” throughout the entire county.Dogging deer is a practice in which hunters use dogs to chase deer to areas where hunters can easily shoot them, Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey explained.Some residents are opposed to the practice because dogs sometimes chase deer onto private property or busy roads.Using dogs for hunting is illegal in the southern part of Orange County. The practice has been outlawed in adjacent Alamance and Durham counties.Additionally, the legality of dogging deer has attracted non-Orange County residents to hunt near private property, residents said at the meeting.Jennifer Honeycutt, a resident of Cedar Grove, an unincorporated community in northern Orange County, asked the board to ban dogging deer throughout the county.She said dogs running through her property scare her horses and damage her fence. She said her black Labrador, Jazmine, was once shot by a hunter, and called the incident a “disrespect of property.”Her husband David told the board of numerous confrontations he has had with hunters on his property.“I don’t trust to ask them off unless I have a loaded gun,” he said.Rougemont resident Mike Laws was in the minority in advocating against the ban.“Hunting is a human right, and I am standing up for the hunters and the hounders of the United States,” he said. “If it comes down to it, we will hunt on horseback.”Other residents against the ban wore hunting apparel, including camouflage hats and jackets.In her presentation, Harvey described a poll by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that showed that 61 percent of land owners were against dogging deer. Fifteen percent of residents approved of the practice.County line decision waitsThe commissioners also put off deciding on the boundary line between Orange and Alamance counties.The board voted unanimously to postpone the decision until February. The board will have to choose between the historic line, used since 1849, a deviation of that line that takes natural variations in the land into account, or a recent variations based on tax parcels.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Chapel Hill Town Council will invite the public to discuss tonight whether there is room for two Walgreens on Franklin Street.
Those wanting the newly arrived swine flu vaccine might have to wait a little longer.The Orange County Health Department received 700 doses of H1N1 nasal mist vaccine last week, but they will not distribute them until Friday.The UNC campus has yet to receive its shipments.Campus Health Services is expecting its first shipment to arrive within the next two weeks, said Mary Covington, assistant vice chancellor of Campus Health Services. It will include both shot and nasal mist forms.Covington said her staff ordered more than 30,000 doses — one for each student, faculty member and staff member. She said weekly shipments will contain 1,500 to 2,000 doses.“Everyone who wants a dose will be able to get it,” Covington said. “It’s just a question of who gets it first.”The state received 52,000 doses last week and will distribute them to metropolitan areas, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.How the vaccine worksThe nasal mist is meant for healthy, non-pregnant people between ages 2 and 49. Pregnant women and people with weak immune systems and heart problems cannot take the vaccine.“It’s a live virus, and that’s why there are restrictions as to who can get it,” said Sue Rankin, the communicable disease coordinator for the Orange County Health Department. “It doesn’t give you the flu if you are perfectly healthy.”Campus clinics to be createdCovington said Campus Health has received many questions about the vaccinations, indicating a high level of interest.“It is a good sign because it is the best thing to prevent a third wave being so severe,” Covington said. Health clinics will be set up around campus to administer the vaccine, but locations have not been determined.With high demand for the vaccine, clinics will initially take only appointments and offer the vaccinations one day a week. Additional days could be added, Covington said.At the appointments, patients seeking the nasal mist must confirm they are between 2 and 49 years old and have no health conditions, she said.The nasal mist comes in a syringe with no needle, inserted partway into one nostril to squirt half of the dosage. The steps are repeated for the second nostril.Covington said the procedure for health clinic appointments has not yet been finalized, but the vaccination process should take between 10 and 15 minutes.Updates about the H1N1 vaccines will be sent out in e-mails and Alert Carolina messages, Covington said.County vaccinationsRankin said the county health department will first offer its doses to health care workers, EMS workers and first responders because they interact with sick people. The vaccine will also go to some pediatric practices that have not received doses from the state.“Seven hundred doses don’t go far,” Rankin said. “We should be getting more shipments throughout the next few weeks.”
With fewer jobs in the corporate sector, some students might turn to the nonprofit industry to start their career path. Jacquelyn Gist is the University Career Services counselor for social work and nonprofit careers. She said she prefers to work for nonprofit organizations because of their ability to develop multiple skills. “If you have a skill, talent or interest, no matter what your position, you are going to use it,” Gist said. UNC often encourages students to volunteer during college and to continue volunteering after graduation, said Alice Denson, executive director for the Orange County Literacy Council. The council tutors adults in reading, writing and math, and it helps newcomers develop their English-speaking skills. “We find that a lot of work we can do through volunteers,” Denson said. “I think you will find that in a lot of community-based nonprofits.” Shelley Day, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill, has worked in the nonprofit industry for more than 25 years and has never worked in the corporate market. “I enjoy working for nonprofits, where every day you see what you’re working for,” Day said. The Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill provides short-term housing for seriously ill children being seen at UNC Hospitals, and for their families. Day said the families who stay at the house tell her how helpful the volunteers and staff are during their time of need. She said it establishes a personal connection between the house residents and staff. Day said another benefit of nonprofits is the small staff, which allows for lower costs. The Ronald McDonald House has five full-time employees and 75 house volunteers, including groups that cook and clean for the families. “We have to raise over $600,000 a year, and our volunteers allow us to run on a small budget,” Day said. But Denson said she believes there isn’t a significant difference between nonprofit organizations and corporate jobs. “You still have to look out for what to do to keep a stable organization,” Denson said. Day described her reason for working in nonprofits in two words: personal satisfaction. “If you can be passionate about your work, then volunteer,” she said. Gist said working for University Career Services has given her the opportunity to help students do things that they find satisfying and that help improve their community. For more information about the Ronald McDonald House, visit www.chapelhillrmh.net. For the Orange County Literacy Council, visit www.orangeliteracy.org.
Carrboro will have to find other funding sources for greenway trails by Morgan Creek and Bolin Creek.Now that extra miles have been added to the Bolin Creek trail plan, the project cost estimates exceed the funds the project has, said Randy Dodd, the environmental planner for the Town of Carrboro, after the meeting.The planning budget for the greenways is $145,000, and the construction budget is $1.6 million.When the funds were given to the commission five years ago, it was enough to cover the project, Dodd said. Since then, extra miles have been added to the plans.The Greenways Commission plans to ask the federal government for some funding through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. “This federal funding source is targeted at getting people out of cars and to bicycle more,” Dodd said. He presented a map Tuesday evening to the board of where the greenway trails will run. The Bolin Creek greenway will start at Estes Drive and run up toward the Carolina North property and Homestead Road. Both the Bolin Creek greenway and the Morgan Creek greenway will connect to paths already in Chapel Hill, providing access to the downtown area.An initial funding request for the greenways was submitted in 2003. The commission was created by the board in June 2007. Construction on the greenways is expected to start in late 2010.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.