By Ken Moore Observations made from around town and the region during this summer-long drought have made me believe that our society is really insane. Last week, while helping hand-water a native plant garden in Raleigh, making certain all the water went into the ground and not off onto the pavement, an awful noise from…
Author: Staff
Lessons from the Legislature
By Damon Circosta Most North Carolina schoolchildren are heading back to the classroom as their summer break comes to an end. Seeing all of those overstuffed backpacks and yellow school buses reminds me of the fear and uncertainty that comes with starting something new. I had many of the same feelings earlier this year when…
Exile on Jones Street: 8/23/07
By Kirk Ross There’s nothing quite like cracking a freshly printed budget. Just look at all those finely crafted numbers and . . . ahh, smell those special provisions. This is the time of year when it becomes clearer what kind of last-minute “language†found its way into the budget and various other bills passed…
Business energy tax cuts are a bad idea
By John Quinterno Manufacturing and agricultural firms in North Carolina pay lower tax rates than other businesses on energy purchased for use in production. Nevertheless, several recent legislative proposals have called for eliminating the energy taxes paid by manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. While an economic argument can be made for repealing those taxes, doing so…
Politics may prevent children from seeing a doctor
By Chris Fitzsimon As many as nine million children in the United States may not be covered by a health insurance plan and more than 250,000 of them live in North Carolina. Many of the children are eligible for state and federal programs like Medicaid and Health Choice, North Carolina’s program to insure kids in…
Dr. Joseph Philibert Lorio
Dr. Joseph Philibert Lorio died Thursday afternoon, August 16th, 2007, at Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk VA, at the age of 65. Dr Lorio was a resident of Carrboro, NC since his retirement in 2001. Previously he had been a resident of Fairfax, VA and a practicing psychiatrist in Falls Church. He was on the faculty…
Robert Finley Gaines
Robert Finley Gaines, 79, of Chapel Hill, died Friday, August 10, 2007, after a long illness.   Mr. Gaines, a long-time resident of Chapel Hill, is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Cheek Gaines, and by two daughters, Marcia (Gordon) Mercer of Franklin, NC, and Mary Anna (Richard) Lindholm of Charlotte, MI.. Also surviving…
Vennie Neal Best
Vennie Neal Best, 94, of Carrboro, passed away Wednesday, August 8, 2007. She was the daughter of the late John Yancey Neal and the late Alice Burke Neal. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Thurman E. Best, and her son, Danny M. Best, Sr. Mrs. Best retired from UNC Hospital and was…
As students return, transit system revs up new additions to its fleet
Training for the big one: Chapel Hill Transit driver Mike Schuster takes a training ride on the system’s new articulated buses. The new buses are 20 feet longer than the system’s regular rides and bend around curves. Photo by Isaac Sandlin By Kirk Ross Staff Writer There are a lot of things that mark the…
Chatham, Orange talk water and transportation
Cooperation between local governments could mean initiatives from a bus to Pittsboro to an OWASA ‘straw’ in Jordan Lake By Kirk Ross Staff Writer Intergovernmental cooperation — along with baked chicken and a garden salad — was on the table Tuesday evening as representatives of Pittsboro and Chatham County joined counterparts from Carrboro, Chapel Hill,…
One more weekend of waiting for CHS
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer Chapel Hill-Carrboro school officials are waiting through one more weekend with fingers crossed that come Monday they’ll get their final certificate of occupancy for Carrboro High School. Although a new stoplight is in place on the corner of Rock Haven and Smith Level roads, it was not operating as of…
Kleinschmidt mounts challenge to death penalty
By Taylor Sisk Staff Writer When the state of Florida executed Angel Diaz on December 13, 2006, it took somewhat longer than anticipated. According to witnesses, 26 minutes into the lethal injection procedure, Diaz’s body jolted. He winced, then shuddered. It was another eight minutes before he died. Horrific, yes, and, says Mark Kleinschmidt, the…
Observing the Common Milkweed: A walk on the wild side
Common Milkweed standing tall in Arcadia Community. Photo by Ken Moore By Ken Moore An early-morning walk through the Chapel Hill Merritt Pasture near the James Taylor Bridge is a real pleasure. The wild part is gaining access to the rolling pasture site. You are well advised to plan your visit during the Sunday morning…
Board wants to expand language program
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer Last Thursday, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education considered a possible expansion of the district’s Spanish/English dual-language program. Because it was a work-session item, the board made no decision regarding the expansion, but dual-language program staff will return to the board with more information for consideration at a later date….
Oak Avenue speed table under study
Carrboro transportation planners are studying traffic on Oak Avenue after the town’s Transportation Advisory Board approved a plan to put a speed table on the well-traveled street. Adena Messigner of the town’s planning staff said the advisory board heard from petitioners in the Oak Avenue area who asked for some relief from a growing number…