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(09/10/07 4:00am)
Don't count on a long weekend if you're a substitute teacher.
"In the very first week of school, the number of substitutes enlisted to cover for absent teachers on Friday was twice what it had been earlier in the week," said Stephanie Knott, assistant to the superintendent for community relations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Since the start of school Aug. 27, teacher absentee rates indicate the continuation of a historic pattern of weekend-extending absences.
Staff attendance is especially crucial this year, given a reduced budget for substitute-teacher pay, according to last week's educators' newsletter written by district Superintendent Neil Pedersen.
In order to make up for absent staff members, the school district shells out $93 per certified substitute and $73 for an uncertified? substitute.
For the 2006-07 school year, officials budgeted $583,289 in combined state and local funds to pay substitute teachers, according to the district's budget and finance department. This year's budget for the city school districts' substitutes stands at $612,662.
What appears to be an increase in funding is offset by the state-mandated raise in substitute teacher wages, which typically increase at an annual rate of about 5 percent, said Ruby Pittman, director of the district's budget and finance department.
In addition to straining the tight budget, teacher absences take a toll on academic quality, Knott said.
"There are some jobs where if people are absent, there doesn't necessarily have to be a replacement, but with teaching, you have to consider the students' academic growth and development," she said.
According to Pedersen's letter, no immediate restrictions have been placed on the use of substitutes. The letter encouraged teachers to avoid absences.
The secret to keeping teachers in school is fostering a professional and positive environment, said Valerie Reinhardt, principal at Smith Middle School.
"To keep teachers coming into work, they need to be supported," she said.
"If they like their jobs, they will come to work."
Reinhardt said she shows support by following up with absent teachers by phone and making sure all absentee paperwork gets completed.
She added that it's important that teachers know their absences don't go unnoticed.
"We don't let anyone slip through the cracks."
Although Reinhardt said she sees few inappropriate absences from her staff at Smith Middle, she deals with problems on a teacher-to-teacher basis.
"When a teacher is inappropriately or excessively absent, you need to deal with it on an individual basis," Reinhardt said.
"You don't want to use the shotgun effect and punish the whole school."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/24/07 4:00am)
EFLAND - The Orange County Board of Education discussed Monday a plan for moving forward with the possibility of a merger of Hillsborough and Central elementary schools and now will turn to a facilitator and experts for advice.
The merger first was discussed as a solution to substandard test scores at Central.
"We have a number of children who are supported by the Title I program that aren't making progress as we'd like them to and as measured by No Child Left Behind," said Ted Triebel, the board's vice chairman. "We must apply systemic solution."
Central receives Title I funding under the No Child Left Behind Act based on the high percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches at the school.
About 70 percent of Central students qualify, board chairman Dennis Whitling said.
Hillsborough is a year-round school that requires special admission.
According to Title I regulations, if the test scores set to be released in August are unimproved from previous years, students will be able to transfer out of the school.
County school board members believe such a possibility could cause problems including overcrowding at the district's other schools.
Some of the about 50 parents and educators who attended the meeting expressed a willingness to combine the schools while many others spoke against a merger.
Allan Scott, a parent of a kindergartner at Hillsborough, said merging the two schools could increase demand for charter schools and homeschooling options.
"It's a larger issue. You should look at the problem from a district perspective," he said during public comment at the meeting.
Scott created a Web site for parents against the merger: savehes.blogspot.com. He also distributed a survey to Hillsborough parents who said a merger would lead many students to move.
Scott's survey indicated that of the 200 families that responded, 38 percent of students would leave the school and 20 percent would leave the district.
Lois Pipkin, a teacher at Hillsborough who worked at Central for eight years, said she supports a partnership.
She read a letter sent from Hillsborough staff to Central staff.
"We offer our total support," she said. "We share with you the opportunity to educate Orange County."
During the board discussion, Triebel expressed concerns about disparity among schools.
"All of us wants each and every one of our schools to be one people want to go to," he said. "But if you had to swap out the next day, you'd say OK because that's an OK school to the right or the left.Regrettably, that's not the case."
To address the achievement and economic gaps between the schools, the board decided to plan a retreat in May in which a facilitator will direct its discussion of the issues. They also will seek expert opinions on the issue.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/11/07 4:00am)
You can lead students to the lunch line, but you can't make them choose healthy food.
Faced with meeting state-mandated child nutrition standards in time for the 2008 school year, elementary school cafeterias in both Orange County school districts have stopped stocking popular snacks like Twinkies and Moon Pies.
"We kind of bit the bullet - we have to implement these by next year," said Joe Otranto, child nutrition director for Orange County Schools.
The standards, enacted by the N.C. State Board of Education in October 2006, require that cafeterias purchase healthier but more expensive items like legumes, whole grains and green vegetables.
Without the money generated from student purchases of snack food, the school systems' revenues have dropped greatly, Otranto said.
The increased costs associated with healthier foods have created a budget crunch, and districts across the state are asking for state funds to meet the standards.
"Hopefully the state will pick up the gauntlet," Otranto said.
A bill in the N.C. Senate would appropriate $15 million in state funds, or about $25 per elementary school student.
Both districts finance cafeteria operations through federal reimbursements for free and reduced lunches and from revenue on items sold to students.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools receive additional funding from the district's board of education, but in county schools, local funds are not appropriated, Otranto said.
Because the department must bear the burden of operation costs without local assistance, Otranto said it is struggling to pay the higher prices for healthier foods.
"Every child nutritional director in the state will tell you they want to do what's best for the children," he said. "But we're also being held with feet to fire trying to make the dollars."
All the schools in the city system were required to follow district nutrition standards prior to the enactment of the state's requirements, and so far the district has met about 90 percent of the standards, said Mark Rusin, child nutrition director for the district.
Rusin said the district saw a drop in revenue after it began offering healthier options about two years ago.
"When you eliminate the a la carte items like cakes and cookies, and substitute healthier options, you're generally not going to sell as much," he said. "I think this district is probably way ahead of the curve, and we've already incurred some financial impact."
At East Chapel Hill High School the consequences have been particularly pronounced, Rusin said, and students have complained.
"There have been many letters to the editor in the school newspaper from students saying they're upset because they can't get the Little Debbie cakes," Rusin said. "Subsequently, the revenue has been down there."
Hannah Venable, a first-grader at Cameron Park Elementary School in Orange County, said her purchasing power has been similarly restricted by the cafeteria's rules about desserts.
"I want to eat ice cream for a treat every day, but you can only have it one time a week," she said. "If you sign up to have it on Tuesday, you can't have it on Friday."
According to the new policy, cafeterias must offer at least one serving of whole grains each day, along with four to five servings of fruit and vegetables. The standards also limit food preparation methods to baking, roasting, broiling, boiling and steaming, a change that could call for new kitchen equipment, Rusin said.
Rusin and Otranto both said they support the legislation that would bring more money to the school systems, which was introduced in the Senate on March 12.
Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said the bill is needed to fund the nutrition program the legislature already approved.
"If we're going to do the program like we've been doing it, we've got to put money into it."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
Thursday at 10 a.m. chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies from La Farm Bakery in Cary will be making a national appearance as the "snack of the day" on the ABC daytime television show "Rachael Ray."
Lionel Vatinet, La Farm owner and baker, said he and his wife Missy decided to send in their sweets after seeing the feature on the show.
"So we took chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies and contacted the producers," he said. "They called us, and we sent more cookies to the show in New York."
And Thursday won't be the first time Vatinet's baked goods have appeared before a broad audience.
In 1999, Vatinet helped coach Baking Team USA to win the World Cup of Baking in Paris.
He said he also has helped open bakeries across the U.S. and has appeared on programs in Idaho, San Diego and Vancouver, among others.
Before Vatinet moved to the U.S. from France 16 years ago, he spent seven years as an apprentice before earning the Maitre Boulanger (master baker) from Les Compagnons du Devoir.
Vatinet and his wife looked at a few U.S. locations for La Farm before choosing Cary, a decision he said he is happy with.
"There has been a big influx from international and northern areas."
Vatinet said teaching Americans about quality baking is one of his passions, something he said he and Rachael Ray share.
"She promotes people from all over the U.S.," he said. "She has brought to American people what cooking is about."
Still, Vatinet said, some Americans have not learned the best way to consume bread - while it's fresh.
"In France people go to buy bread every single day," he said. "You never put bread in the fridge."
La Farm offers each child visitor a complimentary chocolate chip cookie, a smaller version of those that will be shown on "Rachael Ray."
Vatinet said the cookies are a huge hit among the bakery's youngest customers and have made employees recognizable outside the store.
"A La Farm employee went on a trip to Paris a few years ago . at the bus stop, she saw a young American girl tugging at her mother's sweater and pointing to the employee.
"She said, 'Look, it's the cookie lady.'"
All of the products in La Farm are baked the day of their sale, Vatinet said. This means employees must arrive in the early morning to begin baking.
Employees' mornings also include daily trips to four Whole Foods stores, which sell five types of La Farm bread.
On an average workday, Vatinet arrives at La Farm around 12:30 a.m. and begins preparing loaves, pastries and cookies to the tune of a French satellite radio station.
Vatinet bakes about 50 cookies of each type for an average of 200 customers who will stop by the bakery.
"Everything is from scratch," he said. "We bake while you sleep."
Vatinet said he was prepared for an increased demand for his cookies following Rachael Ray's show.
"I think the media is such a power," he said. "We're ready for them."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/20/07 4:00am)
The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership is preparing to revitalize flower boxes in the downtown district with the help of community members, a Boy Scout troop and town officials.
Last December, the partnership determined that 50 of the 63 boxes needed additional care to make the downtown district more attractive, said George Draper, a member of the partnership.
"We see the planters as an asset in terms of curb appeal," he said.
For the past eight years, the boxes have been maintained by individuals and businesses, a setup that Draper said has yielded mixed results.
"One of the biggest complaints that myself and some of the citizens of Chapel Hill have had with the current program is that some people have taken a lot more pride than others in maintaining their boxes," he said.
The Friends of Downtown, a volunteer organization, oversees the maintenance of the boxes by allowing businesses and individuals to adopt the boxes for a one-time fee of $25.
The adopters are responsible for buying, planting and watering their flower boxes, said Roland Giduz, a Friends of Downtown board member.
For most adopters, Giduz said, transporting water to the site of the boxes is inconvenient at best and sometimes can be prohibitive.
"We have to find some way to water the flowers," he said. "Some of us have to carry it in buckets."
The partnership has been working to solve the watering problem by enlisting the help of Boy Scout Troop 39, a landscape designer and town government officials.
The scout troop will bring 55 Boy Scouts, two master gardeners and three water trucks that will help keep the plants alive and attractive, said Liz Parham, the partnership's executive director.
"We would contract with each of the trucks to water early Saturday or Sunday morning before traffic," Parham said.
Draper said the scouts, who already maintain three boxes, also would weed the boxes and rid them of trash and cigarette butts.
In addition to securing weekend watering for the plants by the troop's trucks, Parham said the partnership hopes the boxes would receive a mid-week watering, at least during periods of hot weather.
"There may be a contract with the town to do watering during the heavy heat months," she said.
"Watering one time a week in summer months is not going to be sufficient."
To further prevent plants from dying of water deprivation, landscape designer Caroline Siverson developed a plan for the 50 sub-standard boxes to be filled with drought-resistant plants.
"They had to be hardy," Draper said. "They're only going to get watered twice a week maximum."
Siverson is expected to provide a price tag for the proposal by the time the partnership meets on Wednesday.
If the partnership approves the plan, it will rely on its own funds and outside donations to complete the project.
Draper said he believes the project is within the group's budget.
"We'll be funding that ourselves to some degree," he said. "I'm hopeful that the business community and individuals will step up."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/19/07 4:00am)
Tenth-grader Jessica Rice stands at about 5-foot-1. She smiles as she talks about the new building where she attends Partnership Academy Alternative School.
With her excitement over the school's new facilities, Rice might not strike you as a likely candidate for a high school thought to be only for suspended students. But Orange County School Board member Al Hartkopf explains that the school also is an alternative for students who aren't "bad kids."
"I think the idea is that one- size-fits-all education, doesn't," Hartkopf said. "I'm really pleased to see us taking that realization and making it a reality."
After 10 years of work, the Partnership Academy Alternative School is open at a permanent location facing A.L. Stanback Middle School on Storey Lane in Hillsborough.
Principal Paige Kimball said Partnership can serve more students at the new facility.
"We'll expand the number of staff and facilities to meet the needs of students in Orange County," she said at the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony March 11.
"We're delighted. It's been a wonderful change."
Partnership serves seventh- through 12th-graders who have been suspended from traditional Orange County high schools or who are better suited for alternative education.
The school's new permanent location allows for expansion in terms of both the student body and square footage.
"It's got room to grow to 50 students," Hartkopf said. "Our building permit allows us to double the size."
Before moving into the Storey Lane facility Feb. 1, the school operated in the basement of Fairview Baptist Church for about seven months. Rice said the new building is a step up from the temporary location in the church.
"Number one, it's bigger, and number two, it's nice being in better facilities," she said.
"The bathrooms are better - way better. Everything's better."
After the dedication, parents, students and community members were invited to tour the school, which houses administrative offices, two classrooms and 18 desktop computers.
Keith Cook, a former chairman of the county school board and long-time supporter of Partnership, said equipping the facility with computers was important for teaching students of varied ages and abilities.
"Kids come to it with all different kinds of challenges," Cook said. "Some learn faster, and they can get out earlier with computer-based learning."
When the project first came to the school board, Cook said, members polled county schools' principals to find out if there was demand for an alternative school.
Cook said research showed 256 students were recommended for the school.
Hartkopf said he believes alternative schools might help curb dropout rates for students who are discouraged in a typical high-school environment.
"The more meaningful paths there are through high school, the more students are going to stay in school," he said.
The road from the beginning of the alternative school project to the completion of its permanent location has been a long one, county schools Superintendent Shirley Carraway said.
"For 10 years this has been a dream in waiting."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(02/13/07 5:00am)
Crying, cursing and a dinner for one are not what most of us want for Valentine's Day.
But Tommy O'Connell, owner of 411 West, said he has seen his share of Valentine's dinner break-ups in his 16 years at the restaurant.
"We don't see quite as many break-ups on other nights," O'Connell said. "Every specific time that has happened, the girl has gotten up and left."
But while relationships might tend to fall apart on Valentine's Day, Chapel Hill businesses see booming sales.
Because of increased demand, restaurant managers and florists said customers should call ahead to reserve the most wanted items - a dozen roses and a table for two.
"We get a lot of last minute calls," said Paul Dailey, manager of Top of the Hill. "It gets frustrating when we can't accommodate them."
Dailey said Top of the Hill's dining room is booked for Valentine's Day but that the heated patio will be available to walk-ins.
Because of the increase in customers, some restaurants alter their typical operations.
"We've done a revised, smaller version of the regular dinner menu," said Sheri Albritton, events and catering sales director for Spice Street.
By choosing the most popular items, Albritton said she hopes to please customers while easing the burden on kitchen staff.
La Residence on Rosemary Street will offer two menu options - a five-course menu for $85 per person and a three-course meal for $55 per person.
Chris Whitted, the restaurant's operations manager, said the five-course option comes with a glass of champagne and a rose for the table.
While some restaurants raise prices for Valentine's, O'Connell said 411 West offers its standard services.
"We're a lot less expensive than students think we are," he said. "Most couples can get out for $50 or $60."
Like restaurants, florists prepare for the rush by stocking extra inventory and hiring more help.
"It's our single busiest holiday," said Charles House, owner of University Florist and Gift Shop.
"We pay overtime; we rent extra vehicles and hire extra personnel."
Along with the increased price of wholesale flowers, these extra expenses explain the high floral costs near Valentine's Day, House said.
At University Florist, a dozen roses costs $69.99. At Chapel Hill Florist, customers pay $75.
Whole Foods is running a sale of $19.99 for two dozen roses.
Tricia White, the store's floral specialist, said that while the store's rock-bottom price will not generate much profit, she hopes the special will draw attract new customers.
White said some customers go all out for the holiday.
"When a guy comes in and wants four of our two dozen bunches, you wonder how he can stagger out the door."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(01/30/07 5:00am)
Before moving to Chapel Hill, librarian Margot Malachowski of Carrboro's Cybrary realized the intensity of the Carolina-Duke basketball rivalry at a funeral when someone asked her which color blue she preferred.
(01/25/07 5:00am)
Two years ago, a partnership formed to develop a plan for ending homelessness in Orange County.
On Wednesday evening, they examined the plan in the form of a 73-page draft - "A Bold Proposal To End Homelessness." But more work, they decided, is needed before it becomes official.
Doug Frederick, a consultant for J-Quad and Associates, explained the proposal - a 10-year plan he was hired to develop in 2005.
The proposal included a summary of the findings of focus groups, a description of goals and strategies and an implementation plan.
Some members were concerned that the proposal lacks an explicitly stated vision and does not contain enough information about where the money would come from.
"This is an administrative document," said Mark Zimmerman, chairman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "We need to turn it into something that's going to propel people to get involved."
To make the document more accessible and appealing, members proposed a number of changes: a clear breakdown for funding sources, examples of municipalities that have succeeded with similar plans and a clearly articulated picture of long-term changes for the community.
"How do you make people not homeless? You put them in a home," said Jacquelyn Gist, a member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
Gist said the proposal should highlight the "big ticket item" - 40 housing units planned to be built.
The partnership's work group reported on the prospect of hiring an executive director to oversee the project. The group compared descriptions of similar positions in the local government and suggested a salary of $60,000.
The partnership decided to revise the proposal and meet again Feb. 28 before proceeding to hire a director.
Tara Fikes, the housing and community development director for the county, represented the plan's work group and reported on opportunities for government funding.
Last week the partnership was awarded $3,000 from the N.C. Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs on the condition that the community record and report homelessness data.
Members approved an application for the council to facilitate technical assistance for 10-year programs. Orange County is one of 10 state communities eligible for the award, expected to be about $3,200 each.
Members approved a plan to partner with the council in 2008 for a one-day program called Project Homeless Connect. The event will aim to get homeless people in the right place to get the services they need, such as food stamps or Medicaid.
The council also will put on the SOAR Initiative - a program that trains people to help the homeless apply for supplemental security income and social security disability insurance.
But the partnership's basic goal stays the same, Zimmerman said.
"We're going to help the situation by actually putting people in homes. It's going to turn heads."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Partnership to End Homelessness
What is it?
The partnership was formed to create a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Orange County. The group will focus on chronic homelessness.
Goals?
Educate the community by dispelling myths and putting a face on the homeless.
Develop a long-term plan to end homelessness in Orange County.
Push personal responsibility by inviting the community to address the issue individually.
Progress?
March 2005: The partnership is formed.
March 2006: Ten homeless people attend a meeting of the partnership's steering committee to talk about their needs.
Summer 2006: Committees including employment, housing, prevention/discharge planning, services and basic needs/
transportation met twice.
August 2006: A presentation made by Stan Holt, homeless specialist for Triangle United Way, combines the basic ideas of each committee.
(01/23/07 5:00am)
It was a celebration at the Orange County district attorney's office Friday when Beverly Scarlett found out that Gov. Mike Easley had appointed her District Court judge for District 15-B, including Orange and Chatham counties.
"It was nothing but mayhem and screaming," Scarlett said. "One deputy heard me. . Then we were all in here jumping around and carrying on."
Scarlett has served as an assistant district attorney for eight years, and she said she's had her eye on a judgeship for the past nine.
The N.C. General Assembly created the District Court position last year, and after months of waiting, Scarlett spent this week packing up her office to move up two floors.
Scarlett's career seems to follow a pattern of moving up or moving on.
After earning a bachelor's in medical technology from St. Augustine's College, Scarlett climbed the ranks at UNC Hospitals to become lab supervisor. Once she reached that top position, Scarlett said she wanted a new challenge - a legal career.
"I just walked across campus and got a couple of LSAT books from the Bull's Head and started studying."
For four years Scarlett worked as lab supervisor by day. By night she was a law student in N.C. Central University's evening program.
After graduating in 1993, Scarlett opened a private practice in 1994 and joined the district attorney's staff in 1998.
Her colleagues said her stint at the post was characterized by traits that will serve her well on the bench.
Assistant District Attorney Steve Motta first worked with Scarlett in 2002, when she hired him as an intern.
"She is very much a mentor," he said. "Whether as an intern or an ADA, she treated me the same way - as a colleague."
Helping people, Scarlett said, has been the highlight of her career.
"(There are) two things that really make my heart go pitter-patter," Scarlett said. "When you do traffic court and you have an elderly person come in, and you can do something for them. They are so elated."
Scarlett also likes to see the benefit of her work with juveniles and wants to serve as a role model.
"I hope the position in and of itself will send the message for other young people," she said. "If I can do it, you can, too. I started from a most humble beginning."
Scarlett was raised in Orange County on land her great-grandfather gained after his emancipation.
The judge, a wife and mother, still lives on the same soil, across the highway from her parents.
Scarlett said her parents never imagined her appointment. "I just hope they make it to the swearing-in, so they can see that it's real."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(01/12/07 5:00am)
It seemed like a typical scene for an elementary school physical education class.
After counting off to create two even teams, a disproportionately large group of about 20 members stood opposite just a handful of "team two" players.
But Wednesday morning at McDougle Elementary School, the uneven teams were made of not only students but also eight children-at-heart who were there for Bring Your Parent to P.E. Week.
Parents have been joining students in class for seven years now, and it's becoming a favorite event.
"I've had parents ask me, 'When is parents week so we can come play cone ball?'" said Amy Porter, a second-grade teacher at the school. "The parents even ask for an adult game of it."
During a typical week, P.E. teachers Mary Ann Myers and Janis Basnight instruct a combined total of 59 P.E classes.
They said about five to 10 parents joined each class this week.
"They come to watch their kids, to become more informed about what the typical P.E. class is like," Basnight said.
During the week, moms and dads learn by doing.
Parents joined their second-graders on the gym floor for stretching and a lesson in proper throwing techniques.
Myers explained the rules for "Pacman" tag, a game that reminded parents of their own school days.
"Help your parents follow the rules," she instructed students.
Next, Myers cranked up the music to cue the start of play, and students and parents tried to stay within a grid marked on the gym floor.
For parent Robert Coplin, playing the games with his second-grade daughter Lauren Coplin is the highlight of parents' P.E. week.
"I've come last year and the year before," Robert Coplin said. "I'll come again Friday for my son."
Some parents come straight from work, still in office attire, while others arrive ready to sweat in gym clothes and tennis shoes.
Myers said many parents are repeat participants such as Teonaka Daye, a psychologist at the school and parent of second-grader Breona Daye, who attended her third-annual P.E. class Wednesday.
Students, who have P.E. twice a week, said they enjoyed showing off and getting parents "out."
They did not go easy on the adults during this week's games of tag, toss and dodgeball.
"I liked to watch her have fun," Breona said of her mother. "It's real hard for her to move around - she's playing with kids."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
This holiday season, students from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools are giving to those who need it most.
With a high population of homeless students in Orange County, New Hope Elementary School has a special need for generosity.
For three years, the school's social worker, Elizabeth Romska, has approached struggling families of students about their holiday needs.
Romska and a volunteer decorate a celebration tree with the children's wishes written on paper doves. The tree stands just inside the school's main entrance, encouraging faculty and visitors to select a dove and purchase a gift for one of the 16 to 20 families represented.
New Hope also runs a food drive and accepts cash donations to purchase food, which is then delivered to the parents along with the presents.
"The kids don't have a clue what's going on," Romska said. "The parents can act like it's from Santa."
Wishes range from in-line skates and SpongeBob SquarePants toys to basic needs like coats, gloves and diapers.
"I've never had a family in the time I've been doing it that's worked the system, they really are in need," Romska said.
And during the holidays, needs are often greater, said Betsy Booth, social worker at Estes Hills Elementary School in Chapel Hill.
"Many people don't realize that the children are home for two extra weeks and families that rely on food stamps don't receive any extra food stamps during that time," she said.
"Whatever disposable income they may have, they are trying to put toward gifts for their children."
Estes Hills is helping out through its 12th annual "Food for Friends" drive.
The initiative usually raises about 1,500 to 2,000 food items.
Many schools are contributing to Toys for Tots, an annual holiday charity run by the U.S. Marines. The project fills boxes of gifts for some of the poorest children.
George Bell, an ex-marine and Cedar Ridge High School parent, challenged students at Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance High School to compete for the most toy donations.
The Cedar Ridge student government expanded the effort to the entire Orange County School system. Groups including the transportation and maintenance office, cafeteria workers and the school board set up sites to collect toys for infants to 14-year-olds.
Cedar Ridge hasn't forgotten about its older students either.
The annual giving tree is an opportunity for students to sponsor classmates with unmet needs.
"It really gives people a better chance to understand that not everybody has what they have," said student government president Katie Smith. "People get really humbled by it when they realize it's their peers."
Chapel Hill High School is helping teenagers too. The school adopted two needy families with teenage children, including one with a single mother.
The school's student government sells strips of paper for 25 cents and creates chains that decorate the school.
When the school did the same project two years ago, it raised about $2,000 that purchased grocery gift cards and paid utility bills, said BJ Markwood, student government adviser at Chapel Hill High.
Through Heifer International, students at Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill will raise $150 to purchase a llama that will provide wool and income for a family in South America.
The charity donates livestock to families and teaches them how to use its resources by hooking them up with entrepreneurs in their area.
Natalie Howard, the social studies department chairwoman at Culbreth, said students chose to buy a llama because they are studying South America.
"It gives them an opportunity to link something they are doing themselves here in North Carolina with the things we've been learning about in another country," she said.
The project will wrap up just before Christmas, but students have already made considerable progress. In the first week, the sixth graders brought in about $85.
Howard said the llama's gift would "keep on giving" as families are required to donate the animal's offspring to other area families.
Students and teachers at all of the schools said they are happy to be giving back to the community.
"It gives them a chance to be socially active, to make a difference for people who aren't as lucky financially as we are," Howard said.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(11/28/06 5:00am)
For the third consecutive year, Chapel Hill was recognized by AAA Carolinas as one of the five safest North Carolina municipalities for traffic with populations more than 30,000 at a ceremony Monday.
Tom Crosby, president of AAA Carolinas' Foundation for Traffic Safety, presented a plaque to Jack Terry, sergeant for Chapel Hill's traffic unit, at an awards luncheon at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham.
AAA Carolinas selected winners based on crash statistics, number of law enforcement officers per capita, presence of a formal safety program and the existence of a special traffic division.
The Center for Transportation Policy Studies at UNC-Charlotte performed the statistical analysis on data from 2005.
Chapel Hill saw 1,092 accidents in 2005, compared to 2,259 in Cary.
"We had no traffic fatalities," Terry said. "We do have our fair share of accidents, but we're trying everything we can to reduce that number."
In 2005, Chapel Hill had the third lowest number of crashes in its population category, second only to Huntersville and Kannapolis, which both have smaller populations.
The grand winner for a city with a population of more than 30,000 was High Point, located in Guilford County,
Darrell Jernigan, director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program, said the state's growing population created an increasingly important task for law enforcement in keeping these numbers low.
Jernigan said North Carolinians drove 30 billion miles in 1970. The figure had more than tripled by 2005 when 94 billion miles were logged.
Jernigan reported an estimated 20 percent increase in the next 25 years.
"You can imagine the consequences," he said.
For Chapel Hill, Terry said reducing speeds means reducing the number of collisions.
"We've worked really hard to slow speeds down," he said.
"If we have problem areas, we set up speed trailers."
Terry listed the Southern Village area and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as areas with speeding problems.
He said he thinks Chapel Hill's traffic enforcement and education program is one reason the town received AAA's recognition.
"We have officers whose only job is traffic enforcement and education," he said.
"We go into the schools and talk to new drivers."
In 2005, Chapel Hill's police force was 113 strong with four officers working solely on the program.
The town also participates in the Governor's Highway Safety programs, such as Booze it and Lose it and Click it or Ticket.
"Highway safety has a larger financial impact, a broader impact . on North Carolina communities, far more so than crime," said Kevin Lacy, state traffic engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Terry said winning an award for traffic safety represents a team effort by the Chapel Hill Police Department.
"It's quite an honor," he said,
"The main thing it means is that the work we do is paying off."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
HILLSBOROUGH-Students are being encouraged to think about life after Orange High School during this week's career program.
During career week, professionals representing a variety of occupations typically speak to students in classes whose subject matter relates to their job, said Anne Jelinek, the school's career development coordinator.
Thirty-two professionals are scheduled to provide insight on careers ranging from N.C. wildlife enforcement to engineering during the five-day school week.
Jelinek said the week is held to help students begin to think about the transition from high school to the workforce, regardless of whether the students plan to pursue higher education.
"It's not career decision-making, it's career planning," she said.
This week students received first-hand information about different workplace experiences and learned how to achieve their career goals.
Sara Broderick, a graphic designer for A Southern Season, discussed creative careers with an art class Wednesday morning.
"I tried to offer up any recommendations - what not to do," Broderick said. "For instance, I would have liked to have had an idea of what a portfolio was when I went to college."
She told students about different college degrees that can lead to artistic careers.
"I just try to portray to them it's better to have a plan than no plan at all," she said.
Last year, 41 percent of Orange High graduates went on to four-year colleges and 49 percent went to two-year colleges.
Computer engineer Matthew Jamison spoke to an honors Linux class about his work at Red Hat Inc.
Lamar Hill, a senior who plans to attend N.C. State University and become a computer engineer, said Jamison gave him advice about how to work toward an engineering career during college.
But for students who are less certain about their career paths, general information was available as well.
Codruta Bob, human resources manager at A Southern Season, taught students about salaries, taxes and credit checks.
Bob stressed that success was possible without entering college immediately after high school.
"I told them, it's more important to have drive," she said.
Computer engineering teacher Greg Thoyre also emphasized the motivational aspect of having a professional speak to students.
"They don't know how to move from point A to point B . but (Jamison) helped them to come to an understanding of what they needed to do to get there," Thoyre said.
Sports medicine students had questions for presenter David Silfin, a paramedic training coordinator.
"He told us he has to see all kinds of stuff," student Tiffany Tatro said. "In a way it kind of scares you."
This year's weeklong classroom program was a change from the usual career fair format where employees and students gathered in a single room.
Social studies teacher Daryl Feldman said students liked the new hands-on experience.
"The best thing was actually seeing a person and not just reading about it in a book," he said.
Cedar Ridge High School will hold a career day Tuesday.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(11/14/06 5:00am)
If you drive by Jerry Seago's house on Franklin Road off U.S. 70, you could get a glimpse of Vietnam-era helicopters.
But this might not be the case for long.
Seago is a member of the N.C. chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. During the last 15 years the army has donated five helicopters to his group.
The helicopters, including two light observation helicopters, a Mike model gunship, a Cobra gunship and a Medical Evacuation H-Model lift ship are attached to dollies on trucks that come and go from Seago's Hillsborough home.
Other member pilots have transported the helicopters to various venues, including two presidential inaugurations and numerous schools.
But the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Commands recently told the pilots they must turn over the helicopters unless the crafts are moved to a more public, permanent location by January 2007.
A TACOM representative was not available for comment Monday.
"The hitch comes when we mount it on that trailer and display it in that fashion, instead of displaying it on a cement slab," said David Shanklin, the chapter's fleet standardization officer, who served 24 years as an army helicopter pilot.
Shanklin said he believes a permanent display would not allow as much exposure as the tours do.
The chapter's pilots called on Rep. David Price, D-N.C., and the Orange County Board of Commissioners to push for an exemption or waiver from the secretary of the Army, allowing them to keep the helicopters as educational tools and public landmarks.
Price is not taking sides on the issue, but he forwarded the pilots' request to the army, press secretary Paul Cox said.
The helicopters have been "demilitarized" so they are safe for public use. The gun barrels on the craft have been filled up with metal.
The added safety makes it possible to bring the crafts to schools, Shanklin said.
"Several kids no doubt have decided that they want to make careers flying helicopters for the army as a result of seeing these helicopters at their schools," he said.
A few months ago, the mother of one such student told Shanklin that her son was about to graduate from flight school.
The organization's public presence in the community and beyond made the call for a change in location, a surprise to the pilots and the commissioners.
Shanklin said the helicopters have received coverage on C-SPAN in the past, so the army should have been aware of their location.
Board Chairman Barry Jacobs said he doesn't think the helicopters should be turned into a permanent exhibit.
"The . Department of Defense, in one of its numerous mis-steps, has decided after all these years that it wants its ordnance back," he said.
Jacobs stressed that the helicopters are important to the organization and to the community.
"We want them to be able to retain what they have preserved, shared and improved," he said.
"We want to honor their sacrifice."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/31/06 5:00am)
Downtown Chapel Hill is now accessible worldwide.
Launched Friday by the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, www.downtownchapelhill.com provides information about downtown offerings from dining and nightlife to real estate and specialty shops.
"I see it as resource for students, faculty, staff, anyone who has recently moved to area to learn what downtown Chapel Hill has to offer," said Laura Griest, communications manager for the partnership.
The partnership strives to promote the downtown district.
The site features a news section, a calendar of events and hyperlinked tabs for information about food, shopping and development.
The site has been in the works since March and cost $10,000.
Board members compiled a database of 337 downtown businesses, excluding only a few that requested not to be listed.
"We literally walked up and down the street and introduced ourselves to every business," Griest said. "It was a very tedious process but a very important process."
Adam VanSlyke, owner of The Trail Shop, was glad to see his store's recent move highlighted on the site.
"I was impressed," he said. "Since we've moved it always helps to keep the word being spread out there."
Angela Lee, president of Carolina Pros, a group of former athletes, sees the site as a an advertising tool for Blue Heaven Basketball Museum.
"It would be a great opportunity to draw attention to things we have here, particularly book signings and autograph sessions," she said.
Restaurants are listed in categories from fine dining to wings.
Robert Poitras, owner of Carolina Brewery, has been an active promoter of downtown business - specifically Franklin Street's west end.
"It's another step in the right direction towards making our downtown the destination it should be," he said of the site.
Available properties also are listed with contact information.
"Our job is not to be the real estate agent for downtown, but to promote businesses," said Liz Parham, executive director of the partnership.
The Web site features University events like productions by PlayMakers Repertory Company, lectures and athletic events.
Students said the site will help newcomers learn about downtown.
"It would be good for someone who was coming to Chapel Hill and didn't know much about what was available on Franklin . like a freshman who was coming and didn't know all the restaurants," senior Heather Reinelt said.
To keep the site current, the partnership has administrative control.
"We appreciate our working relationship with businesses and their ability to let us know when they have events," Griest said.
"We work as a team with them."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/30/06 5:00am)
A few weeks ago, 12 Smith Middle School students launched "Teen Spirit," a new radio program on WCOM-FM 103.5.
The show, which runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday, is a production of the Smith Middle School eighth-grade radio club and is sponsored by teacher Boyd Blackburn.
The title was inspired by the Nirvana song "Smells like Teen Spirit."
It describes the program's target audience - students in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
"We get to play whatever music we feel like, as long as it's clean," said Nathan Harris, a radio club member.
The students play songs by artists including U2, Rascal Flatts, System of a Down, Hilary Duff, M.C. Hammer and The Cranberries.
"We want to promote local bands as well," club member Matthew Lee said.
The program recently has featured selections from local Chapel Hill band The Old Ceremony.
In addition to the music, the students talk about issues in the news, including the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education's decision earlier this month about which students should be allowed to stay at their old school when Carrboro High School opens in the fall.
The students invite listener feedback and have recently added an AIM screen name and a blog to facilitate comments, club member Henry Gargan said.
"The show is for teens, by teens," he said.
Blackburn offers some suggestions, but students mostly run the program.
One student always occupies the power seat, running the broadcast.
"I've done just a little bit as we've been getting things rolling but the main idea is . to have the students do everything," Blackburn said.
Before Teen Spirit took over, Blackburn had his own show, Dance Jam, in the same time spot.
Teen involvement began when Blackburn opened the studio to his students last year.
"Dr. B was running this time spot on the radio and he invited all his students . I was the only one who showed up," student Tucker Jones said.
"The first weekend of the summer I showed up again - uninvited - with a CD. . Dr. B wasn't there so I ran the show."
Blackburn trained Jones to run the program when he would be out of town last summer.
Then when school started this year, Blackburn held a meeting inviting interested students to broadcast their own program during his time spot.
"I thought it would be more valuable and more in the spirit of community radio if I turned it into a club program," he said.
Andrew George, the station's programming coordinator, said WCOM-FM 103.5 welcomed the idea of having students on the station.
"That is exactly what community radio is about."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/26/06 4:00am)
Franklin Street is set to shine this holiday season.
Members of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership approved a proposal for the Franklin Street Festival of Lights at a meeting Wednesday.
The festival will kick off with a holiday open house Dec. 3 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will continue through Jan. 6.
The 35-day celebration, which will cost an estimated $16,000, will focus on illuminating Franklin Street, as the road is named for Benjamin Franklin, the father of electricity.
During the open house, Franklin Street stores will be urged to offer holiday specials and refreshments.
"We'd run pedicab rides in the street," partnership executive director Liz Parham said. "We could use the bus stop areas as pedicab and carriage stops."
The finale of the open house will feature the lighting of a community Christmas tree.
Partnership members are working toward confirming a site in the memorial garden of University Baptist Church on the corner of Franklin and Columbia streets.
Members approved the purchase of a 22-foot commercial grade tree unless the church agrees to plant a live tree.
The two-story artificial tree would be an annual Franklin Street fixture and would be stored by the town after each holiday season. It would come from Raleigh in four pieces, already covered in lights, and would be anchored to the ground with airplane cables.
To add to the effect, businesses, fraternities and sororities will be encouraged to light up their Franklin Street locations for the festival.
The corner space at 100 E. Franklin St. will host Santa Claus and other costumed characters every weekend of the festival.
The group is conducting a search for carolers and people to dress in costume and carry lights.
The partnership and Friends of Downtown are planning a window display contest, which will judge the windows on use of light. WCHL 1360-AM has agreed to provide free advertising for businesses with the best fronts.
"We hope to really grow and expand on and incorporate all the holidays through the winter season that center around lights," Parham said.
Board members also learned that their Web site - www.downtownchapelhill.com - will be launching this week. The site will include a map, a list of businesses for sale and a full calendar of downtown and University events.
"We're pretty close to launching it," Parham said. "I think it's a pretty deep site."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/17/06 4:00am)
District officials and Asian-American parents met Monday to clarify a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools policy about clustering practices.
The meeting was held to revisit concerns raised by Asian-American parents in July.
Superintendent Neil Pedersen described the clustering strategy and gave reasons for its practice. Placing students of the same minority race in the same classroom can help ease feelings of isolation, he said.
Clustering also enables English-as-a-second-language teachers to work with groups of children who speak the same native language without having to take them out of the classroom, he added.
The board policy regarding clustering says heterogeneous grouping usually is the best way to meet educational goals, but allows for homogenous grouping.
Pedersen said he doesn't want minority students to feel isolated in the classroom.
"I'm thinking we'd like to see maybe clusters of three to six," he said.
"We also don't want to see nine, 10, 11 because that sounds almost like a homogenous classroom."
But some parents questioned the practice of racial clustering at any number.
"I think we should just do random and do even numbers of Asians in classrooms," said Christine Lee, a parent of two children at Smith Middle School. Lee said there isn't a need to evenly distribute minority students.
Parents expressed concerns that clustering furthers racial biases.
"We have an image issue," Phillips Middle School parent Sarah Whang said. "We're going to be labeled forever foreigners because of the way we look. . The current policy just adds fuel to that image."
Whang said the process is "blatant racism."
"Is it fair to put five Asian-American children into one classroom when they want to assimilate?"
Parent Sandy Wong said clustering practices cause Asian-American students to associate only with each other.
"I tell them, 'Make some white friends.' . I tell my husband, 'Maybe we shouldn't have chosen Chapel Hill - (there's) too many Asians.'"
Pedersen cited a racial breakdown report that listed the number of students of each racial group per class, showing a more even distribution than some parents had expected.
"Perception may not match reality as to how numbers are breaking down in classrooms," school board chairwoman Lisa Stuckey said.
Stuckey explained that racial clustering is an option, not a requirement.
"It says we should normally heterogeneously group - unless racial isolation occurs," she said.
District officials agreed to continue to examine clustering practices to ensure their alignment with policy.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/10/06 4:00am)
Most Mondays the Great Harvest Bread Co. on Elliott Road is empty.
But this week, owners Bob and Joan Krueger had the oven up and running with cookie sheets as far as the eye could see.
The Kruegers spent their day off baking about 2,000 "Deadly Dillon" chocolate chip cookies, bound for locations including the Pakistan and Afghanistan border, and Camp Babylon and Fallujah in Iraq. The soldiers should receive the treats within a week.
The Kruegers are joining the efforts of Bob Connolly, a professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, to deliver a taste of home to troops serving in remote regions who might not have easy access to standard commodities.
"We focus on guys in the most difficult, remote locations whose ability to do for themselves is limited - spots where it's an armed convoy run to a base to get shampoo," Connolly said.
Last fall he discovered www.anysoldier.com, an organization that provides contact information for remotely stationed soldiers. Now Connolly uses the site to find soldiers to help.
The cookies will accompany personal care items, packaged snacks and thank you notes collected by Connolly.
"There are thousands of installations in remote areas," Bob Krueger said. "They don't get the cold Budweiser."
Items for the packages were donated by Newman Catholic Student Center, the business school, alumni from the University and residents.
Bob Krueger said the soldiers particularly appreciate the thank you letters from children. About 300 letters were packaged with the cookies on Monday.
Bob Krueger started baking for the troops after he found out about Connolly's cause through a neighborhood chat line.
He said the effort caught his eye because his son and daughter have both served in the military.
Since the summer, the Kruegers have sent two cookie shipments and said they received an overwhelming response each time.
"The e-mails from the guys are so appreciative of this - just to get something from home," Joan Krueger said.
After receiving cookies, a man stationed in Ramadi, Iraq sent the Kruegers a flag that flew over his base.
The Kruegers said they selected the "Deadly Dillon" because of its popularity and ingredients - whole wheat flour and rolled oats.
The cookies at least have some nutritional value, Joan Krueger said.
In addition to the cookies, about $2,000 and 3,000 pounds of supplies have been donated through this program since last fall.
"Our view is that if the country sends them, we better stand with them," Connolly said. "This is a morale deal ultimately."
"It's confirming in a tangible way, 'Oh, they haven't forgotten us.'"
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.