PAGE 2 n WEDNESDAY. MARCH 17. 2010
NEWS
the
pendulum
r'ANvjt £ II •>-1, •»!» ... —
School and town plan to add business, vibrancy to downtown
Caitlin O’Donnell
Assistant News Editor
The Town of Elon and Elon University will partner
in coming years to further develop and redesign the
downtown Elon area.
According to Gerald Whittington, senior vice
president for business, finance and technology, the
university asked prospective students who ultimately
choose not to attend the school what influenced their
decisions. The most common response was the lack of a
successful downtown area.
“This includes business such as small dress shops,
drug stores and a bank,” Whittington said. We have
long wanted to have more of a retail set of operations
in the town.”
Davis Montgomery, a member of the Town of Elon s
Board of Alderman, said it is something the town has
always been looking into.
“We formalized the plan and put together a committee
to look at the downtown area and keep it a part of what
we are working on," he said.
Montgomery said he would like to see downtown
Elon become a destination to visit for both residents and
tourists.
“It should be a place that people like to come to
because it offers a variety of services and amenities,
such as shops and restaurants," he said. “And the kinds
of things that develop a small-town feeling and make
Elon unique.”
This could include a pharmacy, dry cleaner, more
restaurants, a movie theater and an ice cream shop,
Whittington said.
Montgomery also suggested further landscaping,
including a roundabout, antique clock tower and more
park benches, some of which the university is willing to
help finance.
“I can see us helping to fix infrastructure, such
as sidewalks and lighting, to attract businesses,
Whittington said. “The university would also be involved
in selling and leasing property that we currently own."
As development plans continue, Montgomery said
it’s important to keep numerous constituencies in mind.
Be.sides just Elon students, year-round residents of the
area are also important.
“If we were to try to appeal to only one group, it would
ultimately fail,” he said. “We must have the support of
year-round residents and go from there because much
of what appeals to them will appeal to everyone else.”
Whittington said it Is in the best interest of the
business to have the complete support of the faculty and
students of Elon, as well as visitors and the town.
“If you’re a business person and only cater to
students, you lose your main draw for a quarter of the
year," he said. “That’s a bad business model.”
At this point, the town plans to include shop owners
I
MOLLY CAREY | Staff Pliotograpli
Members from the Town of Elon Board of Aldermen Davis Montgomery and Mark Greene met with El^ University officials Gerald
WhSon and Ken about ways the town and school can work together to create a better downtown.
who currently own businesses downtown.
“We don’t want to leave them out of the plan because
they have investments that must be recognized,”
Montgomery said. “We want to work with what we
already have and set a long-term vision.”
Although no specific date has been set to begin
working on the plan, an initial meeting was held last
week to gain a broad overview of the project and prepare
for the next steps. Whittington said the entire process
could take up to a decade to complete.
According to Montgomery, the town is still
currently looking into funding the project, but there
is the possibility for federal grants designated for
redevelopment projects.
“We are in the early stages of figuring out who can do
what,” he said. “It is very important that we cooperate
with the university because they are very much part of
the plan and will b« in the future.”
Whittington said he hopes the plan will add vibrancy
for students on campus.
“I hope to see a variety of options of things to do for
students and amenities to support them,” he said.
MOLLY CAREY | Staff Ptlot(jgf»ll«
The field next to the Town of Elon Fire Department is the
proposed site for development of downtown Elon.
Sandy’s under investigation
SANDY’S from page 1
be performing checks periodically and
using undercover officers to assess the
situation.
“We always do undercover operations
throughout the year," Lovette said.
“Especially when it gets warmer."
Each state only has a limited number
of ALE officers and there is only one
assigned to the region Elon is located it.
The Town of Elon police are also
working with the university to create
educational programs about risk
management, the types of actions law
enforcement officials can and will take
and the consequences.
“Generally we are not going to
shut down an event unless there are
complaints, but we do have to go by,”
Lovette said. “Unless there is criminal
activity.
Lovette said the complaints are
usually a result of students living off
campus and their neighbors working 8-5
p.m. workdays.
Lovette said her officers will patrol the
area more often on busy nights, which
include Wednesday and Thursday
But Lovette said Sandy’s is not the only
business in the area that has experienced
complaints and problems. Fat Frog also
has had underage drinking infractions,
noise violations and conflicts.
“If there continues to be fights and
really drunk patrons, (Saldanna) will lose
his license,” Lovette said. “Alcohol is the
primary problem.”
New masters programs for Elon
EXPERIENCE from page 1
HYunoni
Genuine Parts & Service
FREE STUDENT SHUHLE SERVICE
To and from our service dept, with work order
Crenshaw ■
■ HYUNDAI
330 Huffman Mill Rd, Burlington, NC
(Across from Burlington Square Mall)
VlDc/ mrvc*
584-1144
Service hours; Mon - Fri 7:30 am to 6:00 pm; Sat - 8:00 am to noon
WINTER SERVICE SPECIALS! We Put You First
* Student ID must be |
- presented to receive this .
I special. I
I Hyundai vehicles only. I
I Not good with any other I
I offer or coupon. Expires >
• 3-31-10. I
I Crenshaw Hyundai i
I Student lO must be presented to receive
I this special.
* Hyundai vehicles only. Not good with any
■ other offer or coupon. Expires 3>31.10.
Crenshaw Hyundai
I • Inspect front and rear i;
I • brakes *|
I • Multipoint vehicle lj
I Inspection i|
FREE
BRAKE INSPECTION
Plus I
tax I
J •Up to 5 qts Havoline oil •Genuine J
I Hyundai filter •Top off all fluids i
* •Adjust tire pressure • Multipoint *
I vehicle Inspection |
OIL and FILTER
CHANOE
$1995
advantage in the job search, students
who earn a masters degree can make
as much as 30 percent more than those
with only a bachelor’s degree.
“The in-depth learning that comes
in a graduate program is stimulating,
exciting and rewarding,” House said.
Elon currently has a one-year
graduate program, the Interactive
Media program, as well as several
others that take two to three years. The
iMedia program is the first successful
program following the 4-t-l plan. The
program provides students with an
additional year of study solely in the
area of interactive media. Copeland
said there is also a possibility that the
School of Communications will add a
doctorate program.
“I see students grasping and
understanding the role of media and
communications in the role of society
that I am not sure you always get as an
undergraduate,” Copeland said.
In addition to the iMedia program,
Elon University is looking to add a
Physician's Assistant program. The
program would require about 28
months of study.
House said if everything were to be
approved immediately, the program
would be able to begin in 2012.
“We have not decided if all of the
pieces are in the right order to launch
(the Physician’s Assistant program),”
said Connie Book, the associate dean
of the School of Communications.
House said this program not only
fulfills The Elon Commitment’s goal
to increase the graduate program,
but also to increase the science
program. As the university looks to
add more programs, the faculty is
looking for programs that need more
HEATMEHCASSANOiaatfPtoKigraP'* ;
David Parsons works on a project in the
iMedia editing suites on the second floor
of the Powell building.
professionals. Book said that there
could be more health related programs
in the future.
“Everybody in the hospitals, the
people at Wake (Forest), the people at
Duke, have all told us they are ver>
supportive,” House said. “We need more
primary care health providers.”
During the next ten years, otte
programs will be developed or adaptM.
One possibility is a revamping
of the
Master of Business .i^dministrati®
and the Master of Education prograi^
Book said they could either redesi^ the
programs to be completed in less time or
change how they market the programs
to graduates. Currently, the MBA t^es
two to three years to complete, and tne
M. Ed. takes a little over two years.
“We are in the phase of bemg
creative and stimulating
House said. “It really depends on w
the faculty come up with as this is
good fit for our department and o
faculty.”