Orange County residents debate benefits of urbanization
Bill Livengood first visited Chapel Hill in the 1950s when he played on the Wake Forest baseball team.
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of The Daily Tar Heel's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
27 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Bill Livengood first visited Chapel Hill in the 1950s when he played on the Wake Forest baseball team.
At 60 years old, Thelbert Green, has just learned to read his first three-syllable word: fantastic.
Henry Johnson’s children refuse to drink the water that flows under their house on Rogers Road.
Every day, Carrboro resident Ellen Perry rides the bus like so many Chapel Hill residents, students and visitors.
Emil Usinger and his little sister Marley walked to school alongside their mother and two dogs early Wednesday morning.
After seven years of planning, the 140 West Franklin project has acquired the funds it needs to move forward but is still waiting for the town’s final stamp of approval.
Gloria Gonzalez managed the Don Jose Tienda Mexicana in Carrboro for seven years before her boss sold her the store.
DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” blared through the speakers of East Chapel Hill High School’s stadium as the varsity football team lined up for passing drills.
The Daily Tar Heel staff and community members gathered Wednesday to cut a long Carolina blue ribbon commemorating the newspaper’s downtown office.
Burger chain to open
A local developer agreed to compromise with the Chapel Hill Town Council to make her plans for a multi-family development more environmentally friendly.
UNC students will unveil their project to employ some of the town’s homeless Saturday.The Homeless Outreach Poverty Eradication committee of the Campus Y will open a 14-acre dual garden and farm that will offer transitional employment for the homeless.Saturday’s event will feature workshops on sustainable agriculture and garden art, a community meal and a ribbon cutting presenting HOPE Gardens to the town.“We really just want to invite the community to come and enjoy this new space,” said project coordinator David Baron.Most of the jobs offered at HOPE Gardens will be in the farm section of the property, Baron said.“The garden is essentially split in two,” he said. We are really hoping to provide transitional work for the homeless or those at risk for homelessness.People can lease plots in the farm for $100 annually. The money is used to pay employees’ salaries and maintain the garden.All of the 25 available plots have been leased through the end of the year.Run by the Campus Y, the HOPE committee participates in service projects raising awareness of homelessness.Event coordinators are hoping for a mix of UNC students and community members comprising both the homeless and non-homeless.“These events are a great way to provide a connection between the homeless and the community members. It produces a lot of necessary empathy,” said Jamie Rohe, coordinator of the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness.The land used for the HOPE Gardens was donated by the town’s Parks and Recreation Department.“The lease for the land is a dollar,” said David Kayler, Project HOPE co-chairman. “It was really generous of them.”The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 2200 Homestead Road.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
With a bigger venue and more exhibits, Chapel Hill’s third annual Earth Action Day aims to draw a crowd double the size of last year’s.The event, previously held in downtown Chapel Hill, will take place in the newly completed Southern Community Park near U.S. 15-501 from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.“This year’s venue is a lot larger. We are hoping to get double the number of attendees, possibly several thousand,” said Wes Tilghman, festivals and special events supervisor for the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department.The event’s focus will be on the everyday actions residents can take to preserve the environment, said town Sustainability Officer John Richardson.“We want people to think of sustainability every day, not just one day,” he said.This year’s event will feature new components like a clothing swap and a fashion show that uses items like potato chip bags, puzzle pieces and aluminum. The Goat Patrol, a herd of goats used to keep grass short, will also attend.Guests can learn to become more environmentally efficient through various presentations.“Over the last three years I have seen a real progression with the Earth Action Day celebration,” Richardson said. “This year there are some real opportunities.”Ways residents can “go green,” such as environmentally friendly transportation and battery-powered lawn mowers, will also be presented at the event, and rain barrels will be for sale.“Anytime you introduce people a new way to be sustainable, they will use it,” said Town Council member Penny Rich.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Laurin Easthom realized during her first term on Chapel Hill Town Council that she could no longer work full time as a dentist.The council member, elected in 2005, wrote a blog post earlier this month detailing the growing challenges of raising two daughters while serving the town.Like Easthom did, the three newest council members, elected last November, are quickly learning the difficulties of balancing their new responsibilities with their careers and family lives.To prepare for weekly council meetings, members spend hours reading agendas, government memos and petitions.“It’s not a one-task job,” said Penny Rich, a personal chef and caterer. “You have no room for error in your time management. It’s a lot of meetings and learning about lots of issues.”Town council member and mayor are both considered part-time jobs, and most of the members have other jobs.Each of the council members is paid an annual salary of $13,015 while the mayor, Mark Kleinschmidt, is paid $21,782.Council member Gene Pease, also elected in November, juggles his council responsibilities with work at his consulting company, Capital Analytics Inc.“Town council isn’t intended to be a full time job. I have already missed one meeting as a result of my job,” Pease said.“You have to commit at least 20 hours a week to do an adequate job.”Council member Donna Bell, a social worker who was appointed to the council in January, said that the part-time salary is not enough to support her family. Being on the council has significantly impacted her ability to work full time, she said.“Though being a social worker provides flexibility it doesn’t pay well,” Bell said.“It will be very difficult but I will have to eventually get a full-time job. “It’s part of the reality of my family.”Bell and Rich both said that since they have joined the Town Council they have to rely more on the flexibility of their families when they must attend late meetings or events.“I have become more dependent on my family,” Bell said. “My daughter sometimes has to sit in on meetings, and my mother has to cook dinner.”Rich said she sees her children less since she was elected.“My free time is in the mornings, and my two teenage boys would rather sleep till noon,” she said. “I have to make more of an effort to see them.”The time commitment wasn’t a complete shock to the new council members. All three had served on various town boards and commissions prior to their election or appointment to the council.But Rich said she enjoys the bustle her job adds to her life.“I sleep a lot less, but I’m the kind of person that likes to be busy,” she said. “I never sat around and watched Oprah and ate bon bons.”Bell said that though town council is a big commitment she intends to be on council for many years to come.“It’s amazing to work with such a talented group of people and participate in helping the people’s voice be heard,” Bell said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A plan that would provide pre-kindergarten classes to all 4-year-olds in Orange County was struck down last week because of significant cuts in the county’s budget.And the way the county budget looks, there isn’t a good chance universal pre-K will be instituted next year, either.“Last year we cut our budget by over $5 million, and we are possibly cutting more this year. We don’t have money for new programs,” said Orange County commissioner Bernadette Pelissier.She said the Orange County Child Care Coalition did not provide significant evidence that universal pre-K is necessary.“I don’t know if it’s essential,” Pelissier said. “We have programs in place now that are targeted toward high-risk children.”But Paulette Bekolo, president of the Mary Scroggs Elementary School PTA, said she spent a lot of money on child care, and it came with a lot of sacrifice.“I don’t think you can put a cost on child care,” she said.With the plan, families would pay a reduced amount for care on a sliding scale based on income.“There are people who can afford child care and those who are able to qualify for subsidies but that leaves a large group in between that can’t afford high-quality care,” said Kate Sanford, member of the Child Care Coalition.The plan was outlined until 2013 and would have cost an additional $400,000 annually, for a total of $4.5 million. Sanford said the pre-K programs would be located in existing child care centers in an attempt to use existing infrastructure.The Child Care Coalition plans on reintroducing its proposal to the commissioners next year.“It is important that everyone operates on the same playing field,” Sanford said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Chapel Hill town buildings could soon get an environmental makeover.If the town’s plan is approved by the federal government, Chapel Hill will receive more than $550,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to begin efficiency improvements in private and public buildings owned by the town.The Chapel Hill Town Council sent the proposal to the energy department Thursday. The plan calls for the installation of solar panels and LED lights in government buildings to reduce fossil fuel-based energy consumption.The grant is part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.The town has a maximum of three years to make the changes, said John Richardson, the town’s sustainability officer. He said early numbers suggest that the town could save up to $65,000 each year with the improvements.“The government wants us to use this as seed money,” Richardson said. “We can hopefully create a self-sustaining program.”The money will also go toward funding environmentally efficient appliances in public housing.The town’s plan will go through a two-to-four month review process by the Department of Energy and will be approved if it meets all federal guidelines, Richardson said.Council member Ed Harrison said he was happy to see the energy department taking a more active role with the needs of the local government.“After watching the antagonistic relationship between the U.S. Department of Energy and local governments, it is pleasing to see the Department of Energy attempt to work with local governments,” he said.Council member Penny Rich said the town has long been interested in moving in a more environmentally conscious direction.“We need to move in a greener direction, whether it is for public housing or Town Council,” Rich said. “The council has been interested in this for a long time.”She said the committee would like to see the money saved go into a revolving fund for more green projects.Richardson said the money could allow the town to give tax breaks for homeowners to make similar changes to their homes.He said the town does not intend to use tax money for the projects.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Early season expectations drew a steady clientele wanting Carolina shirts and basketball jerseys for local retailers.But as the basketball team lost games, customers came less often.“This season, sales are definitely down. Business is not good,” said Chapel Hill Sportswear Manager Holly Dedmond.The men’s basketball team’s less-than-stellar performance has not only resulted in disappointed fans, but also in a perceived dip in sales of UNC gear from local stores.Lack of NCAA Tournament play , which is still too early to predict , could further hurt sales, store owners said.Owner of Carolina Pride Sportswear John Hudson said though the poor economy is an obvious culprit, this January is especially slow. Sales from the national championship last year accounted for 25 percent of the store’s total revenue, he said.“People’s expectations of the team definitely affect sales,” he said.Hudson said customers are less excited to buy merchandise than they were pre-season, when UNC was ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll. Now the team is unranked after losing three straight games.“On a day-to-day basis, our cash register sales are down,” Dedmond said.Of course, the losses are coming in the wake of a national championship year, which makes for a harder transition.Hudson said for the national championship last season, he hired more workers who worked more hours.“My mother even came in to help,” he said.Even with declining sales, Carolina gear stores are in no real financial danger.Heather Frazier of Johnny T-shirt said her business has not yet experienced a decrease in sales, because the usual customers continue to come by.“I have seen the same people for eight seasons now,” she said.The wins from the 2005 and 2009 national championships each accounted for half a million dollars in sales, according to UNC’s Trademarks and Licensing division.But it’s too early to compile numbers from this season, said Derek Lochbaum, director of trademarks and licensing.Despite the basketball team’s performance this season, Lochbaum said that the school will probably not experience a large decrease in revenue.“Athletic success always helps, but UNC has a very mature trademark and licensing program,” Lochbaum said.“We don’t experience large swings in revenue that other schools may experience with wins and losses.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Town officials say the poor economic climate won’t affect their most recent attempt to revive downtown.The first recipient of a town loan for art businesses, a gallery called FRANK, is set to open in the coming months at 109 E. Franklin St.In addition to the town loan and generously low rent, the 3,400-square foot gallery is going to operate as a collective — meaning artists will pay to be members.Recently, three local and privately owned galleries have closed or are on their way to closing. But with FRANK’s unconventional business model, Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil said the gallery is a safe investment.“From the scuttlebutt, people are very excited,” said FRANK Director Barbara Rich. The gallery will showcase work with a price range from $10 to $10,000, she said.With the collective business model, all paying members are guaranteed to have their work displayed in the gallery, Stancil said. They also must work a certain number of hours in the gallery. About 25 founding artists and others will be able to show their artwork.Stancil said members will be able to vote on gallery decisions, giving them the power to act as the gallery’s board of directors. The gallery has two years to pay back its $40,000 loan to the town in order to continue the fund, Stancil said. The money will then be used to continue jump-starting local small arts businesses.In addition to member fees, the gallery will receive a commission from sold artwork.“We don’t think the gallery will have any trouble paying this money back,” Stancil said.The gallery is part of a plan to continue to revitalize downtown Chapel Hill, Rich said.“They see the gallery as a catalyst for a new profile of Franklin Street,” she said. “We are hoping that more sophisticated restaurants and shopping will come as a result.”But Jeff Girman, owner of Chapel Hill art gallery Studio 91, said even if the gallery is able to sustain itself, it’s not likely to make much money.“It isn’t profitable right now,” Girman said, adding that several art galleries in the area have already closed. “We are only able to tread through this because we are a wine bar in addition to being an art gallery.” But Rich said she is undeterred by the poor economic climate.“We are all betting that even in the current economy the gallery will be successful,” she said. “Chapel Hill is a fairly well-to-do community and attracts over two million visitors a year.”Jane Tyndall, owner of Tyndall Galleries, said her gallery is set to close Saturday. But in spite of that, she thinks FRANK will be a success in Chapel Hill.“Many experienced artists are involved in this project,” she said. “Even with the downturn in the economy, the key to success in the art world is knowledge of the industry.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, a couple of choirs and a 22-foot tall tree lit by energy-efficient LED lights filled the courtyard next to University Baptist Church Sunday night.The University Baptist Church hosted the fifth annual community tree lighting sponsored by the Town of Chapel Hill.Mitch Simpson, senior pastor at the church, said the event draws a wide assortment of attendees.“This is certainly not a worship service but a public service,” he said. “We are very mindful of the separation of church and state in the context of a larger cultural celebration.”Santa Claus and his elves handed out candy canes and snowflake pins to young children who stood by the tree eagerly waiting for its lights to shine.“I like the tree lighting because it brightens up Chapel Hill,” said Eliza Brooks, an 8-year-old member of the church’s youth group.This was the first year that the ceremony included events other than the tree lighting.It began with trumpeters from the University’s music department and followed with performances from the church’s youth and handbell choirs.“We want to help the downtown merchants and kick off the holiday season,” said Jim Norton, executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. “This is all a part of an umbrella project to revitalize downtown.”Youth group members ran a hot cocoa and cookies stand — another first for the ceremony — with proceeds going to the International Justice Mission. The mission works to combat human trafficking.“Many people are unaware of the insidious evil of human trafficking,” Simpson said, though recently it has gained local importance with the recent case in Fayetteville, he added. The church’s director of children ministries, Allison James, said the church has helped to raise more than $16,000 for the International Justice Mission in the past two years.“We began by raising money and educating the congregation,” James said. “We are now trying to educate the community.”Jackson Pettee, a 10-year-old volunteer at the cocoa and cookies stand, said he liked the tree lighting ceremony because of what it represents.“I like it because it symbolizes what the community means, working together and helping each other get through,” Pettee said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The first attempt at establishing a Human Rights Day for Chapel Hill and Carrboro failed.Judith Blau, director of the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center, located at Abbey Court condominiums, said the event was canceled because of fear of low attendance.The board members of the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center approved plans for the event in July, but they were canceled upon further consideration Nov. 8.“A year ago we sponsored eight days of community meetings on human rights such as local foods, fair trade and the whole gamut of human rights,” Blau said. “The event was really poorly attended, and the board said they didn’t want a repeat of last year.”Blau decided to create this year’s Human Rights Day, which was scheduled for Dec. 5, because of a general lack of understanding about human rights.“Most Americans do not know what human rights are, and I felt that the event should be academic,” Blau said.She said the event was planned to focus on the rights of immigrants, rights of labor, and rights to health care and housing through panel discussions. Presenters would have included Habitat for Humanity, the American Civil Liberties Union and the UNC School of Law.“It saddens me that the event was canceled,” said Nancy Hilburn, a Human Rights Center volunteer.Pluto Richards, treasurer of the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center, said he supported the cancellation of the event.“I don’t think people will come out to panel discussions all day. We should have events that draw people, like concerts and theater, and have discussion in between,” Richards said.Blau said she attributed last year’s low attendance to a decreased sense of community.“American communities are made up of isolated individuals. It is difficult to build neighborhood-wide support for a human rights day,” Blau said. “But we need human rights to build these bonds.”Blau said the cancellation has not deterred her from planning another event.“We will do it again. Maybe the place to start is a big festival at the University,” she said. “Young people are more open to these ideas.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.