James Merritt received the unanimous endorsement of the Chapel Hill Town Council Monday night to serve the remainder of the term of the late Bill Thorpe.
The 8-0 vote came after the council considered Merritt and five other applicants in their search for a replacement for Thorpe, whose term would have ended next November.
Merritt is a Chapel Hill native and though he lived in Hampton, Va. from 1971 until he moved back home in 2004, his roots here run deep.
“That’s my mother and that’s my grandfather,†he said, pointing to a black-and-white photo on the wall of the entryway of his mother, Effie’s, home on McDade Street.
At the time the photo was taken, Clarence Irving Nunn farmed a large plot of land he owned on Millhouse Road. Chapel Hill’s Town Operation Center is now where the family home once stood.
Many of his relatives were part of the tight-knit community north of town in the Rogers Road and Eubanks Road area. Merritt has fond memories of his grandfather’s place, but growing up he was a townie; and though he now lives on Crest Drive, he can often be found in his old McDade Street stomping grounds. A 1961 graduate of Lincoln High, the 64-year-old Merritt remembers when Church Street was the only paved road in the area.
He remembers when Lindsay Street and then McDade Street were paved and how many of the other kids in town would come to his neighborhood to skate on the paved streets.
And a lot of people knew Jimmy Merritt and his brother Clarence because they were the youngsters on McDade who had a pony named Bill. Every year, during the holiday parade, the then-future councilman would hitch up Bill, a beautiful pinto, to a little buggy and ride in the parade. In fact, one of Merritt’s early experiences with the growth of Chapel Hill was when he had to move Bill out to the farm on Millhouse Road.
“We would bring him into town on the weekends,†Merritt said.
Merritt eventually joined the Army and served in Viet Nam from 1967 to 1969. He was wounded and received the Purple Heart. After the military, Merritt attended Hampton University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in guidance and counseling. He served as a school administrator and guidance counselor in Virginia schools until his retirement and move back to Chapel Hill.
While Merritt was living out of town, he stayed in touch with his fiends and schoolmates through the Orange County Training School/Lincoln High Alumni Association. Now an officer in the organization, he’s been busy with the group’s efforts to commemorate the school and, this year, with their efforts to distribute food for the holidays. His fellow alumni, he said, have been helping keep him informed about issues as he plans for his work on the council.
Merritt said his love for the town he grew up in ultimately led to his decision to apply for the council.
“It was pretty much because I’m concerned about the direction in which this town is going,†he said. “I love this town. I plan to be here. It’s one of the reasons I came back.â€
When he retuned to town, he was amazed at how much the town had grown. Looking ahead to his work with the council, he acknowledges that the growth of the university will be a key focus.
“I know it is the desire of the university to expand — and I think that is a good thing. And I feel the town needs to have a good relationship with the university. It is the largest employer in Chapel Hill. But I think as citizens of Chapel Hill, we should have a say in how much they expand so as not to spoil the character and culture of Chapel Hill.â€
Merritt said the library expansion is another area of concern. The need is there, he said, but the economic downturn and its consequences will have to be taken into consideration.
“I’m ready,†he said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of challenges.â€
As for the future, particularly the decision he’ll face next year of whether to seek a full term on the council, Merritt said that he is “leaning toward it.â€
The goal he’s set for himself and some of the things he’d like to accomplish are long term and likely to take much longer than the remainder of Thorpe’s term would afford.
This week, he plans on continuing discussions he’s started with other members of the council as well as meeting and issue briefing with Town Manager Roger Stancil.
Best wishes to Mr. Merritt, I hope he brings a common sense approach to Chapel Hill. It is certainly needed.