Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 22, 1997, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Hath} ®ar HIM INSIDE TUESDAY APRIL 22,1997 ■~ r 4 * "• I:’’,- £ |||jghj&s Tom Blackmar, owner of Choice Peach Tattooing in Carrboro, works on the arm of Tad Irish of Durham. The tattoo is a traditional Japanese scene with carp and cherry blossoms. It took eight to 10 hours to complete. i M DTH/DAVID SANDLER he marksman BY BETTINA FREESE STAFF WRITER Drops of sticky red blood bead up and ooze down the side of her heart. The ascending aorta and superior vena cava are severed short. The vic tim stares straight ahead from an old-time barber chair, teeth clenched. She’s not undergoing some sick experiment in the basement of a deranged barber; she’s the canvas for tattoo artist Tom Blackmar, at the Choice Peach tattoo parlor in Carrboro. He’s tattooing an anatom ically-correct heart onto her upper arm with smiling cartoon bunnies on each side of it. The colors and shading make it look three-dimensional, revealing his artistic ability. He once consid ered doing comic book art and even went to the North Carolina School of the Arts for two years. Blackmar sits back from his work of art, fresh blood staining his latex gloves. After more than 30 minutes of intense concentration, he needs a break. So does the canvas, whose boyfriend calmly sits out on the vinyl couch of the waiting room, flipping through a magazine. He has a metal barbell pierced through the bottom of his nose and an out line of the same tattoo on his arm. “It was either that, or their names tattooed on each other, and I have a policy against that,” Blackmar said. "It’s like a death sentence for a rela tionship. I’ve never seen anyone still together that had that done.” Golf cart problems slow SAFE Escort BY FORREST ANDERSON STAFF WRITER When SAFE Escort’s golf carts broke down about three weeks ago, students in need of a safe way home found them selves being escorted by foot. But Shara Lee, president of SAFE Escort, said some students had refused to be escorted by foot, saying they would rather walk by themselves. “I would prefer to walk by myself, rather than be escorted on foot by SAFE Escort,” said Christina Kopp, a sopho more from Aiken, S.C. Lee said men usually rode for conve nience, so they preferred to walk home instead of being escorted. “Females, especially in light of the recent sexual assault, prefer to be escort ed home,” Lee said. Elizabeth Parrish, a freshman from Rocky Mount, said an escoit on foot was better than no escort at all. “I feel safer walking with the SAFE Escort people than walking by myself because I feel like no one would approach me with a big group of peo- Coming (out) to a TV near you Viewers react to the first lesbian leading character. Page 2 ♦ C3 The parlor is clean, small and cluttered. Posters cover every wall, serving as a diversion for clients. A Little Red Riding Hood scene is in 3- D and the only framed poster is of Jesus at the Last Supper. Blackmar takes his break outside, leaning against his red truck to puff a cigarette. Business is always steady and people call him all day long. Every day he gets at least three to five calls asking about piercing. He refers them elsewhere. “I’m a visual artist and don’t have any interest in poking big holes in anyone,” he said. When asked to describe the strangest tattoo he’s ever done, Blackmar, who’s been tattoo ing for seven years, says: “Strangest? Nothing is strange. I concentrate on artistic design and nature. I don’t judge people on what they consider art.” However, the tattoo that admittedly raised his eye brows was of an eight-inch by six-inch toaster in the middle of some guy’s back. "You don’t ask him why, you ask him, ‘two slice, or four?”’ Blackmar said. Pain is a subject that fre quently comes up. He tells clients to eat and drink before getting tattooed. “Your blood sugar drops during the process," Blackmar said. He’s very knowledgeable pie,” Parrish said. SAFE Escort usually relies on alternate sources of golf carts. “When SAFE Escort has carts that are down, we have on occasion allowed them to borrow carts,” said Randy Young, public relations director for the Department of Transportation and Parking. Executive Assistant NIC HEINKE said he was concerned about student safety because of SAFE Escort’s problems. But Lee said the DTP carts were only minimally bet ter than SAFE Escort’s carts. “We don’t want to take any chances with our employees and our riders.” The chances of SAFE Escort’s carts being repaired before the semester ends are slim, due to changes in funding from student government, Lee said. “With the changes in student govern ment, we’re unsure as to the money that Sometimes I look at a cute guy and get a uterus twinge. Carrie Snow Flashback Jessica Banov's last Site Seeing looks at the past and future of the Internet. Page 4 ♦ 4^ about bodily response. He gives recovery time, breaks and has water on hand. He’s only had one person pass out and that happened as he placed the plastic stencil on her leg. “Sometimes you wonder why people come here at all if they aren’t going to go through with it,” Blackmar said. “Nobody said it was any fim. “Women tend to deal with it bet ter than men. It’s about enduring discomfort. The biggest guys tend to take it the worst.” According to North Carolina laws and health regulations, you have to be 18 years old to get a tat- See TATTOOS, Page 2 [ < DTH/DAVID SANDLER Jenny Cope displays one of her two tattoos: a daisy on her ankle. we have to work with in repairing and purchasing equipment,” Lee said. Student Body President Mo Nathan said Monday that he would be looking into the funding for SAFE Escort. SAFE Escort is walking people home, so it is not out of service, just hin dered, said Karen Schuller, safety and security coordinator. Nic Heinke, an executive assistant in the executive branch, said he was con cerned about student safety because of SAFE Escort’s problems. Michelle Cofield, assistant dean of students, said that with upcoming exams, more people would be out late at night studying. “I think that it is unfortunate that SAFE Escort does not have golf carts available to take people home,” she said. Heinke said student government was taking action to promote safety aware ness by posting flyers on campus. Nathan said, “We are working hard to continuously improve safety. “The most important thing is for stu dents to be cautious and take the extra time to be safe.” Hurling a gem Pitcher Jay Madeira pitched a complete game in UNC's 5-2 win vs. UNC-A. Page 10 Nelson eyes position with Hooker’s office BY MOLLY GRANTHAM STAFF WRITER Former Student Body President Aaron Nelson was unofficially offered a job to work for the chan cellor after graduating. Nelson tentatively accepted the job while still serving as student body president, said a source who asked not to be identified. Nelson did not deny he discussed a position with Chancellor Michael Hooker, but said he told the chancellor he did not want to discuss it further until he was out of office because of the possible conflict of interest. “I knew if I wanted the job, I had it,” Nelson said Monday. But this premature offer didn’t affect Nelson’s perfor mance, he said. “I assure you that I contin ued to do my job as I had before,” Nelson said. Nelson said if a student body president accepted a position to work for the University while simultane ously attempting to serve the student body, a potential con flict of interest could emerge. This potential was the reason Nelson said he told Hooker he would not discuss a possible position until after April 1, when Student Body President Mo Nathan was inaugurated. Nelson said Hooker sent him a letter mentioning the possibility of a position while he was still in office. The two met a few weeks later. Carrboro police, Burrow agree on details of arrest BY MEEGANR SMITH STAFF WRITER Although the Carrboro Police Department has officially closed the case concerning the Feb. 26 arrests of five black males for car vandalism, the issue of improper police behavior does not rest. An official report from Carrboro Police Chief Ben Callahan was distributed to members of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen at their meeting April 15. UNC Junior Anthony Burrow, one of the males arrested for the crime, said this report was the first accurate one. “They falsely arrested five intelligent people ... which (caused) them to make a seven page report,” he said. Burrow and four other men were held at gun point and handcuffed by Carrboro police at Highland Hills Apartments after a woman called the police at 4:30 a.m. because she believed the individuals were breaking into a car. Anthony Burrow said the original police report From planes to planning, council faced all BY JULIA WOOD STAFF WRITER During the first four months of 1997, the Chapel Hill Town Council has kept a full agenda making decisions about the future of Chapel Hill. The council dealt with a wide variety of issues. From Meadowmont to McDade, from budgets to bond referen dums and from planes to permits, it has been a hectic year for town government. Growing pains Council member Joyce Brown said some of the most important issues the council dealt with were development and growth, including the Estates devel opment and the replacement of the Tar Heel Motel with a Days Inn. On March 3, the council voted 6-2 to approve a Special Use Permit allowing Tar Heel Motel owner Mike Amin to demolish his motel, located on Fordham Boulevard, and build a Days Inn. Debate surrounding the issue cen tered on the impact the new motel would have on stormwater management in the Resource Conservation District Today's Weather * Cloudy; lower 70s Wednesday: Showers: upper 60s “I told (Hooker) that I was not comfortable talk ing to him about a job at that time,” Nelson said. “Because the offer created a conflict of interest, I indicated that I would be interested, but told him that I would talk about it after I was finished serv ing as student body president.” Hooker said they first discussed the proposal a month or more ago. “He said he’d talk about it after graduation,” Hooker said. The position Nelson would fill assistant to the chancellor and the executive vice chancellor is being created this year. Hooker modeled the job after similar positions where chancellors elsewhere bring students who have served in past leadership roles into office, Hooker said. Hooker said it is an important job because a for mer student leader is already familiar with the stu dents and understands the issues surrounding the University. “(The job) is another way to carry information between the students and (the administration) when I can’t be around,” he said. Hooker said he was not certain how common it was at UNC to employ former student leaders. But in his experience it was common at other schools, he said. Nelson said if officially offered such a position, he would take it. But he would not impose on Nathan’s adminis tration. “I don’t want to be another step between the stu dents and the chancellor,” Nelson said. "In no way do I want to undermine Mo Nathan’s presidency.” Nathan said, “I’m sure he’ll understand the elected representative of students to the chancellor will not be him next year. ” \mm Former Student Body President AARON NELSON said Hooker's offer did not affect his performance in office. where it is located. Council mem ber Richard Franck said he thought the deci sion represented a clear choice between uphold ing environmental protection laws and allowing indi viduals to develop land. “I think the council sent the message that the town’s Resource Conservation District ordinance Council member JOECAPOWSKI said the council could have worked more efficiently this year and should delegate some responsibility. and developing in a way that preserves the town’s natural resources are not as important as some think they should be," he said. On Feb. 24, the council voted 7-2 to to deny a Special Use Permit to the pro posed Estates of Chapel Hill develop ment, which would have been located on Westminster Drive. Concerns surrounding the Estates 104 years of editorial freedom Serving the students and the University community since 1893 ♦ News/Features/Aits/Sports 9624)245 Business/Advertising: 962-1163 Volume 105, Issue 36 Chapel Hill, Noith Carolina C 1997 DTH Publishing Corp All rights reserved. following the arrest was only two lines long, but Callahan’s April 15 report was lengthened to detail the incident. Burrow said he thought the police wanted to protect themselves and their behavior by carefully explaining all the details of the incident. “That demonstrates how badly the whole situa tion has been handled,” he said. “If we had let it go, they would have let it go.” Burrow said at the March 4 Aldermen meeting Callahan presented an inaccurate 2-line report of the incident. He said Callahan had altered the offi cial police report several times since then. “He has at various times changed his report,” said Jim Burrow, Anthony’s father. “This is the first time he has directly stated that everything our sons have said from the very beginning is correct.” Burrow said the police have handled the situa tion poorly. He said inconsistencies in the police reports demonstrate a lack of professionalism and evidence of cover up. See BURROW, Page 2 development included its effect on prop erty values, traffic, pedestrian safety and stormwater runoff. Shifting history Council member Joe Capowski said one relatively small but visible issue was the decision to move the historic McDade House from its current loca tion on University Baptist Church’s property to Parking Lot #5, which is surrounded by Franklin, Church and Rosemary streets. The house had to be moved to make way for the construction of an addition to the church. Brown said the council would proba bly decide next Monday where on Lot #5 to place the house. “We have to move on that or otherwise miss the one year deadline when the demolition per mit will come into play,” she said. Battle onr the ban A controversial matter raising ques tions about town-University relations was UNC-system President CD. Spangler’s decision in November to lift a See COUNCIL, Page 2
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 22, 1997, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75