Satlg ®ar
INSIDE
MONDAY
FEBRUARY24,I997
Resident: fire began
when candle toppled
BY DANIELLE E. ALFORD
STAFF WRITER
Residents of Kingswood Apartments,
located at 1105 N.C. 54, said an early
Saturday morning blaze that damaged
12 units was caused by a candle igniting
carpet on fire.
Bjorn Book-Larsson, a junior from
Sweden who lived in apartment 7F, said
the fire began across the hall in 6F. “(My
neighbors) had a candle on the floor,” he
said. “They went to bed, and the candle
fell over and started a small fire on the
carpet. They tried to put it out them
selves, but it spread to die floor and ceil
ing.”
Book-Larsson said he and his neigh
bors went around knocking on doors
and warning the complex’s occupants of
the growing blaze before firefighters
arrived on the scene shortly after 6 a.m.
Although the first and second floors
on the east side of the F building
received heavy fire, smoke and water
damage, no one was injured in the blaze
and fire officials are still investigating it’s
origin, according to a report from the
Chapel Hill Fire Department
The complex, owned by Triangle
Community Realtors, offered residents
living arrangements until the damaged
Council to offer
legislation ideas
BY STEVE MRAZ
STAFF WRITER
Concert-goers at the Smith Center could be paying more for
their tickets if the Chapel Hill Town Council successfully per
suades the N.C. General Assembly that an entertainment tax
is necessary.
The council has drawn up a list of 27 potential requests for
the state legislature, including a $1 per ticket entertainment tax
on large venues, that will be discussed Monday during a pub-
lic hearing.
Following Monday’s hearing, the
council will consider public input and
determine which requests out of the 27
will form the town’s legislative proposal.
The council will discuss potential
requests with a legislative delegation
Friday morning.
An entertainment tax will cover the
costs of large crowds, such as increased
police traffic control and wear and tear
on town roads.
“This idea has been around for
decades,” council member Joe
Capowski said.
“Cities in general recognize the costs
of handling large crowds.”
Former Chapel Hill Mayor Roland
Giduz said he had been a supporter of
an entertainment tax since 1982.
“(The entertainment tax) is well established in many places,
in many states and places around the world. It is a luxury tax,
which is optional for anyone to pay,” Giduz said. “This is a
new and fair source of revenue for the town.”
Opponents of the entertainment tax have said a tax would
discourage entertainers from coming to Chapel Hill, but coun-
Supreme Court says no
re-elections in 3 districts
BYTORI DAVIS
STAFF WRITER
The Student Supreme Court charged
the Elections Board to certify elections
results in graduate districts 4, 8 and 9
Sunday night, which could eliminate the
need for re-elec
tions in those dis
tricts.
Five candidates
in Student
Congress graduate
districts 2 through
9 took the
Elections Board to
court to avoid a re
election.
Tuesday
Times vary
bypoUsits
Candidates Christopher Herold of
District 7, Stephen Oljeski of District 9,
Dara Whalen of District 8, Bryan
Kennedy of District 4 and Michael
Storm of the
century
Company Carolina awes
viewers with their version
of "The Tempest.' Page 2
Cj^P
units are rebuilt, said Richard Fox,
regional manger of Triangle
Community Realtors. “(Sunday) we
worked all day long to get them relocat
ed at our expense,” he said.
Book-Larsson said residents had been
placed in apartments in Royal Park,
Booker Creek Apartments and
Pinewood Apartments.
Tonia Pittman, a junior from
Williamston who lived in the damaged
building, said she was staying with a
friend. “They gave us two options to
move to other apartments,” she said.
“One was to move in (apartments) not
owned by them and pay different rent or
stay with them.”
“My bedroom was adjacent to the
one where the fire started. The whole
wall was gone to my bathroom and the
entire ceiling on the third floor fell in,”
Pittman said.
"I think it was so bad because the first
and second floor have brick sides, but
the third floor is made out of wood,”
she said.
Stephanie Piland, a freshman from
Gates County who lived in the F build
ing, said her smoke alarm never went off
Saturday morning. “(Maintenance)
See FIRE, Page 5
He Tow* Condi's wish list
The council will hold a public hearing to discuss its requests
for the N.C. General Assembly. The following are a few
items from the 27-item list.
/i Maintain and possibly increase /
/ state funding for fire protection to /
/ the University |nd UNC Hospitals /
■Authorize the town to apply j
y' A taxes on development 1
S' y/ ■ Maintain or increase state \
( f funding to offset reductions in \
,e< * era * trßnßit foroNl 1
( ■ Increase funding for state road
J / maintenance in Chapel HiU I
/■ Support for Orange County to
I / include a prohibition of sexual j
/orientation discrimination in its J
Civil Rights Ordinance f
cil member Richard Franck said he thought differently.
“All the entertainers, except one band, haven’t stood up to
the surcharges on tickets, so I don’t think bands would oppose
a local tax," Franck said.
Capowski said the entertainment tax was not a high prior
ity for the council this year.
The top priorities for the council are increasing state fund
ing for the University and UNC Hospitals’ fire protection and
providing stable funding for regional transit systems, he said.
“It costs $700,000 to provide fire service to the University
and the hospitals. (The Town Council) gets $296,000 from the
state legislature, and that hasn’t changed since 1993,”
Capowski said. “We’re always lobbying to get more.”
Each year, the council decides whether to make requests to
the General Assembly concerning possible local bills for the
town.
According to a memo from Town Manager Cal Horton, the
council will refer all questions and comments concerning pos
sible legislative requests to him and the town attorney for a
report March 3.
Council member
JOE CAPOWSKI
said the entertainment
tax was not
the council’s top
priority with the
General Assembly.
Doherty of District 9 sued Elections
Board Chairwoman Ange Dicks and
Student Body President Aaron Nelson.
Brad Morrison represented Herold,
Oljeski and Doherty. In his complaint,
Morrison stated that his clients were
suing because they had been adversely
affected by actions taken by student gov
ernment with regards to the re-election.
Last week, Nelson issued an execu
tive order requesting that the Elections
Board hold a re-election due to comput
er problems. Graduate districts were not
entered into pollsite computers correct
ly, causing some graduates to vote in the
wrong district.
The plaintiffs argue that they would
have won even without the “bad votes.”
“When they had votes tallied, results
showed that there were four votes in my
See CONGRESS, Page 5
If 1 treat my body properly , I believe Vll live to 150.
Michael Jackson
Still going after
104 years
The DTH celebrated 104
years of editorial freedom
Sunday. Page 3
BKiHEk. mll tM i—h—t—m MiliKim
mss>lh£2BbMMbß
DIH/AMY CAPPIELLO
Twelve units of Kingswood Apartments' building F were gutted early Saturday morning after a small carpet fire spread. No one was injured, and residents of
the building were relocated to Royal Park, Booker Creek and Pinewood Apartments at the expense of Kingswood's management.
DTHfELYSE ALLEY
—-wajrr— L
DTH/ERKA COLLINS
Residents have no problem with smaller planes, such as the one pictured here, at the Horace Williams Airport, but
a group will address the Town Council tonight about the controversial lifting of the jet ban. See story, page 3.
I really hope I get it
Whether in Hollywood or
on Broadway, spring
drama grads hope to make
the cut. Page 5
Police: students should be
cautious in wake of assault
BYNAHALTOOSI
STAFF WRITER
An attempted sexual assault Friday
has prompted University Police to pub
licly warn students to reject offers for
rides from strangers, especially near btik
stops.
According to a press release, a female
student told police
she accepted a
ride from an
unidentified man
while she was
waiting at a P2P
Xpress stop near
Rosemary Street
around 3:25 a.m.
The release
stated that upon
arrival at the park
ing lot near Joyner
Residence Hall,
the man attempt
ed to force himself
on the victim. She
fought him off
and fled, the
release stated.
University Police Chief
DON GOLD
said the police wanted
people to be aware
of their surroundings
and remain vigilant
about safety.
University Police Chief Don Gold
said it was a very delicate situation.
“We certainly want people to be
aware of their surroundings,” Gold said.
“We want people to be ever vigilant
about their safety.”
Gold said the victim filed a blind
report and would remain unidentified.
HIGH FLYING
Today's
Weather
Partly tunny;
upper 50s.
Tuesday: Sunny: low 50s.
“We do not know who the victim is,” he
said. “The victim is anonymous at her
own request.”
According to the police report, alco
hol or drug use was involved in the inci
dent.
There are no new developments in
the investigation, Gold said Sunday
afternoon.
The release stated that students
should use SAFE Escort Services, Point
2-Point or the fare-free U-bus. The
release also warned faculty, staff and
students not to walk alone at night.
Thomas Graham, a driver and week
end coordinator for Point-2-Point, said
students should use discretion when
choosing their mode of transportation.
“First of all, don’t accept rides from
strangers,” Graham said. “I think that’s
good common sense that everyone
should exercise.”
Graham said students should educate
themselves about transportation ser
vices, such as P2P Xpress schedules.
Kristen Sasser, a member of student
government’s Safety and Security
Committee, said students did not always
exercise enough caution. “It almost
takes events tike this to make people
knowledgeable that it could happen to
them or their friend,” Sasser said.
The release has been posted in sever
al campus buildings, particularly resi
dence halls, in an effort to alert students
about the dangers of accepting rides
from strangers.
104 yean of editorial freedom
Serving the student!arid-the Unhetrity
News/Feanutl/Am/Spoab' 9624)245
~ '• til A* * 962-1163
Votqy llß'toie 158
Mclntyre
to clarify
position
■ The Student Code has
inconsistencies about the
vice president’s office.
BY KAITLIN GURNEY
STAFF WRITER
Sometimes just a few words can
make a difference, especially when it
comes to the Student Code.
Student Body Vice President
Lindsay-Rae Mclntyre is filing a suit in
Student Supreme Court this week to
correct some inconsistencies she has
found in the Student Code, the docu
ment that describes student government
offices and their duties.
“The issue is convoluted, but it’s not
a big deal,” Mclntyre said.
“One time, (the Student Code) talks
about the student body vice president,
and the other times it refers to the
undergraduate student body vice presi
dent, once with a capital “U,” and once
lowercase, and the two have different
ramifications,” Mclntyre said. “I want
to clarify it, and the only way to do this
is to take it to supreme court."
Mclntyre said she was filing the suit
so future vice presidents would know
what the office entailed and who exact
ly could apply. One issue will be if grad
uate students can apply for the position.
Student Body President Aaron
Nelson said he had wanted to clarify the
code for some time and that he was glad
Mclntyre was taking the initiative.
Although the duties of the vice presi
dent were laid out comprehensively in
the Student Code, he said it was not
clear who could apply nor which office
the Student Code referred to throughout
the document.
“As I understand, all affected parties
will be named, and harm will be
shown,” Nelson said. “Yet I think this
may be a different sort of case.”
Mclntyre said the Student Supreme
Court was the only body that could clar
ify the issue. “The supreme court is the
official on the Student Code, and as stu
dent body officers, we are bound by the
Student Code,” she said.
Nelson said, “Student Congress
makes the rules, we enforce them and
we are asking the court to interpret
them for us.”
Mclntyre said the process should not
take long. “It’s all wrapped up in seman
tics. The intricacies of the problem are
See SUIT, Page 5