2
Wednesday, April 19, 2000
Proud Pooches Strut Their Stuff in Parade
The annual Pooch Parade, held last
Saturday, is organized by the Animal
Protection Society of Orange County
as a fund-raiser for animal health.
By Theresa Chen
Staff Writer
Injured and homeless animals can have more
hope now that the Animal Protection Society has
raised money through its annual Pooch Parade.
Despite the fact that it was raining cats and dogs,
area dog owners braved the inclement weather
Saturday afternoon and converged on the
University’s McCorkle Place for the walk.
Dog walkers asked friends, family and co-work
ers to sponsor them to w alk their dogs.
“We raised about $100,” Mebane resident Krista
Schmidt said of herself and her sister, Emily. “It’s
a very important (cause).”
Michelle Onoff, the parade’s organizer and a
member of the APS Board of Directors, said the
event was crucial to the Orange County Animal
Shelter’s funding.
“It’s our second biggest fund-raiser of the year,
so it’s very important to the APS that we raise
money," she said.
The money pays for programs at the shelter,
such as adoption, wildlife rehabilitation, and animal
cruelty investigation.
Funds also support general shelter operations.
“Last year we took in .5,700 dogs and cats," said
APS Director Pat Sanford.
“We have large food and medical bills.”
The parade began in front of Graham Memorial
and sloshed through McCorkle Place and Polk
Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed School Budget
Parents and officials in
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Schools took issue with a
few proposed budget cuts,
By Kathryn McLamb
Staff Writer
Although speakers expressed serious
concern over proposed cuts in next
year’s recommended budget, the
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Place, drawing smiles and stares from passers-by.
Traffic stopped on Cameron Avenue as drivers
patiendy w'aited for the marching mutts to cross.
After the walk, the dogs competed against each
other in various contests.
Dancer, a retriever mix owned by Maria
Schroeder of Cedar Grove, used his slobbery
smooch to win the prize for Best Kisser.
Durham resident Judith Young’s bandanna
sporting Australian shepherd, Jackson, took Best
Costume.
Best Trick was awarded to Maui, a lab mix
belonging to Patricia Edkins of Chapel Hill.
Judges postponed awarding the Grand Prize,
two Midway Airline tickets for the person who
raised the most money, until the end of the week.
Those who raised money but did not attend the
parade have the option of taking their money
direcdy to the shelter.
APS Associate Director Dean Edwards said they
would wait for all the money to come in before
counting it, but said he believed that more than
SI,OOO was raised at the Saturday march alone.
Even though the numbers at the event were
down from previous years, Onoff said there was
still a good turnout despite the weather.
“Usually there are about 50 to 75 (dogs here),
when the weather’s nice,” she said.
“There are probably 25 to 30 here today.”
The storm might have rained on this Pooch
Parade, but it could not dampen the spirits of those
present.
Sarah Ann Cline, 3, of Chapel Hill, summed up
the drizzly Saturday afternoon with one simple
word: “Fun!”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of
Education received support and encour
agement at Tuesday’s public hearing.
The school board took the opportu
nity to hear statements supporting and
opposing proposed budget expenditures
for the 2000-01 year. Public comments
focused primarily on cuts in the recom
mended budget.
The cuts were suggested by board
members to attempt to cut the budget
increase by $1 million from the pro
posed $36 million before sending it to
University & City
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A participant in the Annual Pooch Parade, which raises funds for the Orange County
Animal Shelter, gets a little bit of canine love Saturday.
the Orange County Board of
Commissioners.
“We have been aware that all the
items that have come forth from the
schools are worthy,” said school board
member Teresa Williams. “But we are
aware that the commissioners probably
would not support
us in funding all of
these items.”
Public comment
centered around a
proposal to form
an alternative form
of compensation
for teaching assis
tants whose work
days will be
extended by 20
“We have been aware
that all the items that have
come forth from the schools are
worthy. ”
Teresa Williams
Board of Education Member
minutes in the next school year.
The recommended budget suggests
compensating the extra time with a
duty-free 20 minute break in the work
day, rather than offer wage compensa
tion.
“I was quite alarmed and amazed that
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the board wanted to examine creative
ways to compensate TAs,” said Dianne
Jackson, representing the Carrboro-
Chapel Hill Federation of Teachers.
“When after 30 years of work TAs are
paid less than $ 12.50 an hour, the cre
ativity comes into play in supporting-
their families.”
Speaker Donna
Park, a teaching
assistant with
Glen w o o and
Elementary School,
identified prob
lems beyond mere
wages.
“Shared teach 1
ing assistants who
serve both the
fourth and fifth grades are already
scrambling to meet the needs of two dif
ferent classrooms with competing
needs,” she said.
“The idea of a duty-free (break) takes
time away from instruction with the stu
dents.”
After hearing the public’s concerns,
the board expressed support for the
ideas presented.
In the board’s discussion of the pro
posed budget cuts, board member
Nicholas Didow expressed his concern
with TA wages.
“Even if we do fund the extra 20 min
utes for the TAs, I am not sure I would
call that a living wage,” he said. “I think
that’s a stretch.”
At the close of the board’s discussion,
Superintendent Neil Pedersen agreed
the unpaid work would be unfair.
The version of the budget discussed
at the hearing was recommended by
Pedersen after district schools gave input
for desired budget items.
The school board will present a final
ized version of the budget to the Orange
County Board of Commissioners on
May 4, which will then hold more hear
ings on the issue.
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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University
To Answer
Complaint
Accountant Mills Bridges ~
says he was fired from the
University for refusing to ,
hide financial misconduct.
By Geoff Wessel
Staff Writer
After a UNC employee alleged that
he was fired without just cause, the
University has until early next month tp.
respond to his pending lawsuit fqr
breach of contract.
Accountant Mills Bridges, a UNC.
employee since 1970, has filed charges)
against his superior, Division of
Continuing Education Director Norman
Loewenthal, for dismissing him last April,-
According to Bridges’ complaint, he,
was fired for refusing to hide financial
misconduct within the department.
Bridges had worked in the
University’s internal audit department
for almost 30 years before he was fired*
Had he continued his employment,
he would have been eligible for retire-,
ment with full benefits less than a year
and a half later.
Bridges’ complaint accuses
University officials of suppressing the
routine internal financial audits that he,
and other accountants conducted.
According to the complaint, the,
University also ignored the state auditor’s
recommendation in 1994 that the depart
ment director report directly to the Board
of Trustees rather than the chancellor.
Although the issue received extensive;
news coverage at the time, the complaint
alleged that problems still persisted.
Bridges filed an earlier grievance)
with UNC in 1996, which led to all;
agreement with the University and a
transfer to his recent position.
He then allegedly found and tried to
correct financial and procedural prob-'
lems within that department, including
improper allocation of federal and state
giant binding.
But instead of following Bridges’ rec
ommendations, Loewenthal fired him,
the complaint stated. “(Bridges) had
been wrongfully fired,” said Ashley
OsriTfffit, one of Bridges’ lawyers.
“Anytime an agency starts blaming the”
messenger, justice will not be served.”
The complaint claims UNC broke its,
contract with Bridges and violated the*
North Carolina Whistleblower A cC,\
which protects employees bringing neg
ative information to their employers.
Bridges is seeking to be restored to his
position and to be awarded back pay and
more than SIO,OOO in compensatory
damages. UNC officials would not spec
ify how they might answer to the lawsuit.
“Our response to the complaint is
due sometime in early May,” said Karey
Hepp, public relations head for the'
attorney general’s office, which is repre
senting UNC in the case. “Until then,
we can’t comment on a pending case.”
Phyllis Petree, director of the
University’s internal audit department,”
also declined to comment.
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
Campus Calendar
Today L: .
noon - The Around the Circle
Discussion at the Sonja H. Stone Black”
Cultural Center will be “Not on our 1
Campus,” including a short video and
discussion about hate crimes in the
United States.
3:30 p.m. - Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer)’ 1
director of the Center for Adaptive.
Behavior and Cognition at the Max" /
Planck Institute for HumaffJ
Development in Berlin will give the lec
ture “Bounded Rationality: The
Adaptive Toolbox” in 112 Davie Hall.
The talk is co-sponsored by the
Department of Psychology.
7 p.m. - Inter Varsity Christian
Fellowship will hold All Campus IV:
“A Walk Through the Word” in the;’
Great Hall. .ft
7 p.m. - “Underground,” a Serbian; 1
and German epic with English subtitles,
portraying the downfall of Yugoslavia -
in a blend of satire and heartfelt senti- >
ment will be shown in 39 Graham
Memorial Building as part of the filnrl
and documentary series “Ten Years-,
Since the Collapse of Communism in *
Eastern Europe.”
7:30 p.m. - Habitat for Humanity ;
will hold its meeting in 101 Greenlaw.
Items of Interest
H Street Signs, a national performing
arts and educational center based in;.
Chapel Hill, will perform Anton,,
Chekhov’s “The Seagull” through ,
April 30 in the Graham Memorial
Building.
Tickets are sls, and student, senior.;,
and group discounts are available. For
information and reservations, call 960-
4299.