Local family resides on the brink
Slideshow: Rising from the ashes
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Slideshow: Rising from the ashes
Martha Calle, a baby sitter from Colombia, wants to own her own day care. Daniel Esgralo, a landscaper from Mexico, wants to be able to express himself. Surrounded by signs that read responsibility, fairness and trustworthiness, Esteban Martinez, a house framer from Mexico, listens intently. "This is the best tool, I think, to understand the community," he said. Thousands of adults use free English as a Second Language classes throughout the state so they can teach their children and advance at work. Calle, Esgralo and Martinez study through a N.C. Community College System program that is funded by taxpayer money and does not check the legal status of its students. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, they leave work and sit in small chairs meant for Sunday school children at University Presbyterian Church on Franklin Street. "Sometimes they're motivated because this is something they need," Durham Technical Community College ESL Program Director Karin Abell said. "Sometimes they're motivated because this is something they've wanted to do for a long time." Difficulty assimilating Martinez knew some English when he came to the United States 14 years ago and now speaks clearly despite a Mexican accent. But many in the Durham Tech classes throughout Durham and Orange counties enter without literacy even in their native languages. The beginners struggle to address an envelope or fill out a check. Advanced student Olga Bondareva said she had trouble buying groceries when she first came from Russia two years ago. She didn't know the difference between kilograms and pounds when she purchased diapers for her then-2-year-old daughter. "When I opened it, it was big Pampers," she said with a self-depreciating laugh. For parents, it can be difficult to talk to children's teachers or help with even the easiest homework. "I really need it for my childrens in the school," Edith Resendiz said. Resendiz, who has taken ESL classes for four years, encouraged her brother-in-law, Esgralo, to come to classes because he can't even order pizza, she said. Immigrants who don't speak English must find other individuals to speak on their behalf, said Ben Balderas, executive director of El Centro Latino, a Carrboro nonprofit which helps with housing and educational concerns. Legal documentation In Martinez's class, there is a student from Sweden, refugees from Myanmar and a woman from Iran. But the colleges do nothing to check students' legal documentation, N.C. Community College System spokewoman Audrey Bailey said. Because students don't have to confirm N.C. residency, the community colleges don't ask about a student's citizenship for ESL classes. "These are people who come to us seeking an opportunity to learn," Bailey said. "It's a very hard, very important thing that's being done . to allow these people to communicate and survive." And Abell said documentation requirements would prevent recent refugees and others from immediately receiving the services. "I might not be able to help people at the moment where they need the most help," she said. Balderas worries the ESL classes might encounter the same opposition community colleges faced when they announced in December that undocumented students can attend school if they pay out-of-state tuition. "I'm a little concerned about what reaction would be about opening up education regardless of documentation," he said. William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, said there is a greater incentive for undocumented individuals to return home if the American government isn't paying for English lessons. The ESL classes are paid for with roughly 20 percent federal funds and 80 percent state funds. The Basic Skills Program, of which ESL is a part, costs about $80 million. There isn't a breakdown of the ESL program's cost, Bailey said. That money is provided to ensure basic education to reach self-sufficiency, and its current use is in accordance with the community college system's mission, she said. Gheen, whose political action committee claims more than 25,000 members, said there is strong opposition to government services, such as the ESL classes, for the undocumented. "The main taxpayer benefit we support for illegal aliens is an air-conditioned, provisioned bus ride back to their home country, which is what the majority of Americans . support," Gheen said. 'Fear' Although the number of immigrants in the state continues to rise, the enrollment in the ESL classes has declined from 41,672 in 2001-02 to 31,462 for 2006-07. Fear has caused this slow decrease, Bailey said. Police reportedly arrested a man at an eastern N.C. community college, she said. "In trying to improve their livelihood . they put themselves in jeopardy," she said. Abell brought up immigration in one class when she first started teaching and had 15 fewer students attend the next session, she said. Even so, Durham Tech's ESL program has bucked the statewide enrollment trend. About 26 percent more students enrolled in 2007-08 than the year before. Most of the attendees at the Tuesday and Thursday night classes at University Presbyterian come after a full day's work and many must find baby sitters for their children. Durham Tech provides 75 classes in 19 different locations and tries to offer times that fit most schedules, but still many students struggle to attend consistently. "There's not just work issues," said Audrey Berlowitz, who teaches an advanced class. "There's childcare issues. There's car issues." American Dream Activists like Gheen depict recent Latino immigrants as unwilling to assimilate to U.S. culture. But the students at University Presbyterian seem to paint a different picture. "Do they really know the people that they are talking about?" Abell asked. "It makes me wonder if they are aware that (ESL students) stand in line for class." Resendiz wants to learn because everyone here speaks English. "Sometimes I need to speak like an American," she said with a laugh. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The work was not easy Saturday morning. Students with Pa'lante and members of the community dug in the dirt at Carrboro Elementary School to get the gardens ready for 11 families who will begin planting in the next few weeks. Growing Healthy Kids Community Gardens gives garden space to families in an effort to help kids and families eat healthy food. "It's helping our community," said Susana Salmeron, a freshman at East Chapel Hill High School. The grant-funded program, which is starting its first garden, provides seeds of fruits and vegetable to those who successfully apply. "If you are growing your own food, you have more of a relationship with the food," program coordinator Elaine Morris said. Pa'lante is a local youth organization that gives high school students an opportunity to host a radio show once a week and participate in events that help the Latin American community. English and Spanish could be heard as about 10 people dug out the paths that will surround the plots. "Dale, Joanna, tu puedes," or "Do it, Joanna, you can," said Yulyney Labrada, a Pa'lante mentor. Labrada, who has worked with Pa'lante for four years, said the program helps students keep their minds away from drugs and other distractions. Although all the plots in the Carrboro Elementary garden are taken, Morris still is taking application for spaces in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. There will be one other garden at a place that has yet to be determined, she said. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Pine Knolls will not be defined by crime. Many residents of the long-standing Chapel Hill neighborhood bordering Carrboro don't remember the last neighborhood watch meeting more than a decade ago. But Thursday, in the wake of a recent shooting and an armed robbery, more than 35 people crowded the Pines Community Center. "What we have become is a neighborhood that has been so safe for so long, we were surprised," Pines Community Center Inc. President Ted Parrish told the residents. Next door to the center, a shooting Monday left a 16-year-old recovering in the hospital and David Earl Ellis Jr., 17, in jail charged with attempted first-degree murder. Police said that the victim and suspect are not Pine Knolls residents. The shooting occurred outside Angela Carson's house. She wasn't home at the time but said it made her worry about the safety of her newborn child. "Bullets have no eyes," she said. But Carson and many other community members said Thursday that the image outsiders see of a crime-riddled neighborhood is false. Reported crime went down 25 percent from 2006 to 2007 in Pine Knolls, community services officer Kenneth Lennon said. "I'd like to say we've come a long way because we've been fighting drugs for a long time," Virginia Barbee, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1955, told the residents. "It's really been just a few people working like a dog to change it," she said afterward. Chapel Hill police Cpt. Chris Blue said residents have done a great job looking out for one another. "We're excited about the opportunity to join them in their efforts," Blue said. Among those at the meeting was the victim of the Feb. 17 armed robbery that first sparked the community watch meeting. Jermaine Bethae, 28, said he answered the door to two men who claimed they wanted to join a basketball team his cousin is forming for an upcoming tournament. One of the men put a gun to Bethae's head and asked, "Where the money at?" Bethae said. They took a Playstation 3, a laptop computer and about $70 in cash, but Bethae suffered no injury. "It made me take life real serious," he said. Neither that robbery nor this week's shooting appear to be drug-related, Chapel Hill police Narcotics Sgt. Will Quick said. Thursday, the community decided to meet monthly with police and staff from Empowerment Inc., a nonprofit that works in Northside and Pine Knolls. "These are our communities. . We preserve it by looking out for each other," Executive Director Delores Bailey said. "I'm looking at what Pine Knolls is going to look like in 10 years for our kids." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
In the Craig-Gomains public housing community, Evangelee Shuler uses dial-up Internet for bills and taxes. Her daughter, Jekyah Owens-Shuler, 7, does homework online. "With the Internet, you can do just about anything," Shuler said. Craig-Gomains is one of four public housing communities where the Town of Chapel Hill will install wireless spots in an attempt to connect lower-income residents, particularly students, to the Internet. It is part of a pilot program which already has placed six spots downtown. "It's good for those who can't afford it," Shuler said. Pam Hemminger, chairwoman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, brought the idea to the town in January because schools are giving more online work to students. "It's hard for the students that don't have that at home," Hemminger said. "They need guidance, and they also need the ability to explore and be comfortable on the Internet." Pastors Israel and Dorcas Saunders don't have Internet access in their Craig Street duplex. When they need to send an e-mail, they must go to a local church or library. Dorcas Saunders said many students living in Craig-Gomains public housing go to Davis Library on UNC's campus for access and must return late at night. Wireless Internet access in the community will let students study at home, she said. "Parents can go to work and know that their children are at home doing their homework," Dorcas Saunders said. "It gives the parents, I guess, just a peace of mind." There are about 300 students from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools living in the 12 public housing communities, according to a memo from town Information Technology Director Bob Avery. But some Craig-Gomains residents already have wireless access. Kimberly Perez, who lives directly across from the proposed wireless site on Craig Street, said a broadband connection works well for her children and her. "I don't need (the town's wireless) because I have a wireless connection," she said. For the pilot program, the town will put only one wireless antenna in each of the four neighborhoods, which will cover part of the housing communities. The town will look at the program's effectiveness to see whether to expand it further. "It's more than just putting up a wireless signal and saying we're done," Avery said. The town is following in the footsteps of Greene County, in rural western North Carolina, which has put into place hot spots that provide wireless access for all students. Greene County Schools Superintendent Steve Mazingo said that in four years the service has helped to increase the number of students who go on to college to 84 percent, up from about 20 percent. "It's kind of leveled the playing field for all of our students," he said. "It's basically changing the way we do school." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
In the Craig-Gomains public housing community, Evangelee Shuler uses dial-up Internet for bills and taxes.Her daughter, Jekyah Owens-Shuler, 7, does homework online.With the Internet" you can do just about anything" Shuler said.Craig-Gomains is one of four public housing communities where the Town of Chapel Hill will install wireless spots in an attempt to connect lower-income residents, particularly students, to the Internet. It is part of a pilot program which already has placed six spots downtown.It's good for those who can't afford it"" Shuler said.Pam Hemminger, chairwoman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, brought the idea to the town in January because schools are giving more online work to students.It's hard for the students that don't have that at home" Hemminger said. They need guidance" and they also need the ability to explore and be comfortable on the Internet.""Pastors Israel and Dorcas Saunders don't have Internet access in their Craig Street duplex. When they need to send an e-mail" they must go to a local church or library.Dorcas Saunders said many students living in Craig-Gomains public housing go to Davis Library on UNC's campus for access and must return late at night.Wireless Internet access in the community will let students study at home" she said.""Parents can go to work and know that their children are at home doing their homework" Dorcas Saunders said. It gives the parents I guess" just a peace of mind.""There are about 300 students from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools living in the 12 public housing communities" according to a memo from town Information Technology Director Bob Avery.But some Craig-Gomains residents already have wireless access.Kimberly Perez who lives directly across from the proposed wireless site on Craig Street" said a broadband connection works well for her children and her.""I don't need (the town's wireless) because I have a wireless connection"" she said.For the pilot program, the town will put only one wireless antenna in each of the four neighborhoods, which will cover part of the housing communities.The town will look at the program's effectiveness to see whether to expand it further.It's more than just putting up a wireless signal and saying we're done"" Avery said.The town is following in the footsteps of Greene County, in rural western North Carolina, which has put into place hot spots that provide wireless access for all students.Greene County Schools Superintendent Steve Mazingo said that in four years the service has helped to increase the number of students who go on to college to 84 percent, up from about 20 percent.It's kind of leveled the playing field for all of our students"" he said. It's basically changing the way we do school.""Contact the City Editorat citydesk@unc.edu.
Additional downtown parking might be on the way. The Chapel Hill Town Council heard plans at a public hearing Monday which could create up to 130 parking spots off South Roberson Road. The spaces have been part of an ongoing battle between Spencer Young, owner of the office and retail facility The Courtyard at 431 W. Franklin St., and P.H. Craig, the owner of the parking lot next to it. The current plan requires that Craig rent the spaces to Young. Scott Radway, who said he was speaking on behalf of Craig, asked the council to consider releasing Craig from the special use permit and rezoning the parking lot area. "Mr. Craig hasn't been paid for two and a half or three years," Radway said. Craig has closed the spaces off to patrons and tenants of The Courtyard, causing the council to issue parking permits. The parking lots have remained closed despite efforts by the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership to mediate a resolution to the conflicts between Craig and Young. "This application gives Mr. Craig an ability to move forward, too, and we think that's really important," Partnership Executive Director Liz Parham told the council. The council and mayor expressed optimism that the application would be quickly approved and would help add parking to downtown. "One of our requests tonight is to go forward with an expedited review," Radway said. Parham suggested that the council rezone even more space than Radway proposed from residential to downtown zoning. "It's actually a nice little footprint that could be extended," she said. The Downtown Partnership is paying for a comprehensive parking study to address resident and business concerns of access to free parking, although there are already more than 3,000 spots downtown. "Part of that parking study is to look for under-utilized sites," she said. Last week the council heard public concerns about changes to the downtown towing ordinances which would make it more difficult for tow truck operators to work in the area. Towing is a major concern downtown, where many park illegally when they can't find legal parking spaces. The council had already given patrons of The Courtyard, which includes LocoPops and coffee and wine shop 3Cups, several spaces to help ease what owners have said is a threat to business. The beginning of the council meeting Monday was filled with people in orange shirts who showed up to support the application of the Orange United Methodist Church to build a new sanctuary and parking, which may be used as a park and ride lot for the University. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
CORRECTIONS: Due to a reporting error, Friday's front-page story "Murder suspect released on bail" incorrectly names the judge who set bail for William Stroud, who is charged with first-degree murder. District Court Judge Alonzo Coleman set bail. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error. The suspect in the Tuesday murder of a UNC housekeeper is out of jail after a judge set a low bail in the area's second domestic murder in just more than two weeks.
Marshall Ralph Brown, 51, died at N.C. Memorial Hospital Tuesday with a gun shot wound to the back. Police have charged William Albert Stroud, 27, with first-degree murder after the Tuesday afternoon shooting in the Northside neighborhood, Chapel Hill Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said. "Witnesses on the scene positively identified him as the individual who fired the shots," Gunter said. Gunter said Stroud got into a physical confrontation with Brown in the Sykes Street and Gomains Avenue area. Officers arrived on the scene at about 1:50 p.m., when they found Brown lying on the ground. "The victim succumbed to his injuries later this afternoon," Gunter said. After the shooting, Stroud allegedly fled in a burgundy Chevrolet Cavalier. Police spotted the car minutes later and arrested him at Crest Drive, not far from the shooting. Stroud, of 222 Knolls St., is being held in Orange County Jail without bond. Investigations into the shooting still are in early stages, Gunter said. But police described the shooting as a domestic dispute and said it is not likely related to gangs or drugs. A nonfatal drive-by shooting occurred at the same intersection Aug. 22. There have been five drug arrests at the intersection so far in 2008. Kenneth Lennon, Northside Neighborhood community services police officer, said the department already has high patrols in the area. "It just happens to be a hot spot for us, which we try to keep an eye on," Lennon said. A police substation opened in November 2006 at 501 Sykes St., one block from where the shooting occurred Tuesday. People can help prevent crime in Northside by constantly watching and being aware of their neighbors, said Delores Bailey, executive director of EmPOWERment Inc., a nonprofit advocacy organization whose offices are in the neighborhood. But Bailey said she believes the neighborhood, which includes many homes rented to UNC students, already is changing for the better. "My immediate reaction is that it was probably something personal going on," she said. "I've been around the neighborhood for a long time, and some of this seems to pop up from time to time." This is the first deadly shooting in Chapel Hill since the July 2006 murder outside of Avalon Night Club. Earlier this year, James Imonti was killed in the Food Lion parking lot in Carrboro. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Marshall Ralph Brown51 died at N.C. Memorial Hospital Tuesday with a gun shot wound to the back.Police have charged William Albert Stroud27 with first-degree murder after the Tuesday afternoon shooting in the Northside neighborhood" Chapel Hill Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said.""Witnesses on the scene positively identified him as the individual who fired the shots"" Gunter said. Gunter said Stroud got into a physical confrontation with Brown in the Sykes Street and Gomains Avenue area. Officers arrived on the scene at about 1:50 p.m., when they found Brown lying on the ground.The victim succumbed to his injuries later this afternoon"" Gunter said.After the shooting, Stroud allegedly fled in a burgundy Chevrolet Cavalier. Police spotted the car minutes later and arrested him at Crest Drive, not far from the shooting.Stroud, of 222 Knolls St., is being held in Orange County Jail without bond.Investigations into the shooting still are in early stages, Gunter said. But police described the shooting as a domestic dispute and said it is not likely related to gangs or drugs.A nonfatal drive-by shooting occurred at the same intersection Aug. 22. There have been five drug arrests at the intersection so far in 2008.Kenneth Lennon, Northside Neighborhood community services police officer, said the department already has high patrols in the area.It just happens to be a hot spot for us" which we try to keep an eye on" Lennon said.A police substation opened in November 2006 at 501 Sykes St., one block from where the shooting occurred Tuesday.People can help prevent crime in Northside by constantly watching and being aware of their neighbors, said Delores Bailey, executive director of EmPOWERment Inc., a nonprofit advocacy organization whose offices are in the neighborhood.But Bailey said she believes the neighborhood, which includes many homes rented to UNC students, already is changing for the better.My immediate reaction is that it was probably something personal going on" she said. I've been around the neighborhood for a long time" and some of this seems to pop up from time to time."" This is the first deadly shooting in Chapel Hill since the July 2006 murder outside of Avalon Night Club. Earlier this year" James Imonti was killed in the Food Lion parking lot in Carrboro.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Carolina North has officially left the starting block. After years of false starts, town and University staff will meet in the next 90 days to discuss differences on how to proceed with the University's proposed research campus. Monday, the Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously authorized Town Manager Roger Stancil and Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos to meet with University staff and identify how the parties agree and disagree on zoning. Stancil said the upcoming discussions will provide a framework the town can build on. "I see it as you got to start somewhere," Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said. "If you put something in black and white, you can start testing it." At a Jan. 13 meeting, the council, Chancellor James Moeser and several members of the Board of Trustees committed to creating a process for future town-gown negotiations. The resolution is the first significant step to identify how the council will proceed with discussions on the added traffic and other side effects from the eventual high density of Carolina North. The development agreement, as opposed to a highly customized zone like the main UNC campus, would give the town the opportunity to incorporate energy conservation and other priorities, Foy said. The council directed town staff to use the Horace Williams Citizens Committee's 2003 recommendations as the primary guide for establishing the town's goals for the project. "We should make it clear that's the town policy," Foy said. They will also consult the Leadership Advisory Committee's report, in addition to the fiscal impact study and the long range transit master plan, which are expected in the coming months. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward encouraged town staff to regularly update the council on the process of the discussions so they do not come back with a surprise. He said he worried that University staff will meet much more frequently with the UNC Board of Trustees. "How do you know what to advocate for?" Ward said. The council set a June 15 goal for staff to present basic information and options for the council to proceed before the summer break. "The goal of this is to define each of the areas that are important to both of us," council member Matt Czajkowski said after several questions clarifying the process. Foy encouraged the staff to bring the results of the discussions back to the council at a work session. After identifying areas of disagreement, the council will negotiate further with the UNC Board of Trustees to reach a development agreement. The agreement would require a public hearing, Karpinos said. The council authorized up to $30,000 for legal assistance, consulting and supplemental staff work for the negotiation process. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
New towing ordinances will not pass without a fight. Tow truck operators from the Chapel Hill area showed up en masse to a Monday public hearing to oppose new restrictions which would limit the payment method and prices for towing in the central town area. George King, who said he owns a towing business, held up a four-square-foot no parking sign to emphasize the size of the warning. "They see the signs, they read the signs and they choose to ignore the signs," he said. "The problem is with adults who somehow feel that they are an exception to the rule." Gil Day, who runs Talbert's Tire & Automotive, told the council that he already charges $100 - the proposed limit. But he argued after the hearing that any ordinance should allow for changes due to potential increases in gas and insurance prices. "The way I feel, I will not be told how to run my business," Day said. Members of the council objected to the allegations that they are encroaching too far on small businesses. But they seemed surprised to see such opposition to the effort which stemmed from a complaint in Panera Bread's Franklin Street parking lot. "I think it's unfair to say that (towing companies) have to accept a credit card or debit card," Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said. Representatives from the Downtown Partnership and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce spoke in favor of the changes. Adam Klein, director of government relations and economic development with the Chamber of Commerce, said they voted unanimously to support the ordinance. "It's more an issue of predatory towing as opposed to towing as needed," he said. The most contentious exchange of the night occurred between Dorothy Bernholz, director of student legal services at UNC, and council member Matt Czajkowski. Bernholz told the council that a resident can use force to protect private property like a car according to common law. "Without some regulation of tow truck operators, you're going to have some confrontation," Bernholz said. "Isn't the easiest way to avoid a confrontation to not park there?" Czajkowski said. The matter was referred back to town staff, and the council is expected to hear recommendations at its March 3 meeting. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A man is dead after a shooting in the Northside neighborhood at about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday. The police have one suspect in custody who witnesses at the scene identified as the shooter, Chapel Hill Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said. The police will not release the name of the suspect until a charge is filed, which could occur later today, Gunter said. They will not identify the victim until family is contacted. Gunter said the suspect got into a physical confrontation with the victim in the Sykes Street and Gomains Avenue area and fired shots into his back. The suspect then fled in a burgundy Chevrolet Cavalier. Police arrested the suspect at Crest Street, a few miles from the shooting. A non-fatal drive-by shooting occurred in the same intersection Aug. 22. Check back later for updates. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A man is dead after a shooting in the Northside neighborhood at about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday.The police have one suspect in custody who witnesses at the scene identified as the shooter Chapel Hill Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said.The police will not release the name of the suspect until a charge is filed which could occur later today Gunter said.They will not identify the victim until family is contacted.Gunter said the suspect got into a physical confrontation with the victim in the Sykes Street and Gomains Avenue area and fired shots into his back.The suspect then fled in a burgundy Chevrolet Cavalier. Police arrested the suspect at Crest Street a few miles from the shooting.A non-fatal drive-by shooting occurred in the same intersection Aug. 22.Check back later for updates.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Fog will fall on downtown Chapel Hill in the coming years. The plan for public art to accompany the mixed-use development at Lot 5 between Franklin and Rosemary streets includes stainless steel sculptures that use rainwater to create a mist. Lead artist Mikyoung Kim presented the plans, two years in the making, to 30 people at the public library and to the Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday, and most said they were impressed. "It engages people in terms of sound, sight and feel," said Carrboro resident Gary Cramlinge. "I love the fact that it's sensitive to harvesting rainwater." The public art will be incorporated with Ram Development Company's mixed-use project, 140 West, which is expected to cost about $75 million and include condominiums, retail and parking. The agreement with Ram marks the first time that public art will be incorporated into a private development. About $671,000 has been set aside for art. In 2002, Chapel Hill became the first municipality in the nation to incorporate public art as a part of land planning when they decided to require that 1 percent of new public buildings' budgets go toward art. Kim said this project is unusual because it is being designed at the same time as the development. "I think what's unique is the opportunity to really interplay the sculpture with the place," she said. "It's like a big vision working together." The landscape will include benches and an outdoor plaza. It will incorporate blue lighting to create the appearance of permanent fog. Kim, who is based out of Massachusetts, designs public art as far away as Korea. She also is responsible for Chapel Hill's Streetscape master plan, which will attempt to incorporate art into daily public life. "It's more than just lining a street with stores and putting condos above," said council member Mark Kleinschmidt, the council's liaison to the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission. "It's a transformative downtown project." Kleinschmidt said the site could help to bring together the east and west ends of Franklin Street. Community members who saw Kim's design Monday said the art could play a central role in the future of downtown Chapel Hill. "It's a place that really celebrates community, and we need more of these places in town," Cramlinge said. Kim told the council that she will submit a final concept plan in February based on community feedback and that an artist will be picked to design the Rosemary Street side of the lot in the coming weeks. Construction on the art is not expected to begin until about 2010. "It's going to be possibly the heart of Franklin Street," said Steve Wright, a staffer with the Public Art Commission. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
As UNC pushes to close Horace Williams Airport, plans for its replacement are under way. WCHL owner Jim Heavner said he is involved with a small group working to replace the airport with a new area landing strip. He said the planning is in early stages, and possible sites have not been identified. "At this stage . all of us have a lot more questions than answers," Heavner said. "Those of us who are involved are committed to helping the University in all the ways that we can." UNC plans to build Carolina North, a mixed-use research campus, where the airport is located. Horace Williams Airport is expected to stay open until construction of the Innovation Center is complete, Carolina North Executive Director Jack Evans said at a public hearing Wednesday. Eventually the University wants to find a site in southern Orange County for a new airport, Evans said. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said that Wednesday was the first he had heard of a possible location. "I would like the community to have a voice of determining the pros and cons of a southern Orange County location for general aviation," Ward said. Horace Williams currently is used for transportation by Area Health Education Centers of North Carolina, which offers educational programs to help meet the health needs of the state. Many have argued against the closing because of concerns about the impact on AHEC. Two members of N.C. Friends of Horace Williams spoke Wednesday at the hearing. Evans said AHEC will move to a hangar at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, but Heavner said that option is "extremely temporary and very inadequate." The need for a new, permanent home for AHEC has given the search a "sense of urgency," Heavner said. Chancellor James Moeser pledged in his September State of the University address that UNC will work to find a site for a new airport. "I think the University's been pretty clear about strong support for AHEC but needing the location of the Horace Williams Airport for Carolina North," Evans said. Heavner said a new airport also would help UNC compete with other research universities to attract corporate interest. "The University's corporate relationships are going to be significantly more important with the development of Carolina North," Heavner said. Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, said that an airstrip could help attract corporations and that he has heard general support for a new site. "We believe that a general aviation airport is an important economic development asset." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Local officials are scrambling to respond to an Environmental Protection Agency notification that they have been accused of violating civil rights. The Rev. Robert Campbell filed the complaint on behalf of the Rogers Road community, which has housed the Orange County Landfill for 35 years, he said Thursday. "It was obvious that the politicians weren't hearing us," Campbell said. "We looked at where can we get some power . and so we figured that the best way to do it was to go ahead and file this complaint." Campbell, co-chairman of the Rogers-Eubanks Coalition to End Environmental Racism, alleges that nine state and local government organizations discriminated in siting and dealing with the landfill. The Orange County Board of Commissioners first saw the complaint, with names blacked out, in a Wednesday night closed session. "It's unfortunate, that's all I'll say, on many levels," Board Chairman Barry Jacobs said Thursday. "We will respond at an appropriate time, in an appropriate manner. This isn't that time," Jacobs said. The town of Chapel Hill also received notification, the only one town attorney Ralph Karpinos said he had seen in 20 years in the town. "We don't really have much to say about it right now because we're just starting to look at it," he said. The EPA's Office of Civil Rights evaluates all complaints based on four criteria, said Yasmin Yorker, assistant director of the external compliance program. For an investigation to take place, the complaint must be mailed, concern an organization that receives EPA money, occur within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act and describe an event that violates discrimination regulations. "When they take the money . they agree not to discriminate," Yorker said. The county decided to put its landfill next to the historically black Rogers Road community in 1972. Howard Lee, Chapel Hill's first black mayor, said at the time it would be open only 10 years, Campbell alleged in the complaint. Lee, now commissioner of the N.C. Utilities Commission, could not be reached for comment. Campbell filed the complaint last summer after months of community meetings to plan opposition to a waste-transfer station that would have replaced the landfill when it closes next year. In November the board decided to reopen the search for a site but keep the Eubanks site as an option. But the complaint still is relevant, Campbell said, because the county and town officials have not done enough to protect Rogers Road residents from health dangers. "It opens the eyes of the residents of Orange County," Campbell said. "Now they know where their trash goes, and they understand that there's a neighborhood out here that needs help." "We're not asking them to build us a mansion; the only thing we're asking them is that we get a little help." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The Chapel Hill Town Council will hear a recommendation tonight not to renew an eight-month moratorium on growth in the Northern Area. The moratorium is scheduled to expire Jan. 31, and a staff report dated today suggests that extending it might be illegal. The report cites an N.C. general statute that allows towns to extend moratoriums only when there are "new facts and conditions" or when the town has "taken all reasonable and feasible steps . to address the problems or conditions leading to the imposition of the moratorium." The report concludes that there are not new facts or conditions to justify extending the moratorium. Town Manager Roger Stancil recommends not extending the eight-month moratorium in a memorandum for tonight's council meeting. The council generally does not make decisions the same night as public hearings, council member Ed Harrison said. "We don't rush things," he said. Although the council might not vote on the issue tonight, the impact of the eventual decision will shape how the Northern Area is zoned in the future. "I think (the moratorium) has made everybody stop and look and realize that there are still are some questions," said Del Snow, who chaired the Northern Area Task Force. "The town has to weigh how to proceed. Even if the moratorium is not continued, there will still be an opportunity to make a step forward." The moratorium was enacted in May in an effort to control and manage expansion. It put a stop to all development along a portion of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Weaver Dairy and Eubanks roads. The moratorium faced opposition from developers whose projects were halted. The town successfully defended a lawsuit brought in October by the C.A.I. Group VII that questioned the moratorium's legality. The group is attempting to build Triangle Orthopaedics on Perkins Road. The group filed a second challenge in late December, but no ruling on that challenge has been made. The council will also hear recommendations and citizen comment on amendments to the comprehensive plan for the Northern Area. The Northern Area Task Force, formed March 2007, worked during the moratorium to form a vision for the Northern Area, which is the first thing many people see entering Chapel Hill from Interstate 40. The task force finalized a conclusion in late August that stressed "density, design and diversity" as the guiding principles. Stancil is advising tonight that the council amend the comprehensive plan to include the recommendations of the task force. Snow stressed the importance of transit-oriented development that is environmentally sound. "We could lose what makes Chapel Hill unique," she said. Snow said that even without an extension of the moratorium, it is important that the town use modeling tools to measure the cumulative impact of development. "When you are doing it parcel by parcel . it makes it complicated," she said. "Which is why you need to do it right the first time." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The owner of Franklin Street bar Hookah Bliss was charged with selling alcohol to minors last weekend. Adam Bliss faces two misdemeanor counts of providing alcohol to people under 21. He is scheduled to appear in district court Feb. 26. Bliss declined comment except to say that he supports efforts to curb illegal alcohol use. "I don't condone underage drinking or smoking, either," he said. Alcohol Law Enforcement investigated the hookah bar after the Coalition for Alcohol & Drug Free Teenagers of Chapel Hill and Carrboro tipped off ALE. Court records show that Jack Ryan Chambers Friedman and Benjamin Albert Theye face misdemeanor counts of using false identification and underage possession of alcohol. Coalition Deputy Director Ron Bogle said the two were cited by ALE at Hookah Bliss on Saturday. They also are scheduled to appear in district court Feb. 26. Hookah Bliss, located at 418 W. Franklin St., offers cushions, tables and a bar to smoke different flavors of tobacco out of hookahs. Their Web site lists a menu of 37 beers. Ami Offenbacher-Ferris first alerted members of the coalition to possible violations of drinking laws about a month ago. In an interview Wednesday, Offenbacher-Ferris said she became aware of the issue when her 19-year-old daughter called home and asked to be picked up at Hookah Bliss. She said her daughter was "inebriated" at the time. "She said, 'You can come here and drink anytime,'" Offenbacher-Ferris said. Offenbacher-Ferris said she contacted coalition director Dale Pratt-Wilson, who then alerted ALE. The coalition leads community efforts to prevent underage drinking and illegal drug use. Offenbacher-Ferris said the ALE contacted her for information. "I told (the ALE agent) that even if my daughter was there to go ahead and make the arrest," Offenbacher-Ferris said. The ALE could not be reached for comment. The fake identifications Friedman and Theye are charged with using don't excuse Bliss from liability, Bogle said. "To have the license to sell alcohol, which is a privilege, the state puts the burden on the bar owner," he said. "They put their ability to do business at risk if they choose to ignore the law or to be careless about it." If convicted, Bliss will lose his driver's license for one year. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Instead of exchanging large gifts Christmas Day, Sharon Collins and her family read the names of the kids they've helped. Twenty years ago, Collins and her business partner first bought gifts to a needy child at Christmas time. They now help connect other sponsors with more than 150 foster children. And Collins is just one of many volunteers who put in hours of work to make Christmas special for Orange County residents in need. "This is just a way to help ensure that their dreams can come true on Christmas," she said. Collins' party supply business, Balloons and Tunes, partners with the Orange County Department of Social Services to present Share Your Holidays, which pairs children in social service custody with many different businesses and individuals. This year, Share Your Holidays will pair sponsors with a record number of more than 300 kids who might not receive presents otherwise. "It's a chance for kids that are in really tough situations to have a really nice holiday and to know that somebody is thinking of them," said Lindsey Shewmaker, management analyst for OCDSS. This year, the county also has partnered with Toys for Tots for the first time to get toys to more than 5,000 needy children. Collins talked about a "family of giving" in Chapel Hill that helps to provide for the least fortunate. "The thing I enjoy most is just the affirmation that there are so many kind and generous people in this community," she said. "The greatest gift is the gift to yourself - to know that you've done a good thing." And there are many other organizations that share in the holiday spirit. Peggy Akers has put in more than 100 hours as co-chairwoman of the Christmas House, a Chapel Hill Service League program that provides presents for families selected by the school system based on need. The gifts can be donated under trees set up at University and Carr Mill malls. Akers said there are already 172 volunteers to help Dec. 1 when parents select presents. "What we like about it is it really lets the parents choose the gift that they want," she said. Help is not limited to toys. The Pajama Program this year donated more than 200 pairs of pajamas to be given to Orange County kids to protect them from the cold. N.C. Chapter President Marcey Cring said that when she presents the pajamas in person, the kids' faces light up and that they usually want to try them on right away. "It's great when you can give them something that no one can take away from them," she said. At the Ronald McDonald House, donated gifts help those whose income is lost when they have to take time off from work to visit sick family, Development Director Michael Lowery said. Lowery said the exercise room has been transformed into "Santa's Workshop," where families living in the house will be able to select presents. For Share Your Holidays, sponsors buy a present from the children's wish lists. Collins said that one year the kid whom she sponsored asked for a six pack of root beer. "You don't know if Santa Claus is going to find you if you're a little kid," she said. "We try to make Christmas very special for all of these children." Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.