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(06/21/07 4:00am)
April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But the saying about freezing weather and droughts is less well-known.
Natalia Sanchez, a statistician at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said much of the state is experiencing below average amounts of rain, which is compounding the effect of Easter weekend's freezing temperature.
"I think last year we were in a similar boat for a while, then we got a tropical storm," Sanchez said.
"This year we haven't experienced any big rain."
She said the western tip of the state is in an extreme drought, having received between 71 and 78 percent of normal rainfall.
Sanchez also said a wide swath of the Piedmont is abnormally dry, but added that the pockets of rain the area has received have helped a lot.
The dry weather has affected farmers significantly, Sanchez said.
In drought areas, grass hasn't grown enough to meet farmers' demand to feed their cattle. As a result, she said, farmers have to buy hay to use as feed, but the drought has also lessened the amount of hay available. Sanchez said her office has received reports of farmers selling their cattle earlier than they'd planned because the cost of feeding them is too high.
"Mostly we just need rain in the coming weeks," Sanchez said.
Peter Robinson is the man to talk to about rain.
Robinson is a professor in the UNC Department of Geography, who specializes in meteorology and climatology.
Robinson joked that all anyone wants to talk to him about is the weather before he said the bottom line with weather is "We don't know."
Robinson said water is available, just not accessible.
"We have an enormous amount of water above us," Robinson said, referring to clouds.
"But there are no mechanisms that we can use to make it rain."
Robinson said no matter how accurate storm forecasters might be, the Atlantic Basin is an enormous area.
"Even if they were right on target every year, it would still be difficult to translate what's going to hit us," Robinson said.
He said the latter part of the past century had fewer strong storms than should be expected but was quick to add that for people on the ground, the biggest issue would be whether they live where a storm hits.
Robinson also spoke about the freeze this past spring.
"Most of the eastern part of the country had a spring freeze," he said.
Robinson said it was a large system, which he defined as "a bit of weather."
One victim of that bit of weather, Sanchez said, is the peach crop.
Sanchez said North Carolina farmers are reporting that approximately 84 percent of the peaches harvested so far are of poor or very poor quality.
She also said the state's apple crop is in a similar predicament, with 81 percent being poor or very poor. Sanchez said that it is farmers, not consumers who will most feel the damaged apple crop but that the freeze affected much of the nation's peach-growing region.
"It's not going to be a good peach year."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk.unc.edu.
(06/21/07 4:00am)
The 2008 presidential campaign is under way, and candidates are intent on making the most of each remaining day - all 501 of them.
Record levels of campaign spending, earlier primary election dates and the likelihood of this being the first time the United States elects a woman or a black man as president have given rise to the discussion of how much campaigning is too much.
According to the Federal Election Commission, a total of $34,619,463 was raised by March 31, 2003 by Democratic presidential candidates.
In contrast, Democratic candidates have raised $95,238,827 by the same date in 2007. Hillary Clinton's campaign alone has raised more than $36 million.
Michelle Ryan, a FEC spokeswoman, said this election cycle has seen the earliest announcements by candidates running for president.
Brooke Buchanan, spokeswoman for the campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that this election has definitely started sooner and that each state is important.
"I don't think we've made it to Hawaii yet," Buchanan said.
Buchanan said McCain wasn't the highest earning candidate during the year's first quarter, but said he had the most contributors of any Republican candidate.
Considering that The Washington Post lists 23 declared and potential candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties, Buchanan's assertion is significant.
The McCain campaign is requesting donors send contributions of $3 by June 30, the end of the second quarter, in order to reach their goal of $3 million.
"Any amount helps and we really appreciate it," Buchanan said.
Several issues, such as the war in Iraq and immigration, are talking points for every candidate. Other topics, however, are more identified with individual candidates, such as John Edwards' "Two Americas" and Dennis Kucinich's stance on national health care.
Another facet of the upcoming election is the competition between states to hold their primary elections earlier in the year.
Kerra Bolton, communications director for the N.C. Democratic Party said they do not get involved until after the primary election, which the N.C. General Assembly might move from May to February.
New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina have traditionally been early indicators of how the rest of the country will vote, and these states have changed the date of their elections to maintain their pole positions.
"Obviously, every campaign focuses on Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina," Buchanan said.
"With other states moving (primary elections) ahead, that has an impact on the campaign and how we run things."
Ryan said one effect of earlier primaries could be a higher number of candidates being eligible for the Primary Matching Funds Program. Candidates seeking nomination by a political party are eligible to have up to $250 "matched" per donor from the federal government.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(06/14/07 4:00am)
For the family of Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Nelson Hargrove, the end of the Vietnam War might be in sight.
Cary Turner, a Duplin County commissioner and Hargrove's cousin, has been cutting through red tape and political pride to bring his deceased relative back home.
Turner got one step closer Tuesday when the N.C. House voted unanimously on a bill to urge the Department of Defense to take all measures possible to make this return possible.
"It went very smooth today," Turner said of the vote, at which he and Hargrove's widow, Gail, were present.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Russell Tucker, D-Duplin, said the state's authority is limited.
"We have begging power," Tucker said. "And that's all we have."
Tucker said he has written on behalf of Hargrove's relatives to all N.C. congressmen and congresswomen, both N.C. senators and the president. He said he will ask all state representatives to do the same.
Hargrove was killed on Koh Tang island in Cambodia in May 1975 during one of the final U.S. military actions of the Vietnam War - a rescue of 39 U.S. merchant crewmen whose ship, the S.S. Mayaguez, had been captured by Khmer Rouge forces.
The Marines encountered a larger number of Khmer Rouge troops than expected.
Hargrove and two other marines, Pfc. Gary L. Hall and Pvt. Danny Marshall, were ordered to defend the perimeter. Their actions saved the lives of fellow marines but cost them their own.
It was the decision of President Gerald Ford not to return to the island immediately to attempt a rescue of the marines left behind.
"It's probably going to be ugly," Turner said as a segue before he said he felt that after Ford's death, political doors began to open.
Hargrove died at a time when the government of Cambodia, which was not recognized by the U.S., referred to Western nations as imperialists.
Since that time, the Khmer Rouge officer who ordered Hargrove's execution, Em Son, has been in contact with U.S. officials and Hargrove's widow.
In 2001, Son directed a U.S. envoy to the site of Hargrove's death, but there was not time then to bring the remains back.
Turner said that he began his efforts in February and that the success so far is extraordinary.
"I couldn't be more pleased with how this has turned out in the last two months," he said.
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is planning a return trip to Cambodia in January 2008, and there are efforts being made by state representatives to allow Turner to accompany the mission.
"Should the government go and report that there's nothing, it's just another story," he said.
Turner said this trip has more pressure because Hargrove's mother, Charlotte, is 84 years old and of failing health.
"We're hoping we can get something home because she's running out of time," he said.
Turner said he has a good feeling about the next trip.
"I honestly believe we'll find something."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(06/14/07 4:00am)
According to the latest Public Policy Polling survey, potential Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has found a following in North Carolina.
The poll's results indicate that Thompson's support in the state jumped from 25 percent of likely Republican primary voters in May to 37 percent in this month's poll, ousting candidate Rudy Giuliani from the lead, who had support from 25 percent of voters polled.
"It's not surprising," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.
"He's the flavor of the month."
Candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain each received 14 percent of support while 9 percent of those polled said they endorse another candidate besides those four, and 1 percent were still undecided.
Last month, in Thompson's first appearance in the poll, Giuliani had the lead in the poll with 32 percent, while Thompson received 25 percent from those polled.
Debnam said Thompson's upswing in the polls might be because of the amount of news coverage given to him.
Debnam also cited issues with other candidates' values and opinions - Giuliani's pro-choice views on abortion, McCain's support for the war in Iraq and Romney's identification as a Mormon.
Debnam said the most recent poll's results reflect voter dissatisfaction with the three other Republican options available on the poll.
"What it says is no one is really strong. People aren't excited about the other candidates," he said.
"Thompson is the least tainted one of the bunch for the moment."
But Debnam added that all candidates are still contenders and that none should be counted out.
"The poll is really just a snapshot that says no one is very strong."
Debnam said the sample for the poll was approximately 600 people, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.
On the left side, June's Public Policy Poll's results showed Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards still leading his home state with 30 percent of voters' support.
Candidate Hillary Clinton received 26 percent of support while candidate Barack Obama received 22 percent.
The poll's results, which were released June 7, came exactly a week before Obama is to travel to Chapel Hill.
Today, Obama will hold a fundraiser near the home of Edwards with tickets costing $1,000 for the general reception and $2,300 for the host reception.
Edwards, on the other hand, was scheduled for a campaign appearance Wednesday in Obama's hometown of Chicago.
Clinton also will be making an appearance in North Carolina this month.
She is scheduled to stop in Durham on June 29, for a campaign fundraiser at 804 Berkeley St.
Contact the State and National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(05/31/07 4:00am)
Gas prices are a nationwide concern, even at the highest level. The U.S. House passed two bills last week aimed at affecting the price consumers pay for gasoline.
Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., sponsored a bill titled The Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act, which allows the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and fine companies for charging exorbitantly high prices.
The other bill, sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., redefines the legal status of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allows the U.S. to sue the oil cartel over the price of oil products.
The price gouging bill states that during an energy emergency, sellers of gasoline are forbidden to artificially raise prices or attempt to take advantage of consumers.
Sellers will be considered price gougers if their prices grossly exceed the prices of competitors or their own price of gasoline during the previous 30 days.
The legislation also defines penalties for sellers who falsify their costs to the FTC.
Penalties for price gouging can be as much as either $3 million or three times the amount of profit the seller made. Falsifying information given to the FTC will result in a fine of as much as $1 million.
Companies with sales in excess of $500 million per year will receive the majority of focus from the FTC.
"I was pleased to join Democrats and Republicans to support legislation that will help crack down on price gouging," McIntyre said in a May 24 press release.
To confront high gas prices from oil suppliers, the House passed the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007, which will allow the U.S. Attorney General to bring legal action against OPEC.
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, co-sponsored the bill with Conyers.
In a May 22 statement, Chabot said the country must not lose focus on alternative energy sources.
"While it is important to target the anti-competitive practices of these price-fixing oil cartels, we must continue to press for increased domestic energy output, better alternative energy sources and greater energy efficiency."
OPEC was formerly protected from U.S. antitrust laws because it was considered to be an action of a foreign state.
NOPEC makes changes to Section 7 of the Sherman Antitrust Act - it states that any foreign entity that sets prices or limits oil production is accountable to U.S. antitrust laws because artificial pricing places strains on consumers.
Patrick Conway, a professor of economics at UNC, said that even though a cartel's actions can increase prices, the organization cannot control all of its members.
"It is indeed a problem of producer coordination putting upward pressure on prices," Conway said.
"Although, OPEC itself is not very effective at ensuring that its members adhere to price-setting or production-limiting agreements."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(05/31/07 4:00am)
People who enable underage drinkers might soon have to figure in an additional cost for alcohol - cab fare.
The N.C. House recently passed legislation that will revoke a person's driver's license for violating ABC laws by providing or selling alcohol to minors.
N.C. Rep. Ty Harrell, D-Wake, primary sponsor of the bill, said the penalty for providing alcohol to minors needed to be more stringent so people would take the crime more seriously.
Harrell said car accidents involving underage drinkers are more frequent in spring and summer. He cited graduation, prom and spring break as occasions that carry with them a habit of underage drinking.
"Not only in my district, but across the state, this time of year brings about an exciting time for young people," Harrell said.
He said this legislation is a first step and will not end underage drinking.
The bill also states that allowing a minor to use one's license to obtain alcohol will result in a one-year revocation.
Harrell said young adults of legal drinking age who provide to underage friends were the target group for the legislation.
"When you're 21 years old, taking your driver's license away is a serious punishment," he said.
Harrell introduced the bill in late March and said he has received support from a large majority of fellow lawmakers, parents and sympathizers from out of state.
"It's something I've been thinking about for some time," Harrell said. "The spring semester provides a rite of passage for so many young people."
Harrell said one death per year involving an underage drinker had occurred in the past five consecutive years, and five occurred in the past year alone.
Since then, Harrell said parents, community groups and Diageo, a liquor distribution company, all have supported the measure.
The bill received opposition mainly in the form of various 'what if' situations presented by other members of the House. Harrell said the barrage of scenarios became almost humorous.
"In-home religious ceremonies are exempt," he said.
Harrell said it's already against the law in North Carolina for parents to provide alcohol to their children if the child is younger than 21. But he said that letting their children drink at home would be a decision parents have to make.
"I'm not trying to be the morality police," Harrell said, emphasizing that the bill is meant to prevent youths from getting hurt.
During the debate on the legislation, Harrell said one member of the House raised the issue of lowering the state's legal drinking age.
"The debate for lowering the drinking age is one worth having and one that is due in this country," Harrell said.
He also said the discussion of one bill was not the time to begin debating another.
The bill passed in the House 106 votes to six and moved to the state Senate for further hearings.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(05/24/07 4:00am)
Water providers might determine more than the price of water for consumers, they could dictate when and how they are allowed to use it.
The city of Raleigh is the most recent water supplier in the Triangle to place restrictions on water used for the purpose of outdoor irrigation. The Raleigh City Council voted May 15 to implement a year-round water conservation policy which will begin July 2.
Robert Massengill, assistant public utilities director for the city of Raleigh, said the purpose of restricting water usage is to decrease peak demand on facilities.
Massengill said as peak demand is reduced, the water stations will last longer. This could result in less costs for consumers.
"Hopefully this will raise an awareness of water conservation and ultimately result in lower bills."
Julie Vance, a utilities analyst for the town of Hillsborough, said they use water restrictions less often but that they are stricter when in effect.
Vance said the Hillsborough plan has different levels of restriction, which change from voluntary to mandatory as reserves fall.
"We basically let the level of the river dictate water restrictions," she said.
In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, customers of Orange Water and Sewer Authority have been subject to town ordinances regulating automatic sprinkler systems since 2003, said Greg Feller of OWASA's public affairs department.
"Our lakes have been full or close to full for several months," Feller said. "But in the long run, conservation is important."
Feller recommended that OWASA customers view the company's conservation methods online at www.owasa.org.
The OWASA Web site also has checklists for indoor and outdoor conservation practices that can be applied by anyone wishing to reduce their household water usage.
Hand-held watering is not regulated by any utility providers.
Massengill said that while conservation is necessary, disaster is a long way away.
"We're not running out of water."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu
(05/24/07 4:00am)
An amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill will create oversight for armed contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unanimous approval was given May 17 to the Price-Schakowsky Act, which mandates that the Department of Defense, the State Department and the U.S. Agency of International Development reach a mutual agreement on how armed contractors operate in foreign countries.
"Currently there is no real framework in place to manage armed contractors in the battlefield," said Paul Cox, press secretary for U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C.
Cox also said Congress has no available database for how many private contracts are awarded or for the value of the contracts.
"We don't have answers to the basic questions - how many contracts there are, how many contractors operating in Iraq," he said.
Cox said that Price has spent the last three years trying to get this legislation approved and that the bill is a big change.
Peter Karafotas, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., said the bill has a good chance of passing in the Senate and becoming law.
"It's a significant accomplishment," Karafotas said.
If the bill is passed, it will require agencies that use armed contractors to establish clear regulations, accountability mechanisms and strong oversight for battlefield contracting.
Cox said the bill will also require better communications between contractors and military commanders on the ground - in order to prevent situations which might endanger contractors.
"We certainly hope to prevent awful cases of miscommunication and ill-equipped contractors," he said.
Armed contractors presently fall into a gray area when it comes to legal jurisdiction; Cox said the legislation would go a long way to correct that.
"There's such a fog in determining the legal status of armed contractors," he said. "How to hold them accountable when they violate the law, and what law are they violating?"
Price has said he wants the Military Extraterritorial Justice Act, which covers American civilians working for the DOD, to be expanded to cover all contractors.
Part of the Price-Schakowsky bill's purpose is to clearly state which agency will be held accountable for keeping track of legal abuses.
"The Justice Department has responsibility to prosecute any misconduct by armed contractors on the battlefield," Cox said.
"Between the three agencies, they have to agree on a memorandum of understanding."
The bill would have noticeable impact on companies such as Moyock-based Blackwater, USA, a private security contractor.
Speaking for Blackwater's media department, Anne Tyrrell said May 18 that she would need to review the legislation in greater detail before commenting.
As for whether private contractors are saving taxpayer dollars, Cox said that is something the bill would hopefully allow Congress to do.
"(The use of contractors) has expanded while Congress has not been able to keep up with oversight. This is a strong step towards allowing Congress the tools to exercise oversight over armed contractors in the battlefield."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu
(05/24/07 4:00am)
Dirty business will get more expensive in North Carolina if Rep. Lucy Allen, D-Franklin, has her way.
Allen co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Pryor Gibson, D-Anson that passed in the N.C. House of Representatives May 16 which will more than double the fines for companies who violate state air pollution laws.
The maximum fine will increase from $10,000 to $25,000, a penalty Allen said is levied against only 1 percent of violators.
She said the bill is meant to signal to companies that the state is serious about reducing air pollution.
"We have some repeat violators because it's cheaper to pay the fine than to be clean," Allen said. He emphasized the need to increase penalties so that no companies can afford to ignore regulations.
North Carolina last increased these penalties in 1991, Allen said, when the fine went from $5,000 to $10,000.
Allen is the chair of the Environment and Natural Resources committee in the N.C. House, and said she wanted this for the benefit of the environment and to maintain the state's pace in updating environmental legislation.
"It will let repeat violators know this is more than just the cost of business," she said.
Dana Yeganian, a spokeswoman for Progress Energy, said the company places a great deal of importance on following pollution laws.
"We are very serious about our environmental compliance," she said.
A letter from Yeganian's office said that Progress Energy does not have any issues with the bill as it is written, and that the company expects to spend between $1.1 billion and $1.4 billion to reduce its air emissions in the next six years.
"Progress Energy takes compliance with all environmental regulations requirements very seriously," the letter stated, adding that Progress will invest as needed to meet federal clean air laws.
The state Senate began discussion of the bill Monday, and was referred to the Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resource committee.
Virginia has fines for similar violations which are higher than those the Federal government imposes, Allen said. She added that she'd like for North Carolina to keep up with its neighbors in the Southeast.
"We certainly need to be taking care of air pollution in North Carolina."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Pollution penalties
The penalty for violating air pollution regulations in North Carolina will increase from $10,000 to $25,000 maximum penalty, with some repeat offenders getting one fine per day of violation.
Florida and South Carolina are the only other states in the region with air pollution fines as low as North Carolina's.
Most other states have maximum penalties of $25,000 already in place.
(05/17/07 4:00am)
There may not be a summer blockbuster featuring vampires, but students need only step outside to encounter real-life blood-sucking creatures.
Spring and summer are the seasons for ticks - eight-legged arthropods that feed on animal blood.
North Carolina is home to several species of ticks, all of which can potentially transmit diseases to people who have been bitten.
Megan Lynch, park superintendent at Jordan Lakes State Recreation Area, said it takes about eight hours for diseases to be transmitted from tick to human.
Aravinda de Silva, professor of microbiology and immunology, is a tick expert at the University.
He confirmed this estimate and added that eight hours is low; he said that 24 hours is more accurate.
He said the longer a tick feeds on someone, the greater the chance of transmission.
The Lone Star tick and the Dog tick are the most common species found in North Carolina, de Silva said, and each carries different diseases which hitchhike with the tick's saliva.
"This doesn't mean that every time you get bit, you'll get the disease," de Silva said.
He said Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis are the diseases to be watchful of in the Southeast; Lyme disease is very rare in this region.
Both diseases respond well to antibiotics and are treatable if dealt with early, and anyone with a high fever in the summer should consult a doctor, de Silva said.
"Many people who get these diseases don't know they've been bitten by a tick," he said.
The reason for this, de Silva said, is because of the ticks life cycle - full-grown adult ticks are easily found and removed, but during the nymph stage the tick is much smaller and less likely to be discovered.
As for what to do should you find a tick burrowed in and feeding, Lynch had simple advice.
"Use tweezers, just pull it out," Lynch said. "Grab as close to the skin as you can."
She said other home remedies are unnecessary.
"Don't use the hot match trick," she said. "You'll burn yourself."
Lynch said cooking oil will make the tick release itself, but this method takes longer.
Both Lynch and de Silva said habitat edges are the places most likely to have ticks.
De Silva said wearing shoes with socks and tucking pant legs into the socks are good ways to keep ticks away.
He advised that people should check themselves for ticks when returning home to avoid drastic remedies.
"Some people burn them off or use gasoline, but there's no reason to do that."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
How to remove a tick:
Use tweezers, grab the tick by its head, as close to the skin as possible.
Pull it out!
If part of the tick's head breaks off, the bite will take a few days longer to heal.
Don't scratch the bite.
If you get a fever after recently being bitten, consult a doctor.
(05/17/07 4:00am)
Residents of Washington county might feel a battle was won against the Navy as of midnight Wednesday May 9.
The House Armed Services Committee voted 58-0 to approve the National Defense Authorizations Act of fiscal year 2008, which has report language in it that deauthorizes any new funds for the Navy's proposed Outlying Landing Field in eastern North Carolina.
The vote was seen by many involved as a sign that the Navy has no political support for the Washington county site.
"We're very pleased that we've taken away any authorization for OLF in Washington county," said Rep. Mike McIntyre D-N.C.
The OLF was to be used to train pilots for aircraft carrier landings, with approximately one jet landing every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.
Since the Washington county site's selection several years ago, the OLF has been the target of public outcry.
"The Navy has made a mess of this," said Brian Roth, Mayor of Plymouth.
Roth was part of a group from North Carolina that sued to stop the Navy from building on the site, which borders wildlife refuge areas and residential lands.
Roth said the group subpoenaed internal documents from the Navy. Some of those documents implied the Navy intentionally misreported the environmental impact of the OLF.
"The Navy was using the (environmental impact statement) to justify the site they preferred," said Paul Cox, press secretary for Rep. David Price, D-N.C.
Cox said the issue is not resolved yet, and a long process still lies ahead. Roth said the May 9 vote is progress but agreed there is more to be done.
He said the OLF project has somehow risen to an unprecedented level of controversy.
"I'm not sure this is a battleground they want to engage in," Roth said. "The Navy has better things to do."
Roth said the Navy suffered from the "steamroller effect," which kept it from being able to change directions once a project had begun.
"Any new site will need a new EIS, and they'll have to start the process over," he said. "The Navy has set a course, and it's almost impossible for them, on their own, to change course."
A wide spectrum of interests worked together in stopping the Navy at the Washington county site, Cox said.
"It certainly started out as a grass-roots effort," he said. "You had the NRA and the National Audubon Society sitting at the same table."
Local opponents and grass-roots groups created a snowball effect, which led to political solidarity.
"The fact is our delegation at this point is completely opposed to the Navy's plan as it is right now," said Roth.
In a May 9 letter to Rear Adm. Richard E. Cellon, Price admonished the Navy's actions.
"The Navy has consistently failed to live up to its obligations to consult with state and local stakeholders on a viable location for the OLF," Price said in the letter.
Many agree the issue is far from resolved and that new options for an OLF site are being considered.
"We will look and see if this will develop in a positive way," McIntyre said.
McIntyre, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said the full House will vote on the bill in a few weeks.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu
(04/27/07 4:00am)
The two organizations most responsible for protecting and serving University students and the Chapel Hill community saw turnover this year.
Chapel Hill Police Department
The Chapel Hill Police Department will see new leadership this summer following the April 1 retirement of police Chief Gregg Jarvies after seven years in charge and 31 years on the force.
That leadership temporarily has come from interim Chief Brian Curran, a major with 21 years of CHPD experience who stepped up to fill the space until the June 25 arrival of former Fayetteville police Chief Thomas McCarthy.
(04/23/07 4:00am)
Saturday night at Carrboro Elementary School marked both an end and a beginning.
The end was for six graduate students in the University's School of Public Health, whose year-end project was to hold a forum to discuss the issues facing the Burmese community of Orange County.
For the members of the Burmese community, many of whom are refugees, the event was the beginning of new services aimed at both easing their transition to the area as well as strengthening their ties to it.
During the past six months, the students interviewed members of the Burmese community, which amounts to about 250 in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, to identify issues the immigrants have trouble coping with in their new home.
Megan Ellenson, a graduate student working on the project, said the forum was the only bilingual project at the School of Public Health that didn't focus on Spanish- or English-speaking community members.
The event started at 5 p.m. with a bilingual introduction, after which participants broke into smaller groups to focus on one of four specific issues the graduate students identified.
In the cafeteria, Neha Singh, one of the graduate students, worked her way back and forth through the tables where discussion flowed in several different languages.
"We really want to hear what everyone is saying," Singh said.
Graduate student Michael Schwartz led the small group discussion on interpreter services and said the language barrier is one of the most challenging elements.
Two of the translators, Canon Aungmin, a sophomore at Chapel Hill High School, and Magnolia Ko, a Durham Tech student, said the event was a success.
"It gives people a chance to give their opinion," Aungmin said during the dinner catered by local restaurants.
Ko, who moved to the U.S. from Thailand when she was 13, said people in her home country don't have the freedom of movement that is present in the U.S.
"We have the freedom to go where we want," she said. "We don't have to fear the police."
Aungmin said newcomers to the country need help with issues discussed at the forum.
"They don't know English very well, things they need to know," he said. "Especially for health."
Graduate students Caytie Decker and Ellenson led a discussion about health services Saturday, at which they compiled a list of action steps members of the Burmese community and health care providers could implement right away.
Professor Eugenia Eng, who led the group, said the action steps were a part of each team's goals meant to empower the community members.
"It's important to engage the culture as a partner, not a target," Eng said.
Back in the music room, where Schwartz and his group worked, the participants voted to focus on identifying members of the community who could function as interpreters. Volunteers were selected on the spot to begin working immediately.
Schwartz said that Saturday was the last night of the class and that several of the students were applying for grants to continue their work with the local Burmese community.
"I feel like we didn't have a lot of time to get to know the community," Ellenson said.
"In an ideal world we would have had many more months."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/18/07 4:00am)
The FirstSchool pilot proposed for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools now faces another step in its path to completion after Thursday night's school board meeting.
The city school board chose not to accept the program at its proposed cost of $30 million, which board member Mike Kelley said is not a good use of such a large sum of money.
Under that plan, the district would have provided $22.5 million of the proposed price, and the remainder would have been paid by the University through its Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
FirstSchool is a pre-K education program meant to move children seamlessly through the education process, said Sharon Ritchie, co-director of the institute, FirstSchool's sponsor.
"We want to look at kids that have not traditionally been served."
The proposal the board reviewed Thursday focused on building a new facility on Seawell Elementary School's campus.
Ritchie said that the new building would be used for pre-K through second-grade students, and that her group has been working with an architectural team to find a way to integrate the new building into the existing campus.
As for the board's action regarding the funding of the new facility, Ritchie said the institute's work with the school board has been a long partnership. The FirstSchool program will continue working with the school board to "build the building we want," she said.
She added that Seawell is the only location under consideration for the installation of FirstSchool facilities but that it is not the only school that will offer the program.
FirstSchool also is working with Carrboro Elementary to create a separate pre-K program, but Ritchie said it would be an additional curriculum and would not require new facilities.
She said the Carrboro program should be in place by fall 2008.
She emphasized the need for continued negotiations to bring FirstSchool to fruition, but she said it has not been an easy process.
"People need to figure out together what they need to work on," Ritchie said.
Kelley said he is supportive of the concept of FirstSchool, but he said an accepted resolution would take additional work by the FirstSchool group.
"You have to balance how else you could use that money to educate children."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/11/07 4:00am)
Chapel Hill might make history with a proposed plan to restructure who foots the bill for public art.
Residents will have a chance to put in their two cents about what's called the percent-for-art, a possible 1 percent increase in funding for public art, at the Town Council's public hearing tonight.
Municipal building projects currently have 1 percent of their total budget earmarked for financing public art, such as decorative benches.
But Janet Kagan, from the Public Art Commission, said that the amount is insufficient and that the words "maintenance" and "conservation" must be kept in mind when considering public art.
Dick Robinson, chairman of the PAC, said the 1 percent increase would cover expenses beyond just installation of public art.
"This would be a much more rational way of addressing those overhead costs," he said.
He also said the increase in funds would allow the town to attract more recognized artists and allow for more programs to help emerging artists.
The present rate of 1 percent applies only to municipal capital improvements, such as the expansion of the Chapel Hill Public Library, but another aspect of the proposal will extend the 2 percent earmark to private developments as well.
Robinson said there are two ways in which percent-for-art could be applied to private developers - one would allow developers to voluntarily donate to public art projects and the other would be a town mandate forcing developers to contribute.
Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt said methods to encourage private developers to participate in public art might include incentives such as waiving certain fees levied against them.
"I think we'll come up with a creative way to involve participation," Kleinschmidt said.
Kleinschmidt made it clear that the 2 percent is included in the cost.
"There already has to be a floor in the lobby, right?" Kleinschmidt mused, saying the PAC looks for projects that have opportunities for artistic expression.
If the town decided to mandate private developers to fund percent-for-art at the increased amount, Kagan said Chapel Hill would need special permission from the state legislature for enforcement.
N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange said some locally focused legislation is able to pass without a lot of scrutiny, unless it can be perceived as a tax, as the percent increase might be seen to some.
Kinnaird said comparisons to other municipalities with 2 percent appropriations to public art, such as Santa Monica, Calif., would hinder the legislation's chances of passing.
"Anything they do in New York or California will kill a bill," she said, adding that the state legislature prefers to share values with its neighbors in South Carolina and Virginia.
Kagan said that mandating private funding for public art has no legal precedent and that the town's approach to financing it is unique.
"Chapel Hill's percent-for-art program, in the context of the contextual plan, is the first known example of a municipality embedding public art in planned policies," she said.
"It stands out in a positive way from other municipalities across the country."
The council also will consider changing the Chapel Hill Public Art Commission from its current standing as a nonprofit corporation to a regulatory commission that is part of the town government.
Robinson said that the proposal would do little but change the commission's legal status with the town.
Kleinschmidt said he will keep an open mind about the proposals, adding that he thinks Chapel Hill enjoys being a trend-setter. "Chapel Hill relishes the role of being a leader."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(03/23/07 4:00am)
The southwesterly wind Tuesday afternoon meant Roland Rogers couldn't smell the landfill.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
A lot of people try their best to fit in, but Billy Sugarfix is looking for those who aren't scared to fly their freak flag - at least in writing.
Sugarfix, whose real name is Bill McCormick, announced a contest for weird poetry on his blog, Surreal O' Rama.
Sugarfix earned local notoriety with his song-a-day for 100 days podcast and with the "It's Carrboro" rap, which spotlights local businesses, that he created with Brian Risk
He said the Surreal O' Rama Song Poem Bizarre Lyrics Contest is a throwback to a 1970s subculture fad during which advertising groups charged people to set their poetry to music.
Sugarfix said the campaign was a thinly veiled scam, but some individuals saw it as an opportunity to expose their weirdness by writing truly strange poems just to find out what they would sound like set to music.
Once a full-time elementary teacher, Sugarfix also recently taught a music composition class for children at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. He said his experience with the kids' nonlinear approach to music inspired him to create the contest.
"I wanted to see if I could get the same results with people sending me whatever," he said.
Sugarfix also works as a song composer for hire, but said most commissions are rather straightforward, and he wanted to do more creative work.
"I miss doing the strange songs and wanted to do some more weird stuff," he said.
The Surreal O' Rama blog began as a place for him to post his fiction writing, although he said that lately the contest has taken over the site.
Sugarfix was able to bring in four respected judges for the offbeat contest: underground rock veteran Jad Fair of Half Japanese; Salon.com and Village Voice music critic Franklin Bruno; Seth Falkner of the popular Urban Coffee podcast; and Large Hearted Boy blogger David Gutowski.
"Its like expecting the bronze and getting the gold," Sugarfix said, of confirming the judges.
The contest is open to anyone, anywhere until March 10, when the judges will review all entries before announcing the five winners March 17.
Sugarfix then will collaborate with Risk to set the winning poems to music. All five songs will be posted by April 10, at which point viewers of Sugarfix's blog can vote on which song is the overall winner.
Sugarfix said he and Risk have a very open process for creating.
"We'll look at the lyrics, figure out who's going to do what," he said.
The contest already has drawn entrants from as far away as England, Sugarfix said, adding that multiple entries are allowed.
Sugarfix said he definitely hopes to do it again.
"It brings something fresh into my musical world," he said.
As for the question regarding how much attention and fame the contest will bring to Carrboro, Sugarfix said the town is sitting pretty.
"I think we've already put Carrboro on the map."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
Taxpayers will have two extra days to take advantage of free income tax assistance programs in Orange County this year.
Because the usual tax deadline of April 15 is on a Sunday and the following Monday, Emancipation Day, is a Washington, D.C., holiday, the IRS has declared taxes due April 17.
The state of North Carolina chose to change its deadline to match with the new IRS deadline because information from the federal form must be used on the state form, said Kim Brooks, public information officer for the state department of revenue.
"We don't want to cause any confusion with people," she said. "We want to make things as easy for people as possible."
To ease the filing process, free tax preparation services are available at several locations throughout Orange and Chatham counties.
Certified volunteers will be on hand at the locations to help clients fill out their income tax statements.
One program called Student Poverty Reduction Outreach, created in 2004 by University senior James Jolley, is operating out of the Hargraves Community Center.
The location is staffed from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Jolley said the program has a primary goal of helping citizens become financially stable and independent.
The group at Hargraves uses computers provided by the town of Chapel Hill.
"With their help, we can take a group of underclassmen and make a difference," Jolley said.
Clients must meet certain annual income- and family-related requirements to receive the free service.
Qualified residents also can get their taxes prepared for free at the Chapel Hill Senior Center.
Volunteer Patricia Kropp advised people to make an appointment to have their taxes done.
"If an individual just walked in, they'd have to bring all their information and take a chance," she said.
Kropp and Jolley said their volunteers are not accountants, and difficult returns that involve things like stocks and divorce likely will be directed to an accounting firm.
Many of these services use technologically-advanced methods of online filing that Brooks said increase efficiency.
"If there's a faster, more efficient, easier way to do things, we're going to do it," Brooks said.
Nine companies provide software available through the Department of Revenue's Web site at www.dornc.com. Depending on the software company, programs are available for free or for a fee.
Citizens also can fill out their tax forms at the department's Web site.
Brooks said the software has to meet state standards imposed before being listed on the Web site.
The current tax season also marks the first year software for preparing taxes is available in Spanish. Translators also will be available upon request at some programs.
Kay Johnson, a volunteer at the Central Orange Senior Center who sets up tax appointments, said she enjoys helping those in need.
"It's part of our service to the community. It's our gift."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(01/24/07 5:00am)
Well-dressed local business leaders filled the Carolina Club's dining room to capacity during the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's 65th annual meeting Tuesday.
Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the chamber, welcomed attendees to the event and congratulated the chamber on the fact that this year's meeting was the largest, with 475 members in attendance.
Nelson, a University alumnus and former coordinator of UNC's local relations, thanked the elected officials of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, and representatives from the offices of Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr for attending.
Jim Carter, from Suntrust Bank, introduced the new members on the executive committee of the board of directors, which included The Daily Tar Heel's General Manager Kevin Schwartz.
"This is an extraordinary organization for a town of this size," Charlie Fisher, who acted as chairman of the board of directors in 2006, told the audience.
Fisher introduced the woman who would be taking his place as chairwoman of the board - Anita Badrock, vice president of Smithers & Associates and a recipient of the Triangle Business Journal's 2006 Women in Business Award.
Badrock outlined the chamber's goals for 2007 - identifying a desire to serve the needs of its members while also attracting new recruits - and said she plans to lead the chamber into future collaborations with the government.
Erskine Bowles, president of the UNC system, was the meeting's keynote speaker.
Bowles said early in his address that he was not there to deliver upbeat news. Instead, he said, he was there to speak plainly about the loss of highly skilled jobs to overseas markets, such as those in China and India.
He also offered statistics about the state's education system, pointing out the low numbers of middle- school students who will graduate college with a degree.
"When you're in a crisis, you darn well better treat it like one," he said.
"We need to get North Carolina better educated, or else become a second-rate power."
Bowles said several times that the economy is based on knowledge, and the University, as well as all education in the state, is the greatest resource for maintaining the country's status as a leader.
"We must get smarter with the world," he said.
Part of Bowles' plan to make education in the state better is to make the universities more affordable, as well as to ensure proper wages for university employees.
Diana Minta, winner of this year's Chamber Ambassador of the Year award, said she enjoyed Bowles' speech.
She said small businesses are a large force in the economic development of communities and agreed that education and skills training of some kind were necessary.
The chamber also presented awards to members whose companies had performed exemplary actions in the business community and in the overall development of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The Duke Energy Citizenship and Service award was given to Hackney for his efforts in developing culture and community service.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Annual business awards
Small business of the year: Chapel Hill Wine Company
Mid-size business of the year:
Lantern Restaurant
Large business of the year:
Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, the organization that boasts Spanky's, 411 West and Squid's also helps support local schools and cancer research.
Business Newcomer Award
DSI Comedy Theater
Duke Energy Citizenship and Service award
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange
(01/22/07 5:00am)
In some places, a good weekend night entails big boots, 10-gallon hats and fiddle music. This Friday students and parents at Mary Scroggs Elementary School got to spend their own night out do-si-doing down the hallways.
As an event in the school's Family Involvement calendar, line dancing was taught to parents and students for the second year in a row by PE teacher Susan Brown.
Brown and her husband Chris began line dancing seven years ago and now go to a Colorado ranch each summer to keep up their footwork.
Approximately 20 children and 15 adults filed into place in the gymnasium. Brown quickly got to work, explaining the steps and sequences.
Jackets soon were shed as the steps were linked together. Brown led the group, calling "Step, back, step, stomp" on her microphone.
Some parents looked to their kids for direction, not sure whether to step or stomp.
Then the music started.
One boy watched with a discerning eye while his mother mastered the routine, then chose to do his own dance alongside her.
A mild form of chaos settled on the crowd. Some dancers earnestly attempted the new steps while others - mostly young boys - abandoned the dancing altogether to run in a large circle.
Parents who attended said the line dancing was an opportunity to spend time with their children.
"It's mother-daughter bonding," parent Kim Hart said. "We're here to do something fun and crazy."
Her daughter Rachel, a first-grader at Scroggs, was less interested in the "Pigeon Toe Four Corners" than in running and doing handstands.
"I'm totally here for her," Hart said of her daughter.
One of the school's aims has been to keep parents engaged in what's happening at their children's school, Brown said.
Brown said that she has been teaching square dancing to her second- and third-grade classes and that line dancing was a hit last year.
Brown has taught at Scroggs since 1999 and was a part of the committee that planned the school.
"We try to offer something every month that involves the entire family," she said.
Jeanne Jarrett sat a few numbers out to watch her daughter Maggie dance to "Cotton-Eyed Joe."
This was the first time Jarrett's daughter, a third-grader, had attended the line dancing event.
Jarrett said her daughter rides horses and jumped at the chance to wear her cowgirl boots and jacket to school.
Principal Grace Repass said the Family Involvement Calendar was the brainchild of the school's enrichment teachers.
"They came to me with the idea, and I thought it was great," she said.
Repass attended the dance as well, bringing her husband as her dance partner.
As the dancers left the gymnasium, Brown said line dancing was something meant just for fun.
"It's something I teach to anyone that's 5 years old to 75 years old."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.