THE PENDULUM
Elon, North Carolina • Wednesday, February 19, 2014 • Volume 40, Edition 4
Phoenix frozen
Master plan brings major
changes to Town of Elon
Jonathan Black
Editor-in-Chief
The Town of Elon has proposed a new revi
talization plan that would restructure the eight-
block area known as downtown Elon.
The plan calls for the construction of 10
mixed-use buildings, six residential buildings, an
office space and a civic/hospitality space.
The first floor of the mixed-use buildings
win house retails and restaurants, while the up
per floors win serve as either offices or residential
spaces depending on the building. The area wfll
surround a green space caUed Town Commons.
However, the plan is subject to change.
Davis Montgomery, a member of the Elon
Board of Aldermen, said the board began to ask
why businesses didn’t want to move their loca
tions to dovratown Elon. As a result, a commit
tee was formed four years ago to discuss the revi
talization of downtown Elon.
The committee was made up of Montgom
ery, Alderman Mark Greene, Elon resident
Clark Bennett, Town Planner Sean Tencer, for
mer Town Manager Ed Wyatt and Gerald
See PLAN page 3
Elon’s new budget raises
tuition, financial aid
The Elon University Board of Trustees met
j
Tuesday to approve the 2014-2015 fiscal year
budget, which includes a 3.69 percent increase
in undergraduate tuition. Next year, tuition
will cost S30,848 Mth the total cost of living
on campus adding up to 141,914.
In an email sent out to the faculty and staff.
President Leo Lambert said next 3^ear’s tuition
v/iU remain lower than the national average.
Additionally, the cost of tuition will be be
tween $5,000 to $15,000 lower than Elon’s
peer institutions.
According to Lambert,, financial aid 'wiU
increase by 6.88 percent with a commitment
to increase need-based aid to support the uni-
\'ersity’s goal of providing complete access to a
global experience.
With shouts of “Long live Elon!” the right team charged down the hiil in an organized attack during a campus wide snowball fight Thursday.
CAROLINE OLNEY1 Photo Editor
Strong winter weather causes roads, schools to close down
Hannali Wolfe
Senior Reporter
2014 was rung in with excitement, resolu
tions and an unexpected cold firont. This winter
season has been unseasonably cold in North
Carolina, and authorities have had to go the ex
tra mile to combat the frigid temperatures and
snow.
Temperatures in Raleigh reached the single
digits this winter for the first time since 2000,
only 18 degi'ees away from the record low of-9
degrees. Similar temperatures have been report
ed in other parts of the state.
The North Carolina Department of Trans
portation (NCDOT) has surpassed their $30
million budget for winter weather this year. The
storms have required the assistance of extra em
ployees, the purchase of more salt and the use of
more heavy-duty machinery in order to recover.
Jennifer Brandenburg, the state asset man
agement engineer at the NCDOT, reported
tliat $30 million is set aside annually for win
ter weather snow and ice removal. Usually only
about $12 to $15 million of this budget is spent.
It’s not unusual for tliis budget to be extend
ed. In one particularly snowy year, the NCDOT
spent $60 million, twice its budget.
“We see what we have planned when spring
comes and skip some other activities,” Branden
burg said.
The average North Carolinian would be un
likely to notice the spring cutback. Public grass
won’t be cut as often, and less will be done to
manicure the state in order to make up the lost
funds.
See SNO Wpage 3
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