Gommyoiilty
By NANCY McCARTNEY
Contributing Writer
As I walked up the stairs to the
front porch of the Community Kit
chen in Carrboro, I did so with more
than a little trepidation. I had never
been to a soup kitchen. How would
these people react to me? Would they
resent or ignore me?
My fears were quickly dispelled as
soon as I met Walter. The elderly
black man sits on the front porch of
the Community Kitchen every day.
He goes inside the building only to
eat or watch one of the movies that
are shown on the VCR on Friday
afternoons.
"Hi," I said to Walter, who was
sitting with his right leg stretched out
in front of him. He leaned forward
on his cane, studying me with blue
eyes faded by time. "Hi," he said, and
smiled, revealing more gum than
teeth. "Sure is hot, aint it?"
Walter is only one of the many
people who come to the Community
Kitchen on Merritt Mill Road every
day to eat, socialize and just get in
out of the weather whatever it may
be.
Grace Higgs is the "guardian angel"
of these people. Small, slim and
929 -
3 blocks
215 N. Columbia
Munggfiims lis
IFodh0 IBaek
PAINT
Complete
Painting Supplies
J",I,I"L
Bunking Kits Tool Kits Housewares
Locks Picture Frames Fans
Tool Rentals Party Rentals
Everything you need for your dorm or apartment!
107 E. Franklin St.
birdlike in her motions, Higgs has an
upscale aristocratic look about her
that, at first glance, makes her appear
incongruous with the drab appear
ance of the kitchen and the poorly
dressed people around her. This is not
the case.
The disadvantaged people with
whom Higgs works cluster around
her with obvious affection. Higgs sees
her work at the center (which is a
full time job for her) as "a gift to
me."
The Community Kitchen was
begun five years ago when a group
of concerned citizens realized the
need for a place for the poor to obtain
free food. The Inter-Faith Council,
which also runs the shelter for the
homeless on the corner of Rosemary
and Columbia streets, is responsible
for the kitchen. The facility serves the
elderly, the working poor and "lonely
people."
Higgs said anyone can eat at the
kitchen, regardless of their financial
situation.
Most of the almost 100 daily meals
are served at lunch, when the "clients"
converge in the small building to eat,
socialize or just think. Higgs said the
We can cut it.
(And at a great price!)
Men's Cut 12.00
Men's Gut & BiowDry.... 13.00
Ladies Cut .,.:...13.00
Ladies Cut & BiowDry ..15.00
Perm Special 40.00
1151
from UNC
St. (free parking in rear)
YnMmo MeaiaHapnsm'ters
- H - eIhIl
942 - 3188
ARDWARE& RENTAL
food for the kitchen comes from local
restaurants and grocery stores. Some
of the food is collected in community
food drives and donations from local
Transportation
section of Airport Road and Estes
Drive, according to Gardner and
Howes.
A possible route is the train tracks,
which are now rarely used, Gardner
said, except to deliver coal to the
University's power plant. The tracks,
owned by the state university railroad
corporation, could be used for
transport between the main campus
and the airport.
"The town has got to get interested,
too, and commit to the kind of land
use plan that we have to have to put
that in place, to make it happen,"
Gardner said.
Howes said the use of the rail to
the airport is probably not worth the
cost.
"From Chapel Hill's point of view,
a light rail is not very well located.
It runs north to Hillsborough before
it goes to Durham. It doesn't provide
a link to Research Triangle Park,
which is something we would need
costwise," he said. "We don't have the
base to support that."
Also, Howes said, the track is a
single track, and there is no room for
a dual one, meaning the town could
Health service'cauresfor lydeimt
By LD. CURLE
Staff Writer
Student Health Service, located on
South Campus across from North
Carolina Memorial Hospital, pro
vides a wide range of health care
services to enrolled students through
its nine permanent physicians.
Students must make an appoint
ment to be seen, but same-day
appointments can be arranged.
"We're open 24 hours a day, with
the only exception during Christmas
break," said Dr. Judith Cowan,
director of SHS. "We provide what
you call urgent services, an example
being if a student woke up with a
SmippHfies
9
o
Electrical Supplies
extension cords
surge suppressors
telephones & accessories
1201 Airport Rd. 967-6082
residents. Higgs termed the food gifts
"manna from heaven."
The staff of the kitchen is made
up entirely of volunteers from area
only operate one train out and back.
"My guess is it would be far more
economical to put a higher density
of buses on Airport Road," Howes
said. "The town would be willing to
help with transportation out there."
"It would be a dedicated transitway
with just buses, bikes and pedestri
ans," Rimer said.
"Obviously (the campus) is a
proposal that's going to gain momen
tum," Bonk said. "Serving it is not
a problem and will not be a problem
in the future. As long as we can
anticipate that, we're fine."
Officials look to future
"We're kind of at a crossroads here
in the region," Howes said. From
1995 and on, the region must con
centrate on pulling the points of the
Triangle together, he said.
"We really need to be thinking
about that kind of future, with the
technology that is a year 2000 kind
of technology," he said. "I don't see
the town and the University ever
being willing to make radical changes
in the downtown; Pittsboro Street
and Ridge Road are the only sug
102 degree temperature. If a student
is acutely injured, he can be given
attention just, as in an emergency
room. In very extreme cases, the
student would be transferred to North
Carolina Memorial Hospital.
"We try hard to work on an
appointment basis so we can conserve
students' time. This also helps the
examining doctor by giving him
adequate time to deal with the
student."
The SHS clinical medicine staff,
which consists of nine certified
physicians and three nurse practition
ers, takes care of most students'
health needs. "We suggest that
WALK TO CLASS.
I
WELSH COURT
2 bedroom condominiums located on Church
Street, next to Chancellor Square. Close to
campus and downtown. Excellent owner
financing available. $72,000-$82,500
Sales and Rentals
151 E. Rosemary St. 942-4149
churches and the University, as well
as from various local organizations
such as the Salvation Army and the
United Way. -
from page 5
gestions. Putting those aside, I just
dont see any major additions to
thoroughfares in downtown.
"Given that, we need more reliance
on the transit system and more
reliance on park-and-ride in the near
term that's the kind of future we're
looking at. For a lot of people, that'll
be okay, although it may be difficult
for some."
Regional systems such as a light
rail system or a complete interstate
system with separate bus lanes must
be considered to link Research
Triangle Park, Raleigh-Durham
Airport, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and
Durham, Howes said.
"It's certainly not too early to think
about how we can link those points
not today, but by the year 2000.
We can't get people to get around
in the cars, so we have to look
seriously at (those options)."
"The decisions we make in the next
six months to a year will dictate the
situation we will find ourselves in in
the year 2000. I'm hopeful we can find
a better situation by the year 2000,"
Bonk said.
students choose from the staff doctors
and stay with that doctor," Cowan
said.
SHS has divisions of sports med
icine, women's health and mental
health in addition to its clinical
medicine staff.
Full-time students pay $101 for
SHS in their student fees. That fee
covers any services provided by the
clinical medicine staff. Services
provided by any specialty clinics, such
as the dermatology clinic, are not
covered, but are equitably priced,
Cowan said. There is also a charge
See STUDENT HEALTH page 20
3