UNC preps for Haiti patients
UNC Hospitals officials have developed a plan to receive patients transferred from Haiti who need medical assistance after last week’s devastating earthquake.
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UNC Hospitals officials have developed a plan to receive patients transferred from Haiti who need medical assistance after last week’s devastating earthquake.
UNC Hospitals is preparing to care for Haitian patients in the wake of the recent catastrophic earthquake.
Health service coordination for low-income families in Orange County will soon be more scarce.This year, the N.C. General Assembly mandated that the state’s Division of Medical Assistance reduce its case management services, which ensures people get the medical care they need.Health Check, a statewide program that serves about 3,000 children in Orange County annually, is one of the case management services that will be consolidated. The program makes sure children eligible for Medicaid receive services such as immunizations, counseling, dental care, prescriptions, lab tests and routine checkups.Starting February 2010, the program will go from providing county care to regional care. Each county had a Health Check coordinator, but now one coordinator will be in charge of four or five counties.The cut will save the state $280,000, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.“At least we will still have the service available in the community but probably to a lesser degree,” said Wayne Sherman, Orange County Health Department personal health services division director. “One might suppose it would result in a much larger case load and less contact with the Medicaid recipients.”Health Check is being consolidated into Community Care of North Carolina because its services overlap with other programs offered by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said Brad Deen, department spokesman.“None of what DHHS is pursuing is intended to criticize the local health departments and the tremendous good their Health Check coordinators have done on behalf of some of the most vulnerable children in our state,” Deen stated in an e-mail. “We just believe we have arrived at a better, and more efficient, way to provide the same benefits.”He said an integrated approach to case management should prevent anyone who needs services from being “lost in the cracks.” This year, the state spent about $2.87 million on Health Check’s coordinator positions, and the Orange County Health Department received $35,000 a year to pay for a coordinator, Sherman said. But he said the money didn’t completely cover the salary and benefits of the position.Former county coordinators are eligible to apply for positions in Community Care, but the Orange County coordinator has been reassigned to another position in the health department, Sherman said.Margaret Samuels, executive director for the Orange County Partnership for Young Children, said through activities and programs, the partnership informs families of what services are available though Health Check. Samuels said the partnership’s relationship with Community Care will help make the transition easier for those served by Health Check. But she expressed some apprehension about the program cuts.“Whether it’s through community events or individual families, we’ve seen over the years that these services can and do make a difference,” she said. “Any budget reduction when you have a growing population and a growing need is a case for concern.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
This holiday season, some might be forced to spend time away from home while they or their loved ones receive treatment at UNC Hospitals.That’s when the State Employees’ Credit Union Family House provides a refuge for families like Robert McRae’s.The Family House provides a place for out-of-towners to stay when recovering or when someone in their family is hospitalized.“It’s a home away from home,” said McRae, who lives near Fayetteville.A massive Thanksgiving feast, which included four 24-pound turkeys, two 12-pound hams and bottles of sparkling cider, was one way the house made the more than 100 guests and volunteers feel welcome.When McRae’s daughter came to town for the holiday, she thought K&W Cafeteria would be a good place to eat dinner.“I said, ‘We can’t go to K&W because they are cooking here,’” McRae said.McRae’s wife, Clara, transferred from Fort Bragg’s hospital to UNC’s the first week of October. She’s recovering from the repercussions of H1N1, which included kidney failure, lung scarring and a medically induced coma.During the transfer, she lost oxygen to her brain for 30 minutes. Doctors and family members worried her brain was damaged.But on Thanksgiving Day, after her husband asked if she knew who she was, she responded for the first time with a nod. “When she saw her mother, she gave a little grin,” he said.The house on Old Mason Farm Road, which is filled with evergreen trees and wreaths, will continue to celebrate the holidays with a surprise visit from Santa, community volunteers performing in the evenings and another Christmas dinner feast.This year more than 1,160 guests stayed at the house from across North Carolina, 19 other states and three foreign countries.It costs about $56 to operate a room each night, but guests pay between $5 and $35 per room each night depending on their financial situation. The average guest contribution is $25 a night.There is no limit to how long a person can stay at the house, and one current guest has stayed there since January.“That way it’s a service for all families, not just those who can afford it,” Executive Director Greg Kirkpatrick said.The 34,000 square-foot house has 40 rooms, and sometimes there is a waitlist.“It’s a nice place for people to stay, but it’s also a supportive and encouraging environment for people to get together,” said Janet Hudgens, marketing and volunteer coordinator.Sometimes when McRae comes into the house after visiting his wife at the hospital, he’ll strike up a conversation with anyone in one of the common areas, he said.“Being in an environment here where you can talk about it and release is one of the best things,” McRae said.One past house guest still calls McRae everyday and asks about his wife, he said.“They become each other’s best support system,” Kirkpatrick said. “They provide each other emotional support in the hardest situations they’ve ever gone through.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Aaron Shah noticed his 4-year-old son Ahmad had a fever and decided to take him to the emergency room. Ahmad had H1N1, and later that August night, doctors told Shah his son might not see the next morning.“We are grateful to God that we live in Chapel Hill and that we live close by the hospital,” Shah said.On Thursday, Shah, Ahmad and Ahmad’s twin brother Aaron returned to the N.C. Children’s Hospital to retell their story during the N.C. Children’s Promise, a radio telethon and the hospital’s largest fundraiser.The Shahs joined about 40 other families who shared their stories on air, said Danielle Bates, the hospital communications manager.The radio telethon raised $1,007,594 in pledges and donations, nearly three times as much as Dance Marathon raised last year.Sixteen of Curtis Media Group’s radio stations and News 14 Carolina broadcast live from the lobby of the hospital to encourage viewers to donate.A phone bank, staffed by volunteers, filled the lobby of the women’s hospital to receive listener donations.“When you have family and grandchildren, it makes you realize how important this is,” said Karen Cheek, a phone bank volunteer.Cheek answered calls from listeners for a two-hour morning shift.“They have been very giving, and they talk about how blessed they are,” she said.Corporate sponsors, doctors and nurses also talked about the importance of donations.“It is for the children of North Carolina by the community of North Carolina,” said Don Curtis, the CEO of Curtis Media Group.“We simply ask people to do what they can. These aren’t somebody else’s kids. These are our kids.”The first radiothon, held in 2002, raised more than $183,000, one donation at a time, Curtis said.“It became a pep rally for the hospital,” he said. “At that point, we were hooked.”The event has grown to include live performances. Five artists, including country stars Craig Morgan and Jake Owen, took the stage in the lobby.The majority of the planning began in August, Bates said, but the event is always at the forefront of the staff’s minds.“Months and countless hours go into the radio telethon every year,” Bates said. “It’s unpredictable the day of. You plan the best you can, and you cross your fingers and hope for the best.”As money came in, Aaron and Ahmad played in the lobby and talked into microphones. Ahmad, who spent two of three weeks at the hospital in critical condition, showed almost no signs of his recent illness.To better care for Ahmad, Shah resigned from his job as a computer analyst with the Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services.When Ahmad left the hospital, Shah had to teach him how to walk again, he said.“The only thing I could rely on were these awesome doctors and the grace of God,” Shah said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Now that the town approved Kidzu Children’s Museum’s expansion, it’s up to the museum to raise money for construction.The museum scored a $1 lease for 99 years, and now will have to raise $6 million to $7 million for construction of the new building, said Cathy Maris executive director of Kidzu. “It really takes an entire community to create a great children’s museum,” Maris said. “We welcome people’s input and are going to need as much help as we can get.”After about a year of negotiations, Kidzu contracted to relocate to Wallace Parking Deck — a property valued at $4 million.The move could lead to downtown revitalization, town leaders say.“We’re incredibly excited,” Maris said. “This is something that we’ve been working on for years and years.”Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously voted on the details of the lease Nov. 9.“(Maris) made a repeated set of very compelling arguments for the contract,” council member Ed Harrison said. “I agree with her completely.”Fundraising for expansionMaris said community support has helped the museum prosper. They’ve already raised $1 million to preserve the current site, Maris said.“It’s going to be a broad net that we will have to cast,” Maris said. The next steps in Kidzu’s expansion plan include continued fundraising, developing building plans, finding an architect, marketing and planning exhibits, said Jonathan Mills, the museum board chairman.One fundraising event consisted of a series of parties called “A Feast for the Imagination,” Mills said. The events ranged from tailgating to ice skating to poker parties. By Mills’ estimates, the event raised $28,000 to $30,000. Kidzu also took part in America’s giving challenge on Facebook. More than 160 members raised $6,252.Out of the 7,857 organizations collecting money, Kidzu ranked 45th. Maris said a lot of work is ahead but she is confident the museum will succeed with town support. Revitalizing downtownOne of Maris’ arguments in favor of the lease was that the expansion will help revitalize downtown.The number of museum visitors is expected to reach between 75,000 and 100,000 annually compared to the current 30,000, said Mills. The larger space will allow the museum to hold more events at once, increasing attendance, Maris said.The average ticket price is $5, Mills said, so the new museum could bring in $500,000 each year.He said having more families downtown will create a better image for Chapel Hill.“When you see kids holding hands, maybe they are pulling a kite behind them they made out of construction paper at Kidzu. They make you smile,” Mills said. “It’s the best advertisement downtown Chapel Hill could have.”Mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt said the museum will inject more business into downtown.“It’s been since Kidzu opened that the town has been hoping to help them find more space and increase their impact,” he said. “It’s a great destination for families, and it’s an opportunity for kids to grow and learn.”Kidzu opened in 2006, occupying a 2,700-square-foot space on Franklin Street. At that location, there is only room for one exhibit, Maris said, but the new space will allow for five or six.“We always knew we would start small and plan big,” Maris said.The expanded museum, opening in 2013 or 2014, will be about 15,000 square feet with 5,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit space.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt will take office in December knowing that almost half the electorate voted for someone else.But he said he is confident he can unify Chapel Hill residents.Tuesday’s election divided voters between Kleinschmidt, who earned 48.62 percent of the vote, and Matt Czajkowski, who earned 47.46 percent, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.Kleinschmidt said although the campaigns might appear to have polarized voters, they showed the goals he and Czajkowski have in common, like environmental protection and downtown revitalization.“I want to try to move the focus to those things,” he said. “The earlier we have people on board with common goals, the more successful we will be. “There’s important work to be done.”Czajkowski has two years remaining in his term on the Town Council.Re-elected council member Laurin Easthom supported Kleinschmidt during the election and said she thinks he will be effective at bridging the gap.“One of the unfortunate outcomes of the campaign is that people had labels put on them,” she said.Town Council candidate Will Raymond said neither of the labels — “pro-business” and “establishment” — were effective categorizations for him.“A lot of people have been talking about ‘divided,’ but that’s a very narrow way of looking at it,” Raymond said. “The concerns of the community cut across the arbitrary groupings.”One of the first unity-building actions on Kleinschmidt’s agenda is to gain support from more local businesses, he said.“I do not believe that those who did not vote for me do not share my views on other issues,” Kleinschmidt said. “Those economic issues are the ones that are causing the greatest division.”Kleinschmidt said he received endorsements from several businesses and large developers, including Meadowmont developer Roger Perry and Southern Village developer D.R. Bryan.“I want to build on that support,” he said.Former mayor Rosemary Waldorf, who endorsed Czajkowski, said she didn’t think the election reflected a polarized community.“I don’t think people were voting so much against other people,” Waldorf said. “But they were voting for people they were enthusiastic about or issues they were interested in.”She said she thought the candidates had similar viewpoints but emphasized different issues.“The most important step to take to bring the new Town Council together is to make sure all the issues that were talked about during the campaign are addressed,” she said.Kleinschmidt said he is eager to get started.“I’m anxious to begin working with the newly elected and returning council members, including Mr. Czajkowski,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
First-time candidate Sammy Slade will join a familiar group on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen after Tuesday’s elections.Slade, endorsed by former mayor pro tem John Herrera, claimed a seat with the second-highest number of votes. Carrboro residents also re-elected incumbents Jacquie Gist and Randee Haven-O’Donnell. Gist, Slade and Haven-O’Donnell won with 24.84, 24.09 and 23.92 percents of the vote, respectively.Sharon Cook and Tim Peck, who did not win, garnered 14.89 percent and 11.49 percent of the vote, respectively.A first-time board member and the only Latino candidate, Slade isn’t a newcomer to Carrboro issues.Slade was chairman of the local living economy task force and co-founded the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition.Mayor Mark Chilton said he wants the Board of Aldermen to appoint Slade to fill Herrera’s empty seat this month instead of waiting until December when Slade would be sworn in.Slade said he supports local food production and wants to continue policies that limit local police officers checking for immigration status.“Sammy’s got fresh ideas and will probably end up challenging us on some things,” Chilton said.Gist has been a board member since 1989 and is a career counselor at University Career Services.“In 20 years, people get to know you,” Gist said. “In this election, people who were born after I was elected voted for me.”To support the economy, she wants to encourage residents to invest more in local banks. She also wants to complete Carrboro’s Greenway system and find more parking for downtown businesses, she said.Haven-O’Donnell, a teacher at Durham Academy, was elected first in 2005 and currently serves as the mayor pro tem.“It’s amazing what you can achieve when you put your heart and mind to it,” she said.Haven-O’Donnell said she wants to protect Carrboro’s rural buffer and supports the creation of a workforce station where day laborers can gather.“I’m delighted to continue to serve the town of Carrboro,” she said. “I love the town of Carrboro. I love my work.”Although he did not win, Peck said he has learned a lot since the election and won’t let the results get him down.“I sort of got my name out there, became a public figure,” he said.Cook, a member of the Town Planning Board, ran for the board two years ago and said she is disappointed with a second loss.“We worked really hard,” she said. “We ran a really good, clean campaign.”She is unsure if she will run again but thinks it’s important for residents to get involved in local government, she said.“I was just disappointed that more people didn’t come out and vote,” Cook said.Staff writers Kelly Poe, Emily Stephenson, Matt Bewley and Daixi Xu contributed reporting. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A former East Chapel Hill High School valedictorian died running the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday.Peter Curtin, 23, collapsed between miles 22 and 23 of the race, said Lee Corrigan, president of Corrigan Sports Enterprises and marathon planner.The medical team rushed him to Union Memorial Hospital, where he died a few hours later. His temperature was 107 degrees, Corrigan said.Curtin was a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and recently earned a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.He graduated as the valedictorian of East Chapel Hill High School in 2004. He was also the lacrosse goalie when the team won the state championship his senior year. Former teammate Dwight Weld remembers Curtin buying orange lacrosse balls so the two could practice in the snow.“He’d call me at 9 or 10 o’clock on Saturday or Sunday morning to get me out to practice,” Weld said.After high school, Curtin went to Princeton University and received a bachelor’s in chemistry with highest honors.He continued with graduate school at MIT, where he researched with Daniel Nocera, a chemistry and energy professor.“He just wanted to do research that would have an impact and make the world a more positive place,” his brother Matthew Curtin said.He said their sister’s battle with cancer in high school spurred his brother’s interest in cancer research.Nocera’s lab works on building chemosensors that could monitor the health of tumors so doctors would know which drugs to use. The chemosensors could then tell if the drugs were successfully killing the tumor, Nocera said.“There’s no question in my mind that he was headed for superstardom,” Nocera said. “He would have contributed a lot to the world. I am sure of it.”Jackie White, Peter Curtin’s landlord, said he would always bring her the rent check with a smile.“I can remember thinking to myself that I hope someday my daughter will bring home a man just like that, decent and hard-working,” she said. “He seemed like a really nice kid with a handsome smile.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A former East Chapel Hill High School valedictorian died running the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday.Peter Curtin, 23, collapsed between miles 22 and 23 of the race, said Lee Corrigan, president of Corrigan Sports Enterprises and marathon planner.The medical team rushed him to Union Memorial Hospital, where he died a few hours later. His temperature was 107 degrees, Corrigan said.Curtin was a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and recently earned a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.He graduated as the valedictorian of East Chapel Hill High School in 2004. He was also the lacrosse goalie when the team won the state championship his senior year. Former teammate Dwight Weld remembers Curtin buying orange lacrosse balls so the two could practice in the snow.“He’d call me at 9 or 10 o’clock on Saturday or Sunday morning to get me out to practice,” Weld said.After high school, Curtin went to Princeton University and received a bachelor’s in chemistry with highest honors.He continued with graduate school at MIT, where he researched with Daniel Nocera, a chemistry and energy professor.“He just wanted to do research that would have an impact and make the world a more positive place,” his brother Matthew Curtin said.He said their sister’s battle with cancer in high school spurred his brother’s interest in cancer research.Nocera’s lab works on building chemosensors that could monitor the health of tumors so doctors would know which drugs to use. The chemosensors could then tell if the drugs were successfully killing the tumor, Nocera said.“There’s no question in my mind that he was headed for superstardom,” Nocera said. “He would have contributed a lot to the world. I am sure of it.”Jackie White, Peter Curtin’s landlord, said he would always bring her the rent check with a smile.“I can remember thinking to myself that I hope someday my daughter will bring home a man just like that, decent and hard-working,” she said. “He seemed like a really nice kid with a handsome smile.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Water conservation by the University is leading to higher water bills for residents, according to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.Customers will see a 9.75 percent rate increase in October bills.An average household uses 5,000 gallons of water per month, which used to cost $68.24. After the increase, the average monthly bill will be $74.92, the authority’s spokesman Greg Feller said.Rate increases are not uncommon when demand decreases.UNC started using reclaimed water, which is highly treated wastewater, instead of drinking water for non-drinking purposes. The campus chiller plants, which provide air conditioning, use the most reclaimed water, Feller said in an e-mail.This year, he said UNC will use 660,000 gallons of reclaimed water instead of potable water daily.OWASA needs to make up for that loss in revenue by charging more, Feller said.Junior Lauren Breedlove, who lives in Colonial Village at Highland Hills apartments, said she understands the value of conservation.“They are doing a good thing using reclaimed water, but that shouldn’t fall on us,” she said.OWASA predicts that in 2010, demand will be 19 percent lower than 2001 even though the number of customers increased by 15 percent, according to its July newsletter.“After the drought of 2007-2008, people have continued to do an excellent job conserving water,” Feller said. “Our drinking water demand is back down to levels that occurred in the 1990s.”Though rates are rising now, Feller said that in the long run, water conservation should save money.He said that the system won’t need to expand as much or as soon and that OWASA can avoid the high cost of developing a new water source.“Water conservation extends the time in which our current water supply and treatment systems will be adequate to meet the community’s needs,” he said.Connection fees from new developments are another source of revenue for OWASA, but because people aren’t building much, the number of new connections is expected to decrease 70 percent by the end of 2010.The price for water treatment chemicals has also increased 58 percent, raising OWASA’s budget by $1.2 million.Rate increases are expected to raise water prices by the same amount for the next three years.But OWASA representatives said the organization is doing what it can to lower costs.It reduced the authority’s workforce by 12 percent, denied pay raises and postponed water meter replacements and tests, Feller said. The company also cut recreation days at University Lake and the Cane Creek Reservoir.Most of OWASA’s costs, such as water testing and pipe maintenance, are fixed and don’t decrease with less water use, Feller said. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Chapel Hill Town Council voted 5-2 Monday to research the fiscal impacts of two potential sites for waste to be collected before it is shipped out of the county.A waste transfer station is needed because the county landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2012.The county has four options for a possible location for the transfer site: land for purchase off N.C. 54, a Town of Chapel Hill-owned site on Millhouse Road, an Orange County-owned site on Millhouse Road and the transfer station in Durham off Interstate 85.Town staff will examine the costs of using the N.C. 54 site and of temporary use of the Durham transfer station.Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said he wanted to analyze the fiscal impacts of all four sites because the town needs to consider the cost of transport and trucks.“I think that we as a council have an obligation to the citizens to understand the fiscal impact of any of these,” Foy said, adding that the N.C. 54 option would be costly.“We have to acknowledge that this is a decision to raise taxes,” Foy said. “We ought to at least be open about that and tell citizens how much more up front.”Other council members did not want to consider sites off Millhouse Road because of their proximity to the county’s current landfill, which a historically black community has bordered for 37 years.They wanted to make sure the council also considered environmental and social concerns.“Other people tend to forget that we give great weight to these other interests, and I don’t want that to be lost,” council member Mark Kleinschmidt said.The county is responsible for the landfill where solid waste is disposed and will ultimately decide the location of the new site.The transfer site will compact and transport trash to other areas in North Carolina or Virginia, Foy said.The county cannot use the Durham site or the Chapel Hill site without permission from the towns that own them.“Durham has not made an offer, and I don’t know if they will,” Foy said.About five residents were at the meeting to protest the Millhouse Road locations.Robert Campbell, a resident of the Rogers Road community near Millhouse Road and the co-chairman of the Rogers-Eubanks Coalition to End Environmental Racism, said he was concerned that another solid waste transfer site will destroy the area’s cotton history and community.“Not only are we connected to the land, but we are connected socially and economically,” he said. “You can’t break the bond of social engagement.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
After a slow dance with his girlfriend, Brian Foard, a former speed, cocaine and alcohol addict, grabbed the microphone from the band.“Ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one,” he said, dropping to his knee.“Will you please marry me?”Donna Edmonds, 34, a former cocaine and heroin addict, didn’t hesitate giving her answer.“Hell, yes!”Foard and Edmonds were among a group of about 70 people who gathered to celebrate overcoming drug and alcohol addictions at the Freedom House Recovery Center in Chapel Hill on Thursday.The center is a halfway house with crisis and outpatient services for those struggling with mental illness and addiction.“We need to celebrate those folks among us who are on the journey and succeeding,” said Judy Truitt, director of the Orange-Person-Chatham Area Program, which co-hosted the event.About six months ago, Foard, 29, was addicted to crack, alcohol and speed. He spent time in the state penitentiary twice, was shot four times and stabbed twice.Foard said after his friends kicked him out of the house they shared, he walked eight miles in the rain to Person Memorial Hospital emergency department, where he was cleared to go through a seven-day detox at Freedom House.Foard then moved to an Oxford House, one of 130 drug-free group homes in North Carolina, where he first met Edmonds.She came to the Oxford House to pick up a friend and saw Foard on the porch smoking.“I asked my girlfriend, ‘Who is that?’” Edmonds said. “I thought, ‘That’s my husband standing there.’”Edmonds herself has been clean from heroin for three years and is recovering from a cocaine relapse. She said the picture she had of her life as a drug addict was much different from what it is now.“I literally though I was predestined to be a person to die from an overdose,” she said.One night she prayed to God that she wanted to be a mother. But when she found out soon after that she was pregnant, she was angry at God, she said.“I said to God, ‘I’m not ready,’” she said. “God said back to me, ‘When I say you’re ready, you’re ready.’”After a year of treatment at the UNC Horizons Program, Edmonds was homeless with her son and struggled to find housing due to possession charges.“(The Orange-Person-Chatham Area Program) is the only program that said, ‘We don’t care. You deserve a second chance.’”She also tried to go back to school, but life stresses settled in. Edmonds said she forgot about recovery and relapsed.She lost custody of her son and went to jail, she said. When she got out, she moved into Freedom House’s halfway house and has been staying there since Aug. 4.“Nobody can ever tell me he does not belong to me,” she said. “I used to wonder if I’m good enough to be a mom. Now I know I am.”Her son Billy will be two in October, she said. Foard said he is working with the Department of Social Services to adopt him.“He is such a role model and father figure for my son,” Edmonds said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The rate of childhood mortality in North Carolina last year was lower than has ever been recorded.Childhood fatality rates decreased 5 percent between 2007 and 2008 and 18 percent in the last decade in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force.Orange County reported 18 child deaths last year. Chatham County only had four.No Orange County children died from bicycle accidents, fires, drowning, falls, poisoning homicide or suicide in 2008.“In this area, so many parents are so present with their kids. It’s wonderful,” said Chapel Hill resident Debra Mowles-Caskey as she watched her granddaughter play in front of Weaver Street Market in Carrboro.About 1,600 children died across the state in 2008. If the death rate had stayed the same since 1991, when the task force began, 800 more children would have died, enough to fill an elementary school, according to a press release by the task force.Tom Vitaglione, co-chairman of the task force, said new safety regulations and public awareness campaigns helped cause the decrease.“We’ve worked on all these things. Each one of them takes a bite out of fatalities,” Vitaglione said. Vehicle-related child deaths decreased more than 10 percent for the second year in a row, which could be caused by high gas prices, child seat safety laws or graduated drivers’ licenses, Vitaglione said.“As much as all of us might hate an intrusion, safety laws work because they provide an education,” Vitaglione said.Only three children had bicycle-related deaths, the lowest number ever recorded.But there was a 15 percent increase in drowning and 6 percent increase in poisoning since 2007. Vitaglione said closer parental attention could help reduce those incidents. Mowles-Caskey said setting boundaries and knowing children’s personalities helps keep them safe.“I know them well enough to know what they’re going to try,” she said. “It’s a mother thing, and it’s our job to keep them safe.”The number of drowning deaths in the state is between 20 and 30 every year, Vitaglione said.“If there’s a common denominator, it’s young people, unsupervised in the water,” he said. “Our message there is vigilance with a capital ‘V.’”Vitaglione said the task force will also investigate the number of poisonings — all drug overdoses.He recommends parents hide prescription drugs.In 2007, 98 babies died from sudden infant death syndrome, compared to 136 in 2008. Although that is a 39 percent increase, it should not cause panic, said Desmond Runyan, pediatrician at UNC Hospitals.“It is such a low number. It might be a statistical nuance,” he said.Vitaglione said he feels good about the task force’s findings, but the state has a long way to go before eliminating child fatalities.“It’s one of the primary responsibilities of adults to protect the next generation,” Vitaglione said. “It really has to do with attentiveness of parents or caretakers and children all the time.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The owners of Sugarland bakery reached into their arsenal of sugar and cake this weekend to raise excitement and support for the football team.They hope that what they came up with — an enormous “mooncake” — becomes a local tradition. Katrina and Doc Ryan, co-owners of the bakery at 140 E. Franklin St., debuted their elaborate confection in their display window this weekend.Many fans took pictures of the cake, which depicts UNC fans mooning rivals, in the window throughout the weekend, he said.“We were mobbed all weekend,” Doc Ryan said. “There were people perpetually in front of the window looking at the cake.”The cake, which the owners said could feed 50 people, featured Rameses driving a Carolina blue Volkswagen Beetle.The other 11 ACC mascots are left in the dust as three students moon them from the car.Each week Sugarland will display the cake with the opposing team’s mascot chasing the Beetle, Doc Ryan said.UNC student Stephanie Lambeth said that while the cake’s craftsmanship was impressive, the nudity took away from it.“We’re mooning mascots. We’re not that pathetic,” she said.Katrina Ryan said the cake has $700 worth of sugary decorations on it, and to buy it would cost at least that much.Five chefs spent two weeks and a total of 56 hours piping, sculpting and modeling the cake, she said. The figurines are made of a combination of fondant and gum pastes, ingredients similar to what is in marshmallows.“It takes longer to make a marshmallow look like a person than a cartoon,” she said. “Bringing the little marshmallows to life is the most challenging part.”The staff used pretzels and wires to support the mascots.“The figurines require a very distinct talent,” she said. “It’s absolutely art. There’s little cooking to it.”The cake is completely sugar and not meant to be eaten.If traditional cake were on the inside, it couldn’t be displayed in the window because it would melt, Katrina Ryan said.The cake is also designed to draw the attention of the Tar Heels’ opposing fans while displaying their mascots respectfully, Doc Ryan said.“We wanted to create something the other team could enjoy, too,” he said.And if the Tar Heels reach the Orange Bowl, Katrina Ryan said another special cake can be expected.“We’ll invite everyone in to eat it,” she said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Freshman Shelby Benson said she was in a residence hall elevator when a sniffling girl said her roommate had swine flu.After seeing enough people with sniffles and empty seats in her classrooms, Benson decided to get a seasonal flu shot, even though a swine flu vaccine will not be available until October.Benson and her boyfriend Adam Bowers went to Kerr Drug to get the shot.They were two of about 100 people who went to Kerr Drug on Thursday for the seasonal flu vaccine, pharmacist Joe Heidrick said.Kerr Drug in University Mall began vaccinating people on Aug. 24 and has administered about 500 shots since. On average, the clinic gives 40 to 60 shots a day.Bowers had no fond memories of the flu, which he suffered through last year. “I was vomiting profusely,” he said.The flu vaccine costs $30 and is covered for those with BlueCross BlueShield insurance or Medicare, Heidrick said.Benson refused to watch as Bowers got the shot. After the shot, Bowers yelled to his girlfriend from the other room, “I didn’t feel it.”The pharmacy gives shots weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some days the pharmacists may be at off-site clinics, so it’s best to call ahead, Heidrick said.“The biggest thing is to get the vaccine when it’s available. You never know when the next shortage is going to hit,” he said. Heidrick said he encourages sororities, fraternities and other campus groups to call and arrange a clinic at their organizations. The pharmacist administered 40 flu shots to the members of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority on Wednesday.Mendy Childress and Kendall Page, who were getting shots, said they are taking a photographic safari in Tanzania. Catching the flu on the plane ride would spoil the trip, they said. Childress said the shot hurt.“That was worse than the ones for Africa,” she said. “If we get sick, it’s going to have to be a super bug.”Former UNC professor Chuck Stone, 85, said his wife called him Thursday to remind him to get his flu shot.“If you don’t get a flu shot and you get the flu, it’s your fault,” he said. “You have no excuse.”He joked that if he still had students, he would fail them or “at least give them a D” if they didn’t get the vaccine.Benson and Bowers would pass.Where you can get the flu shot:
Orange County is once again in drought, but climate officials say its effects might be short-lived.The U.S. Drought Monitor of North Carolina shows five counties, including Orange and Chatham, in moderate drought conditions as of Aug. 25. Durham County and 58 others are listed as abnormally dry. These numbers are lower than the previous week, when seven counties were in moderate drought and 67 were abnormally dry.“The difference between abnormally dry and drought is impact,” said Ryan Boyles, assistant professor at N.C. State University and State Climate Office director. He said the impact is noticeable driving through Chatham County toward York County.“You see more stress on the crops,” Boyles said, adding that some of Chatham’s dogwoods and other trees are drying out. But in the past couple of weeks, rain has helped reduce some of the drought, and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority hasn’t seen severe drops in reservoir levels.Nearly two years ago, reservoir levels were at 51 percent capacity, according to a 2007 OWASA press release, meaning the current drought is not as severe as others have been across the state in the last decade.“It’s really no comparison,” said Ed Holland, OWASA director of planning. “We have a lot of water in our reservoirs. The long-range forecast is for normal rainfall.”OWASA measures stream flow and reservoir fullness to determine whether water restrictions are needed. On Friday, University Lake, the Cane Creek Reservoir and Quarry Reservoir contained 2.956 billion gallons of water and were 82.9 percent full, according to OWASA.“We just don’t see it,” Holland said. “Orange County may be in a drought … but that doesn’t mean that Chapel Hill and Carrboro need to go to mandatory water restrictions.”This year the El Niño climate phenomenon, which occurs every 2 to 8 years, could cause less rain in the fall and more in the winter because the eastern tropical region of the Pacific Ocean is abnormally warm. This causes strong thunderstorm activity and the energy from storms shifts the jet stream southward across the country, Boyles said. El Niño is associated with fewer hurricanes and less rainfall, said Michelle L’Heureux, meteorologist for the Climate Prediction Center.But the state still could get more rain than normal this winter because of El Niño, Boyles said.From January to March the eastern halves of the Carolinas normally receive 8 to 15 inches of rain. This winter the area could receive 9 to 19 inches, according to the office.OWASA continues to support voluntary conservation measures. These include running dishwasher and washing machines with full loads, installing ultra-low flow toilets and shower heads, harvesting water and repairing plumbing systems.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Carrboro, with a population of about 18,000, continues to grow. And it's still missing a library. For 20 years, Carrboro residents have been calling for a full-service library in southwest Orange County. Now a new force of individuals join the fight as National Library Week is celebrated. "There is a whole new crowd of Carrboro folks who have a sense of urgency about it," Carrboro Alderman Randee Haven-O'Donnell said. The library that currently services this population is the McDougle Middle School Library, which is only open during school hours. "It doesn't fully meet the needs of southwest Orange County," Haven-O'Donnell said. To complement the school's library, the Cybrary offers services in downtown Carrboro. The Cybrary, which opened in 2004, has six computers, carries about 300 books and 150 audio books and receives about 20 periodicals. It's open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Most people come here to use the computer and Internet access," Cybrary librarian Laura Dallas said. Lower-income residents don't have access to the Internet in their homes, and employers often ask for online applications, Dallas said. So the community is very supportive of the Cybrary, Assistant Director Andrea Tullos said. "It is used every day, throughout the day," Tullos said. But the program does have its limitations. A full library in downtown Carrboro would have space for more programs, Tullos said, and more materials would be available to the community. People can request for books in the Orange County Public Library system to be sent to the Cybrary from other libraries, but that can take a week or two. "We could provide more materials faster," Dallas said. The plan presented by the library task force to the Orange County Board of Commissioners called for a beginning library space of 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. At current market values, the cost would be $160 per square foot, Haven-O'Donnell said in an e-mail. Last fall, county commissioners approved $3 million for the initial construction of the library over several years, Haven-O'Donnell said. "They have the interest," she said. "They have made the commitment, but they just don't have the money." The library task force is considering several options for the library's location. They considered the second floor of Town Hall, but the structure of the building will not hold the weight of bookshelves. Several of the new developments being constructed in the area also are being considered. "This is not going away," Haven-O'Donnell said. "It is just a matter of folks realizing you can't throw a little bit of money at something and expect it to work." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
As spring temperatures rise, so do gas prices, and students are making their summer plans with the high costs in mind. "I'm nannying this summer, and I'm asking her to pay for gas," sophomore Kelly McLean said. She is concerned that the cost of the 10-minute drive from her apartment will eat away her summer income. The price of gas is the chief transportation issue North Carolinians care about, according to a March Elon University poll. Out of 473 respondents, 31 percent identified gas prices as their primary concern. Hunter Bacot, who conducted the Elon poll, said the gas prices exacerbate already difficult economic times. "If economics improve for everybody, then gas prices won't be such an issue," Bacot said. AAA local branch General Manager Anita Flippen said current prices are the highest she's seen in the more than 20 years she has worked in the travel industry. Chapel Hill prices are $0.49 higher per gallon than they were this time last year, according to www.gasbuddy.com, and still are on the rise. Some drivers are carpooling or doing all of their errands in one trip in an effort to reduce gas demand. "We, as consumers, could control prices more if we conserved," Eastgate BP manager Sharis Rahimtoola said. "Already this morning we've had half a dozen Suburbans with one passenger." Senior Nick Reid planned a New York road trip during spring break, but he decided to save money instead. He said the high price of gas likely will influence his summer plans, as well. "I used to have a second job delivering - not anymore," he said. "I'll lose money if I do that again." Instead of asking AAA to plan road trips to California, people are flying and asking AAA to plan their routes as they drive through the state, Flippen said. "We are seeing people driving, but not as far," she said. "Everyone still wants to go somewhere." But even by traveling in alternatives to cars, people still are hit with additional charges from airlines and cruise lines. Airlines are charging more for extra bags and heavier luggage. They try to reduce the weights of the planes' cargoes to save fuel, Flippen said. Cruise lines now are requiring additional surcharges from passengers who have already bought their tickets as a way to cover the rising gas price. Beginning April 21, Carnival Cruise Lines will increase its fuel surcharge from $5 per day to $7 per day. Managers at gas stations say they wish they could know for how much longer prices will climb. The stations get a call from the oil company in the morning, telling them where to set their prices, Rahimtoola said. The next call could tell them to set the price per gallon at $0.99, he said, but he thinks that is impossible. "Most people want to know when the gas prices are going down," Rahmitoola. "The answer is: I don't know." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Skipping school brought Carrboro High School freshman Stewart Walter to Boomerang for the first time when he was in the eighth grade. Walter said Boomerang helped him reach his goal of being fit. Now he runs and lifts weights daily. "When I'm at Boomerang, the people here are really easy to talk to," he said. The free program, which works with short-term suspended students, is credited with reducing dropout rates. Boomerang started in 2006 with funding from temporary startup grants. That money runs out in 2009, and the program is looking to replace those grants and establish a permanent presence. Last week Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education member Mike Kelley asked state legislators to help find funding. "What we are working on is sustainability," program director Tami Pfeifer said. "We are on the chase for more money." By offering group discussions, team-building exercises and homework help, Boomerang provides a positive environment and helps students realize their potential, Pfeifer said. "The kids would end up going home and sitting around," if it weren't for Boomerang, Carrboro High School assistant principal Julie Hennis said. Grants must support the program, but finding money is difficult and takes time away from working with students, Pfeifer said. Money from the Governor's Crime Commission and Strowd Roses that makes up more than half of the program's budget will expire within the next year. And other funding might not come through, either. So far, the state budget doesn't fund the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, which gives Boomerang money. "We are hoping when the legislature comes in session they will find the money," chief court counselor Peggy Hamlett said. To replace the grants, Boomerang is looking to increase funding it receives from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, the YMCA and private donations. Boomerang hopes to raise $20,000 through the YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign, program director Julie Wells said. "That's a pretty lofty goal for first-year fundraising." Pfeifer said community support is important. "We need critical buy-in from people that are going to use our programs." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.