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University
Wednesday, Sept. 6
■ A VCR valued at $250 was found
ifi the parking lot at Rosenau Hall at
1:44 am, according to reports.
The VCR is a black Philips
IVlagnavox.
■ A UNC student was found on the
ground in front of Kenan Residence
Hall at 3:13 a.m.
The responding officer reported that
the female student was very intoxicated.
Emergency Medical Services transport
ed her to Student Health.
■ A UNC employee reported
receiving harassing phone calls on his
voice mail between 10 p.m. and mid
night
The employee attributed the calls to
an acquaintance with whom he had had
past dealings. He told police the man
wanted to retaliate against him for past
incidents related to a break-in.
Tuesday, Sept. 5
■ EMS responded to a possible
heart attack at 10:29 a.m. The victim
reported severe lower back pain and
said he had recendy received open
heart surgery.
The Sterling Trucking Cos. employee
was transported to UNC Hospitals
emergency room by ambulance, reports
state.
■ Reports state that an unconscious
female student was found on the floor of
her bathroom in Cobb Residence Hall
when EMS arrived at 10:44 a.m.
According to reports, the victim said
she felt dizzy and light-headed but was
responsive and alert She was transport
ed to Student Health.
■ Thirty meal tickets valued at $165
were reported missing. A UNC
employee reported to police that he dis
covered they were missing from his lab
coat on Friday at about 4 p.m.
The victim told police his lab coat
and the meal tickets were in an unse
cured locker at his workplace, the
Ambulatory Care Center.
■ Reports stated that a portable
Welder valued at $4,500 and its securing
chains, valued at SSO, were reported
stolen from the School of Learning and
Achievement at 2:51 p.m.
The welder is blue with a black trail
er and was taken from the west corner
of the school by using heavy equipment
that was present at the site.
■ A black Nokia cellular phone was
reported stolen at 3:22 p.m.
The call came from the mother of a
UNC student who stated that the
phone, valued at S9O, had been taken
from her daughter’s purse during a
medical emergency at the football game
on Sept. 2.
■ A UNC Hospital bus parked at
Hendrick parking lot had its passenger
mirror shattered. The damage is
assessed at $350 and was reported at
3:41 p.m.
■ An argument prompted by road
rage broke out at the intersection of
Country Club Road and Ridge Road at
6:14 p.m. A female was charged with
following the car in front of her too
closely, reports state.
City
Tuesday, Sept. 5
■ Carrboro police responded to a
call from Weaver Street Market grocery
store where a suspect forged and pre
sented 14 stolen checks. The checks
were stolen in Chapel Hill and were all
used at the 101 E. Weaver St. location.
The amount of the checks totalled
$727.63.
The police have one suspect, but the
matter is still under investigation.
■ Twenty trees were stolen from
New Pantry Store on 102 B Hwy 54 in
Carrboro Plaza. The trees were last seen
on Sept. 2. Police reports state the trees
were removed from the ground as if the
suspects knew what plants to get and
how.
The trees are valued at SSO each and
the suspects are still unknown.
Monday, Sept. 4
■ Chapel Hill police have charged a
suspect with one count of larceny and
one count of obtaining property by false
pretenses.
At 4:30 p.m., the suspect stole three
CDs from CD Alley, located at 405 W.
Franklin St., and was confronted by an
officer, who let the suspect go because
of lack of evidence.
One hour later, police found the sus
pect had sold the stolen CDs for sl3 to
employees at Back Door Music, located
at 136 E. Rosemary St.
The suspect, who reported erroneous
information to the police, was released.
Police are still seeking the correct infor
mation for the suspect, but the case has
been declared closed by arrest. The
three CDs were returned to CD Alley.
Web Site Offers Online Trading for Students
By Jessica Joye
Staff Writer
One UNC student’s trouble with text
books has spawned anew venue for stu
dents to shop online.
CollegeUnited.com is a student-run
online site allowing students to buy and
sell common college amenities, such as
textbooks, furniture, school supplies,
electronics and computers.
Founder Aaron Houghton, a sopho
more computer science major, began
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"You're the best man we've never had," Kate Middleton sings to N.C. Senate candidate Calvin Cunningham at his fund-raising
rally in Lexington. The former UNC student body president kicked off his Senate bid on Wednesday night.
Former SBP Kicks Off Campaign
By Lucas Fenske
Assistant State & National Editor
LEXINGTON - Former UNC Student
Body President Calvin Cunningham kicked off
his campaign for a seat in the N.C. Senate to a
guitar’s strum and the aroma of barbeque.
About 200 people chatted in an aircraft
hanger, with two logo-emblazened race cars
parked in the comer, for Cunningham’s
fundraising dinner. Campaign officials asked
for a voluntary contribution of $25.
The event was more a small town celebrat
ing a favorite son than a political forum focused
on issues.
Cunningham is running for the seat vacated
by Sen. Jim Phillips, D-Davidson, against
Republican Scott Keadle of Salisbury.
Cunningham said his Senate campaign
largely was based on his desire to serve the pub
lic, a life priority he cultivated during his UNC
presidential administration. “My campaign is
Test Scores Prompt Festivities
By Amy Dobson
Staff Writer
A rumble shook the gymnasium of
McDougle middle and elementary
schools Wednesday as 875 students
stomped on the bleachers to applaud
their academic success.
For the past three years, McDougle
Middle School has attained the highest
standard of student performance on the
state’s end-of-grade tests.
“The first year (you) did this, we
thought it was great. The second year,
we knew it wasn’t an accident,” said
N.C. Superintendent Mike Ward, who
made a special appearance to celebrate
the schools’ achievement. “But the third
year, it became tradition.”
This tradition, said McDougle Middle
School Principal Charlie Stewart, can be
attributed to the combined efforts of
teachers, parents and students.
“I’m real proud of the teachers and
kids,” Stewart said, with a broad smile.
More than 90 percent of the students
at both schools passed the tests in read
ing, writing and math. This perfor
mance earned the schools recognition
as Schools of Excellence.
“There are over 2,000 schools in
North Carolina,” Ward said. “Less than
100 of them are Schools of Excellence.”
Ward, who was joined by other
school and town officials, told students
they were setting the pace for other
schools throughout the state.
“We’re proud that you’re one of
North Carolina’s great success stories
and that your example sends a message
not just across the school system, but
across the whole state,” Ward said.
He compared the schools to a flock
working on the idea last fall. He said the
idea came to him at the end of the
semester when he was trying to sell back
his textbooks.
“I just thought the amount of money
I would have lost (by selling to Student
Stores) was ridiculous, so 1 ended up
trading books with a guy down the hall.”
This interaction gave Houghton the
idea that people who do not know each
other should be able to buy and sell
books at a suitable price.
Houghton said the Web site was orig
about giving back to the community,” said
Cunningham, who served as UNC student
body president during the 1995-96 school year.
Cunningham, a Lexinton native, said his
campaign had three focuses: helping the com
munity in which he grew up, supporting fami
lies and promoting ethics in government.
He said he would work to attract high-pay
ing jobs to District 23, located in western North
Carolina. Cunningham also said he would sup
port campaign finance laws.
People attending the dinner said
Cunningham understood their community’s
needs and would represent them well in
Raleigh if he is elected Nov. 7.
Sitting at the door passing out nametags for
the event, Jewell McDade of Lexington said
Cunningham was energetic. “I think that’s what
we need in the Senate -a young person.”
Sandy Spikes of Lexington, who lives near
Cunningham, said she would vote for
Cunningham partly due to his honesty.
■■ 1
DTH/|EFF POULAND
Guest speaker Mike Ward helps present McDougle Middle School with a
banner for its high performance on the state s end-of-grade Tests.
of wild geese to point out the leadership
and teamwork each exhibited.
He said when geese fly in a ‘V’ shape
overhead, the lead goose reduces the
wind resistance for all the others.
“You’re leading the way and making
other schools realize that excellence is
attainable,” Ward said. “A flock of geese
can fly farther than a single goose can fly
alone.”
Sam Roman-Oertwig, principal of
McDougle Elementary, said extensive
preparation is the key to success. “It’s a
whole lot more than one day of taking
tests,” she said. “It’s days of learning,
nights of homework and lots of practice.”
A group of Diana Barefoot’s fifth
grade students agreed that all the hard
News
inally only intended to feature text
books, but he added other categories
after realizing how many other things
get passed around, including furniture
and electronics.
“For instance, if you’re moving to an
apartment, you’re basically stuck with a
loft you don’t need,” Houghton said.
“Through this Web site you can sell that
loft to an incoming freshman.”
The programming took nearly a year
to complete, he said, allowing the site to
start running the first week of May.
“He’s a good friend, a good neighbor and
he’s a Democrat,” said Spikes, who had a
bumper sticker advertising Cunningham’s
Senate campaign plastered on her wheelchair.
Family ties, not just neighborhood bonds,
also attract supporters to Cunningham.
His sister, UNC junior Catie Cunningham,
said she planned to actively campaign for her
brother this fall - helping him with fundraisers
and encouraging members of UNC Young
Democrats to man phones for the camapaign.
The pro-Cunningham atmosphere also
spread to the country band, Franklin Golden
and Friends, who played during the event.
The band’s two female singers, Kristie Patton
and Kate Middleton, serenaded Cunningham.
In a performance reminiscent of Marilyn
Monroe’s song to John F. Kennedy, they sang,
“You’re the best man we’ve never had.”
The State & National Editor can be reached
at stntdesk@unc.edu.
work paid off. “We had a ton of writing
tests and a lot of homework,” Antovia
Boone said.
“Mrs. Barefoot did a real good job to
make us feel prepared,” Soo Jin Lee
said, as she smiled up at her teacher.
Seventh-grader Jenny Clark didn’t
hesitate to give some of the credit to her
fellow students. “We’re smart,” she said.
“We work real hard -and the teachers
are good too.”
Roman-Oertwig said the pursuit of
high standards will not stop here. “The
best is yet to come,” she said. “We are
just at the beginning of excellence.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
Houghton said he and his friend
Jeremy Buenviaje, a junior from
Fayetteville, have done all the advertis
ing themselves. Their advertising cam
paign included posting fliers, sending
mass e-mails and placing an ad in The
Daily Tar Heel.
Despite the small-scale campaign,
CollegeUnited.com has enjoyed recent
success, Houghton said.
“During the first week of school,
8,305 people visited the site and 125
new people registered,” he said. “In the
Town Officials
Fearful of Move
As Lease Ends
A 30-year lease between Chapel Hill and
UNC is almost up, prompting leaders to seek
alternative sites for offices now on the tract.
By Courtney Mabeus
Assistant City Editor
The upcoming expiration of a land lease between the
University and Chapel Hill has stirred concern among local
officials about the future location of several town facilities.
The 30-year, sl-a-month lease of 19.5 acres on UNC’s
Horace Williams tract, which houses the town’s Public Works
Department and Transportation Center, is set to expire on
Dec. 31, 2006. The tract is located off Airport Road and also
includes the University-owned Horace Williams Airport
Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities at
UNC, said the University has agreed to submit a request for a
two-year lease extension, which must be approved by the UNC
Board of Trustees and the N.C. Property Office. But even with
the extension, the lease will run out in eight years and the town
might lose the facilities if UNC does not renew the contract.
“The Master Plan, including (ideas for) Horace Williams, is
in the process of being developed,” Runberg said. “It’s pre
mature to say what is going to happen relative to the proper
ty we have leased to the town.”
The Master Plan is a blueprint for future University growth
launched in 1998 by the late Chancellor Michael Hooker.
Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf said the large sum
of money required for the potential move makes it necessary
for town officials to start considering all possible options now.
If the town does lose the lease, a move could cost $lO million
to sls million. Town officials then would consider funding the
project with municipal bonds that would not require voter
approval, Waldorf said.
“(The town) does not have sls million in savings,” she said.
“I’m trying very hard to get the University to understand what
a financial liability (this move) would be.”
Waldorf said officials are considering a site north of
Eubanks Road for a possible move but would not disclose any
other locations being discussed.
Still, any plans to relocate town facilities are contingent on
a University decision. Waldorf said she is waiting for word
from UNC officials.
“It’s my understanding that the University has not received
an answer (concerning the two-year lease extension),” she said.
Town Council member Kevin Foy said he hopes the town
will retain its facilities at the Horace Williams tract
But Foy agreed that town officials must begin exploring
new possibilities. “(A relocation) is not really that far off con
sidering how much planning has to go into moving,” he said.
“I think we’re trying to remain optimistic about it”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
BOG to Focus on Bonds,
Personnel at Meetings
The Board of Governors will
meet until Friday to hold
elections, decide budgets
and discuss enrollment.
By Kathleen Hunter
State & National Editor
The Board of Governors wiU official
ly begin discussing priorities for the next
two years during its monthly meeting
today and Friday at Fayetteville State
University.
Budget and Finance Committee
Chairman Brad Wilson said board
members wifi participate in a workshop
Friday morning in which General
Administration staff will lead a discus
sion outlining the system’s budgetary
priorities for 2001 through 2003.
“This is the first conversation that the
board will have about the priorities for
the next biennium of the (N.C.) General
Assembly,” Wilson said.
The system submits a budget request
to the legislature for every two-year peri
od. The most recent biennium ended in
July when the legislature adjourned.
Wilson said issues such as enrollment
projections and the system’s capital and
technological needs will likely be
addressed.
He said the Budget and Finance
Committee will also decide in its
Thursday meeting whether to allow
UNC-Chapel Hill to sell nearly $47 mil
lion in bonds for the construction of a
new residence hall on South Campus.
Thursday, September 7, 2000
last two weeks, we have sold close to 100
items, including a car.”
According to user comments posted
on the site, visitors have been very
pleased with their transactions,
Houghton said.
Senior Drew Youngblood purchased
a few of his textbooks through
CollegeUnited.com. He said the service
was convenient and hassle-free.
“It was such a relief not to have to
See WEB SITE, Page 10
The BOG has already approved the sale
of $42 million in bonds to fund the pro
ject
Also Thursday, the board will hear
from the chancellors of Elizabeth City
State, Fayetteville State and Winston-
Salem State universities.
The chancellors from these schools
will outline their plans for dealing with
a projected systemwide enrollment
boom of nearly 50,000 additional stu
dents over the next decade.
Planning committee Vice Chairman
H.D. Reaves said the three schools are
among seven that the BOG has targeted
to have an unusually high growth rate.
FSU, for example, will increase its
student enrollment from 4,000 to 6,000
in the next 10 years, Reaves said.
The chancellors of the three histori
cally black institutions will outline their
strategies for attracting students to their
campuses, he said.
Judith Pulley, UNC-system vice pres
ident of planning, will also brief the
planning committee on upcoming stud
ies the system will conduct that are man
dated by the legislature, Reaves said.
The Planning Committee will also
hear a report from N.C. TEACH
Director Dorothy Mebane. N.C.
TEACH channels a person working in
another career into teaching.
Each of the BOG’s committees will
also hold annual officers’ elections on
Thursday.
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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