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Power Practices
Receive Scrutiny
Carrboro residents say they
will continue to fight Duke
Power's actions of cutting
down trees in their yards.
By Kathryn McLamb
Staff Writer
The Duke Power Company, which
recently has come under fire in
Carrboro, is now under the scrutiny of
the North Carolina Utilities
Commission Public Staff.
Duke Power recently began cutting
down trees in Carrboro for power line
maintenance without removing the left
over debris. The Carrboro Board of
Aldermen started writing letters last
week to Duke Power and ultimately
petitioned the commission on behalf of
the town’s residents, asking them to
review the power company’s practices.
“The first bit of progress we have
made is because the utilities commission
has taken this complaint seriously,” said
Alderman Allen
Spalt.
The role of the
commission in the
conflict will be to
protect homeown
ers from any
power abuses by
Duke Power. The
commission moni
tors the company’s
practices, rates and
“Duke (Power) needs the
goodwill of the utilities
commission. They can’t afford
to be at odds with them. ”
Allen Spalt
Carrboro Alderman
customer relations when problems are
highly visible or complaints are made.
The commission as a whole has the
authority to regulate what electric com
panies, including Duke Power, can
charge their customers.
“(The commission) has the authority
to control the purse,” Spalt said. “Duke
(Power) needs the goodwill of the utili
ties commission.
“They can’t afford to be at odds with
them.”
The commission has suspended
Duke Power’s cutting until it can com
plete its investigation.
Duke Power spokesman Joe Maher
said the company did not see the com
mission’s involvement as unusual.
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“The commission’s involvement in
our actions is a matter of course,” he
said. “We are always involved in con
versation with them because they regu
late us.”
Until the conflict can be resolved,
Carrboro residents will continue to
speak out against what they call unfair
treatment by the power company and its
officials.
Carrboro homeowner Frances
Shedey of 1130 Hillsborough Road said
she disagreed with Duke Power’s polic y
of cutting removed trees into logs and
leaving them for homeowners to clean
up at their expense.
Maher said the company provided
homeowners with a list of individuals
who would remove logs for little or no
charge. But after speaking to one of
Duke Power’s suggested individuals,
Shetley said the cost would not neces
sarily be small.
“This particular person I talked to
said if he could make money off i.ny
logs, he wouldn’t charge me,” Shetley
said. “If (the logs) are down for any
length of time, the
saw mills won’t
want them.”
For Shetley,
that means the
logs must be
removed immedi
ately after they fall
or else the removal
will cost her, as
estimated by the
same individual,
between SBOO and SI,OOO.
Spalt said problems like Shetley’s
were the kinds of conflicts that con
tributed to a negative view of Duke
Power throughout the community.
“That’s the kind of thing the utilities
commission will be approached with,”
he said.
Alderman Jacquelyn Gist ssiid she
praised the community for banding
together against what they saw as an
injustice.
“When a community pulls together
and acts, they can get some things
done.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk&unc.edu.
University & City
Candles, Joined Hands
Mark MLK Celebration
By Beth O'Brien
Staff Writer
Several points of light flickered all
over campus Wednesday evening as stu
dents and community members contin
ued to celebrate the life and work of the
Reverend M: -tin Luther Kingjr.
Participants in a candlelight vigil pro
ceeded from various points on campus
and convened at the Great Hall for a
program designed to emphasize the
spiritual side of the civil rights leader
with music and dance.
John Folliard, a junior political science
major from Troutman and organizer of the
Campus Ministry sponsored program,
said he hoped the event would promote
King’s dream of multicultural unity.
Celebrants, with their varied ages
and backgrounds, demonstrated that
ideal. Anne Pegram, a sophomore radi
ologic science major from Mount Olive,
said she was impressed with the combi
nation of different groups.
“You can see the candles coming
from across the campus,” she said. “It’s
pretty wonderful.”
Earlier in the day, slushy snow did
not dampen students’ enthusiasm for the
week’s celebration. While strains of “We
Shall Overcome” wafted from the Bell
'Lower, a diverse mix of students and
faculty met at noon on Polk Place for the
12th annual “Show of Hands.”
The Campus Y sponsored event
sought to bring people from different
backgrounds together to demonstrate the
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significance and timelessness of King’s
dream of universal peace and unity.
Interim Chancellor Bill McCoy com
mended UNC on its continued role of
inspiring the community of inclusive
ness, openness and respect
“Take a moment to look around,” he
said. “I see a diversity reflected in this
group that is wonderful to recognize.”
The group warmly welcomed
passersby throughout the program,
expanding the gathering from 15 to
nearly 50 people.
Participants joined hands as repre
sentatives from various nations and
organizations read native proverbs and
poetry that reflected the universality of
the late reverend’s ideals.
Kaonu Ly, a senior biology major from
Mt. Gilead, read a proverb in her ances
tor’s language of Hmong that displayed
the necessity of love and acceptance.
“It takes only one person with hate to
make a village suffer,” she said.
As the microphone was passed
around the group, participants were
encouraged to share how King and his
dream had affected their lives.
Tiffany Houck, a junior religious
studies major from Banner Elk, said she
was happy to see so many people from
diverse backgrounds coming together.
“We can understand each other
despite differences,” she said. “Love can
overcome our differences.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
’ DTH/JEFF POULAND
Sophomore Hilary Roscoe participates in a candlelight vigil, organized
by the Campus Ministry, to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
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WM.
The Educational Resources Group (ergteach.com)
will be interviewing in Chapel Hill in early February
for teaching positions at 550 private schools east of
the Rockies. Certification not required and no fees
to candidates. Please send resume by January 31 st
or sooner to:
Attention: Chris Macßrien
Educational Resources Group
Box 526
Solebury, PA 18963
Thursday, January 20, 2000
Teaching
Positions
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