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4 Thursday, February 5,1998 Women business owners get good news on economy B There was a 7.4 percent increase in retail sales in the county during 1997. BY JOHN GARDNER STAFF WRITER Despite the dreary conditions outside, area women business owners received their sunshine Wednesday morning in the form of a bright outlook on the local economy. Gregory Payne, economic develop ment assistant for the Orange County Former Sticks & Stones owner sets sights on new business BY STEVE MRAZ SENIOR WRITER When Sticks & Stones pool hall closed its doors for good Dec. 31, the only green left inside was the felt on the pool tables. But now Ken Rumple, former owner of the 102 E. Main St. Carrhoro busi ness, has plans to open anew live-music bar down the street in April. “It’ll be called The Warehouse,” he said. “The rent will be at a low enough □ FLORIDA S SPRING BREAK FROM $149 PER WEEK* SANDMPERBiACON BEACH RESORT PANAMA CITY BEACH f FREE DRAFT BEER ALL WEEK LONG * 2 OUTDOOR HEATED POOLS • 1 INDOOR HEATED POOL HUGE BEACH FRONT HOT TUB LAZY RIVER RI DE • SUITES UP TO 10 PERSONS 1 SAILBOATS • TIKI BEACH BAR • JET SKIS • PARASAILS HOME OF THE WORLD S LONGEST KEG PARTY' CALL FOR INFO: 1-800-874-8828 wYvw.siiiidpipcrbcacon.com (’rates per person) .' 1740$ FRONT BEACH ROAD. • PANAMA CITY BEACH. FI U. 413 HOLD ¥llll HEELS / ' r •" ~ v f ✓ n /— — /- wffirA) Cr, Watch ltffc the Carolina ©Duke WMMwxEj? game on February sth and llOte Dllkc’S sad, sorry, low half*time score, Then during the following week (2/9*2/13), cds will sell aii fountain sodas . for Duke’s pathetic! half* time score!! T # GO HEELS! £ Economic Development Commission, presented a short version of the EDC’s annual State of the Local Economy Report at a meeting of the Women Business Owners Roundtable. The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss issues affecting area women business owners and potential business owners. In his report Payne said the economy was in great shape and had a positive outlook for potential area business own ers. Among the key statistics he com mented on was the increase in retail sales in Orange County by 7.4 percent rate to survive. We’ll pay $1,300 a month there. We were paying $3,300 a month at Sticks & Stones.” Rumple and investors are eying a two-story, 2,900-square-foot building located next to Akai-Hana Japanese Restaurant on Main Street. Instead of running the business on his own, as he did with Sticks & Stones, Rumple said 10 people would invest $5,000 each and jointly operate the new establishment. Negotiations for the sale of the new building are under way, and for 1997 in comparison to an increase of 2.4 percent in fiscal year 1996. Payne attributed some of this success to an above-average Christmas season. “Christmas is not usually as success ful here because the students are not in school, but this year we had a great Christmas season," he said. Another statistic Payne used to demonstrate the strength of the local economy was the unemployment rate. “Our unemployment rate of 1.7 per cent was the lowest in the state, which is almost always the case for Orange County,” he said. Potential business owner Joy Preslar the group has 45 days to close on it. “We’ll probably have it bought by March 15,” Rumple said. “The goal will be to open by April 15. The building has got a lot of little problems that will hope folly take a month to fix up.” The Carrhoro zoning and planning departments have given the investors advice on how to get the building up to code, Rumple said. Repeated calls to the Carrhoro Zoning Department went unretumed. Rebecca Campbell, who bartender at Officials debate proposed tobacco tax BY ANDY BURCHFIELD STAFF WRITER President Clinton stressed in his State of the Union address last Tuesday that he wanted to take a harder line on tobacco companies, and it appears a possibility that it may indeed happen. With the Clinton administration strengthening its focus on public health, anew tax hike on tobacco products seems a growing possibility. The administration plans to work with Congress to enact national and comprehensive legislation to reduce smoking. The administration’s plan will focus especially in the case of U.S. youth. U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., vehe mently opposes a tax hike However, Price said he would likely support a complete “tobacco package” NEWS said the EDC had been very helpful in her quest to start a business. “(The EDC) serves as a wonderful resource for area businesses,” she said. “They watch trends in the economy and keep businesses well-informed.” Preslar, who is intending to open a local all-night deli, said she knew Carrhoro was the right place for her business. “Carrhoro has experienced an amazing amount of growth, yet it still has a certain ambiance to it,” she said. One figure that particularly showed how affluent Orange County had become was the average price of anew home at a lofty price of $265,000. Sticks & Stones for a year and a half on tips only, will be one of the partners at The Warehouse. She said a firm focus would make the new establishment suc ceed where Sticks & Stones failed. "Sticks & Stones was trying to be everything —with all the pools tables and live music," she said. “With the new place, we’ll go more with music, which I personally like better. And it will have liquor, which will help too.” But the new establishment will keep some of the qualities of Sticks & Stones, that could address teen smoking, the sit uation of tobacco farmers as well as aid for the state’s recuperation of its med icaid. The president’s plan outlines a num ber of key principles ranging from a tax increase on cigarettes to stiffer penalties on companies that market their prod ucts specifically to teenagers. Cathleen Schenck, spokeswoman for Action on Smoking and Health, said she was very supportive of a tax and that it should be at least $2 per pack. Schenck also disagreed that farmers have been abandoned by the entire tobacco industry. Ahron Leightman, executive director of Citizens for a Tobacco Free Society, said the Clinton plan appeared to be an administrative ploy to grant immunity to the tobacco companies while increas ing taxation. “Increasing taxation is grossly wrong," he said. He added that the proposed $1.50 hike on cigarette packs over 10 years might not keep up with inflation. Leightman stressed that if there was a tax increase, it must be an all-at-once hike. “There is so much wrong with this global bailout,” Leightman said, refer- ! MM I slll off I the Regular Price of any I Unlimited Monthly Package! 942-7177 ! %|ij ifyan j^ B L.JfiMlJflJ.Blimsl 13 Miles from Campus • 15-501 S. & Smith Level Road 1 HOURS: Mon-Fri 8 30-9:30. Sat 9-7. Sun 12-6 1 Senior Mid-Winter Dinner Theater THURSDAY, FEB. 12, 1998 7:OOPM Registration Deadline: Friday, Feb. 6, 1998 Questions? Call Anita Walton ‘92 at 962-3582 Sponsored By: Payne said this was becoming a grow ing trend in the Chapel Hill area. “Any thoughts of this being a ‘bar gain community’ will be out the window in the next 5 years,” he said. Potential business owner Karin Stem said the statistic was surprising. “I was amazed at how high the hous ing costs were,” she said. “This is a very expensive place to live.” Despite the high cost of living in the area, Stem, who plans to open a desktop publishing company, was impressed with the current state of the economy. “It’s great to live in an area with such a strong economy.” Campbell said. “We’ve always had a real eclectic crowd,” she said. “We’re not going to cater to any one crowd, just to people who like good music.” The investors have discussed putting a deli counter at the front of building and installing a balcony on the second floor that would look down on the stage, Rumple said. “The deli will give a chance for peo ple to get something to eat before they leave and also soak up some of the alco hol.” “Sen. Faircloth cannot support something which will make trial lawyers rich and tobacco farmers poor.” PETER HAMS spokesman for Sen. Lauch Faircloth ring to the tobacco companies’ claims that they are not responsible for teen smoking or cancer cases. The top priority of organizations, such as CATS, is essentially to keep tobacco companies in check. Leightman, who called the tobacco sit uation a “political beast,” expressed doubts that a tax hike would pass in Congress. Peter Hans, spokesman for Sen. Lauch Faircloth, D-N.C., also expressed disdain for the proposed tax hikes. Hans said Faircloth would not sup port any tobacco settlement unless the tobacco farmers were left out of the set tlement and a cap is installed on money going to trial lawyers. “Sen. Faircloth cannot support something which will make trial lawyers rich and tobacco farmers poor,” he said. Hans said there are good parts to the settlement, including an education cam paign to keep teenagers from smoking. He also said Sen. Faircloth has tradi tionally opposed tax increases across the board. Nice, 5m3 ft <§r Technology S^vvy? The Chapel Hill Group, an internet-related training and consulting company, is looking for Trainer/Consultants in Java and Internet technology. Any major may apply. To learn more, attend our information session at the Carolina Inn on February 5, 1998 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. I Id 1 The Chapel Hill Group VTlivjl 75 Elliott Rd., Ste. 23 The Chapel Hill Group Chapel Hill, NC 27514 y ' u ' 6i6U (Up Bailg ®ar Hrrt New program lets violators keep license ■ Anew DMV program requires a speed-monitoring device to be used in cars. BY ASHLEY RYNESKA STAFF WRITER The Department of Motor Vehicles in Raleigh recently launched anew pilot program offering speeders a second chance. The DMV and the On-Board Computers company have combined forces to introduce an alternative to offenders who would otherwise have their licenses revoked. The one-year program, referred to as the Speed Rehabilitation Programm, applies to drivers who have had their license revoked for speeding at by at least 15 mph in a 55 mph speed limit area. After approval from a DMV hearing officer, the driver has the option to pur chase a speed recording device which can be installed in cars. The recording device logs the driver’s speed and downloads the information to the DMV. The drivers will be restricted to dri ving under 65 mph. “We hope that (the device) will save lives and make people aware of their speeding habits," said Renda Crawford, vice president of On-Board Computers. Crawford said the pilot program was especially beneficial to driving offenders who need their licenses for transporta tion to and from work. Mitzi Powell, DMV public informa tion officer, said the device’s primary responsibility was to promote highway safety. “The point of the computers is so that drivers will be aware of their speed ing habits,” Powell said. “I am enthusi astic to see if it works.” But amidst the enthusiasm, skepti cism about the program exists. “Anytime we start a trial program like this we are enthusiastic,” Powell said. “But we also remain conscious of various outcomes.” Phil Wadsworth, a sergeant from the district office of the N.C. Highway Patrol, said he was optimistic about the program. However, Wadsworth said he also had some doubts about the feasibility of the program. “Someone is going to find someway around (the recording device),” Wadsworth said. “The kinks need to be worked out.” North Carolina remains the only state to promote this type of program designed to deter speeding. “But this is just one part of the solu tion to help people reduce speeding,” Wadsworth said. “Anything that might help is worth the try.” Right Rose Right Price Our Roses are up to 1/3 less than the typical florist prices! Prepay bv Tues., Feb. 10 th & save $3.00/do;, boxed Madame Delbard Premium Long Stem Roses $46.95/doz. boxed After February 10th $49.95/doz. boxed Sweetheart Roses $33.95/doz. boxed These are Fresh, Premium Quality Roses. Not like older, lower quality supermarket roses. Carnations for Fund Raising 49(1-69* Blooming Plant Sale Orchids, & Potted Bulbs up to 25% OFF! Eastgate the potted Greenhouses rMfflf 489-3893 (DUR) U !*■■■■■•
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 5, 1998, edition 1
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