Satltj (Ear Urri
Officials
Have to
Talk Trash
You’re worth about a ton of
garbage.
Well, maybe not you person
ally. But in the Triangle, our trash heap
grows at about one ton per resident
each year. That’s a lot of junk to deal
with.
Waste man
agement isn’t
exacdy the most
exciting subject
in the public pol
icy world. But if
the garbage
trucks suddenly
stopped coming
and your front
yard turned into
a reeking com
post heap, you’d
get a sudden
burst of civic
r...
JONATHAN
CHANEY
CITY
COLUMNIST
interest.
Luckily, local leaders are trying to
head off any problems with your
garbage before the flies start swarm
ing.
In anew bout of regional coopera
tion, the mayors of Raleigh, Cary,
Durham and Chapel Hill discussed
last Friday possible ways to cooperate
in waste management and recycling.
They came to the conclusion that if
the municipalities worked together to
create regional landfills and recycling
centers, everyone could save money.
Additionally, by working together,
the mayors can have more leverage
when it comes to just how the garbage
is disposed of in the future.
Such mayoral solidarity isn’t new.
The mayors of the Triangle’s four
largest cities and towns - Charles
Meeker in Raleigh, Glen Lang in
Cary, Bill Bell in Durham and our
own Kevin Foy - have held monthly
meetings to hash out ways to handle
the Triangle’s burgeoning population.
Primarily, the leaders have talked
about improving the mass transit sys
tems and other transportation infra
structures linking the metropolitan
areas.
But while solid waste isn’t the most
appealing dinner table topic, it’s a
problem that every town has to deal
with.
Particularly those in the Triangle.
Right now, both Cary and Durham
contract waste disposal with
BFI/Allied, a company that runs a
landfill in Lawrenceville, Va. They
have to renew their contracts annually.
Orange and Wake counties own
their own landfills in-house. However,
space is expected to vanish in those
landfills by 2006.
That’s alarmingly close at hand,
especially considering the snail’s pace
speed of building any new dump or
waste facility.
It’s not, however, very surprising.
The population boom over the last
decade or so has left most municipal
services strained: water, schools, roads.
As more people toss more trash,
waste could overwhelm a city or town.
But by working together, area may
ors hope to make things much easier
on themselves and their neighbors.
One benefit of cooperation: cost.
By banding together into a collec
tive, local governments can get better
rates on dumping, hauling and recy
cling contracts.
Think of it like buying in bulk:
Getting a 48-pack of toilet paper at
Sam’s Club can save you a lot more
money than if you got it in smaller
packs at Harris Teeter - even if it is on
VIC special.
Unfortunately, there are many hur
dles on the horizon. Ideally, the
Triangle could utilize a single landfill
for all of its dumping needs.
But which county will take it? And
more importantly, which residents will
refrain from shouting “NIMBY!” (Not
in My Backyard)?
Everyone wants their garbage taken
away. But “away” means “not within
50 square miles of my house.”
A proposed landfill for Wake
County in Holly Springs is stalled in
court. Plans for a regional landfill in
Chatham County were scrapped last
year due to residents’ protests.
The Orange County Regional
Landfill, built in 1972 along Rogers
and Eubanks roads, has spawned accu
sations by residents near the site that
water contamination has made them
sick and that the landfill deflates home
values, keeping their socioeconomic
status low. The fact that there is a siz
able black population near the landfill
fuels the suspicion and anger.
The mayors realize that the next
few years will not be easy. They plan
to take the baby step of building a
regional composting facility or recy
cling center before looking for landfill
space.
Though caution may stave off resi
dents’ ire for a few years, the trash will
keep piling up. We can’t wait forever.
Columnist Jonathan Chaney can be
reached at jhchaney9email.unc.edu.
Town Struggles With Budget, Lost Funds
By Nate DeGraff
Staff Writer
With Tuesday night’s Chapel Hill
Town Council budget hearing just min
utes away, Town Manager Cal Horton
checked his e-mail one last time.
Given the town’s dire financial situa
tion, the disheartening message in his
mailbox was almost appropriate. These
days Horton seems to bring more bad
news than good to the council.
“It seems that the only good news I
bring you is that things have not gotten
worse,” Horton announced at the start of
the meeting. “Well, they have gotten
worse. This evening we are short
$75,000 that we had at the beginning of
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DTH/BRIAN CASSELLA
Freshmen Eden Kung, left, and Brian Robertson play their own rendition of Live's "Lightning Crashes" on Tuesday
morning. Some students waited more than 24 hours in line for a room in the new South Campus residence communities.
Students Camp Out for Rooms
The first student in line at the additional chance
for recontracting rooms at the new residence
halls arrived at 4 p.m. Monday, 26 hours early.
By Joelle Ruben
Staff Writer
The ground floor of Morrison Residence Hall was a clutter of pil
lows, laptops and guitars as students lined up Tuesday for a first
come, first-serve housing recontracting procedure.
Some students stretched out on futons, counting down to the 6
p.m. start time, while others bent over their books waiting for pizza
delivery men to arrive. But all the students were gathered for a sim
ilar goal - to obtain a coveted room in one of the four new South
Campus residence halls.
Many of the students waiting in line were successful in their quest
for housing. Moments before the recontracting ended at 8 p.m., only
five spots remained, Morrison officials said.
The need for Tuesday’s recontracting process originated after
Friday’s registration for upperclassmen left 240 spots open in the
new residence halls. About 70 spaces for men and 170 spaces for
women were available. The distribution was open to any student
currently living on South Campus.
Department of Housing and Residential Education Director
Christopher Payne said several freshmen living on South Campus
approached him during Friday’s room distribution asking for pref
erence in any extra spots.
Payne said the housing department held the recontracting
Tuesday so any students who were initially turned away had time to
reserve their current room before Wednesday evening’s deadline.
“We didn’t want these students to be denied any options.”
Sophomore Laura Smith was the first person to fine up at 4 p.m.
Monday. Smith, who secured her own new room Friday, arrived
early to save spots for friends Tony Pentz and Ryan Browning.
Pentz and Browning, who hope to be roommates in “Ehringhaus
South” next year, were two of the students who approached Payne ask-
Bus Driver Arrested For Assault
By Kellie Dixon
City Editor
A bus driver for Chapel Hill-
Carrboro City Schools was arrested
Monday for assault with a dangerous
weapon and vandalism to property.
Natasha Gametta Snipes, 22, of 6108
Green Hollow Lane in Durham came to
the Chapel Hill Police Department on
Monday evening after being notified
about the outstanding warrants.
She was charged with two misde
meanor counts of assault with a danger
ous weapon and vandalism to personal
property. In addition to the charges,
Snipes was ordered to avoid contact
with the victim, a 22-year-old female.
Reports state that the incident hap
pened at 6:18 p.m Sunday at Gomains
Avenue and Sykes Street in Chapel Hill.
“The victim reported she got into an
argument with Snipes that escalated into
a physical altercation,” said Jane
Cousins, Chapel Hill police spokes
woman.
the day.”
The e-mail told Horton that the town
would lose the money as a result of a
recent Federal Communications
Commission ruling prohibiting the town
from taxing cable Internet service. This
latest withholding comes nearly two
months after Gov. Mike Easley’s
announcement to hold back more than
$1 million from the town, and officials
say next year’s oudook is bleak as well.
“Some way, somehow, we’ve got to
find $3 million,” said Mayor Kevin Foy.
“It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be
painful.”
Tuesday night, Horton presented the
council with a status report on next
year’s budget. The report outlines three
ing for the first-come, first-serve process. “I’m really against an online
process because so many things can go wrong with it,” Browning said.
“With this method, if you really want it, you can get it”
While neither Pentz nor Browning missed class for the lineup, they
said several of their friends skipped class to avoid losing their places.
But Payne said there was no reason for students to skip class. He
said that his department took schedule conflicts into consideration
and that students who were unable to wait in line could fill out work
sheets authorizing their roommates to reserve their spots.
Yet freshman Anthony Stokes, who arrived at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday
after a full day of work and classes, said difficulties remained for
those roommates with similar class schedules.
“It’s kind of unfair because people who skipped class or had no
class got out here first,” he said. “The rest of us are at a disadvantage.”
The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.
Cousins said the victim reported that
Snipes then kicked the right rear door of
the victim’s 1996 Dodge Stratus, causing
$l5O worth of damage.
“Then (the victim) said that Snipes
pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her,”
Cousins said.
Reports state that the suspect pointed
a gun at the victim’s head, causing
minor injury. The extent of the injury is
not known, and a spokesman with UNC
Hospitals said the hospital’s records did
not indicate that the victim had sought
treatment.
The pistol was black and gray in
color, Cousins said.
The victim then went to the police
department to swear out warrants for
Snipes.
After turning herself in, Snipes was
held at Orange County Jail on a SSOO
unsecured bond.
Snipes’ court date is set for May 5 at
the Orange County District Court in
Hillsborough.
Mary Lin Truelove, the school sys-
News
possible budget scenarios that hinge on
the state’s own revenue disbursements.
All three call for no expense increases
next year.
Foy and others expect the worst of
the bunch next year -a $3 million
shortfall for the town.
“Although that’s unfair, it appears
that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.
“We’ve got to raise taxes.”
If the state holds back the anticipated
$3 million, Horton’s plan calls for a
potential 7-cent property tax increase,
from 46.1 cents to 53.1 cents per SIOO.
Another revenue generator would be
to raise commercial garbage collection
fees. The proposal calls for the estab
lishment of a $750 to SBOO annual fee
DTH/BRIAN CASSELLA
Freshmen huddle beneath sleeping bags and blankets on
the Morrison ball courts as midnight strikes on Monday.
tern’s transportation director, said the
matter, which is classified as a personnel
issue, is still under investigation.
Truelove said new employees will not
be hired if they have a felony record.
She also said any charges that show up
on a background check are investigated
fully.
The system employs 76 bus drivers
who operate 55 different buses.
“You cannot have a felony record or
criminal activity. Each record is
reviewed,” she said. “Of course we do
criminal record checks.”
Truelove said that to her knowledge,
Snipes has not had any prior run-ins
with authorities.
Truelove said Snipes has been
employed by the system for about three
or four years and refused to comment
on her future employment with the sys
tem.
“We’ve never had any problems.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
for once-weekly collection.
“We’re looking for any way we can to
find money,” Foy said. “So it’s possible
there will be some increase in fees.”
The town’s plan said the fee would
generate additional revenues of about
$300,000. But the recent economic
downturn, coupled with the town’s high
living costs, drew a negative response
from one agency representative.
“Since September 11, five businesses
have closed in downtown Chapel Hill,”
said Robert Humphreys, executive
director of Chapel Hill’s Downtown
Commission. “Any change in service
will result in higher rents.”
The town also is likely to trim its cap
ital improvements program, which tra
Council Mulls
Replacements
For Halloween
The council is considering options that
range from creating a town-sponsored
event to totally eliminating the celebration.
By Ben Brooks
Staff Writer
Imagine Oct. 31 with the streets of Chapel Hill devoid of
partyers. Although it might seem like an unlikely event to
those who have participated in Franklin Street revelry in the
past, it’s an idea being entertained by some local officials.
Chapel Hill Town Manager Cal Horton issued a memo
randum for the Town Council’s consideration Monday con
taining seven options for managing the 2002 Halloween cel
ebration. The options ranged all the way from a town-spon
sored event to total elimination of the festivities.
The town will weigh each option against a set of criteria
including crowd size, resource requirements and cost.
Despite last year’s crowd of about half the size of the previous
year, the event cost the town $23,000 more. Council member Pat
Evans cited “less need for town expenditures” as one of a few rea
sons why the town is considering revamping the event
Last year’s plan to limit the size of the crowd and the amount
of traffic entering the downtown area was successful in those areas
See TOWN COUNCIL, Page 11
CAA President-Elect
Kris Willett Selects
New 2002-03 Cabinet
The upcoming CAA Cabinet aims to improve
programs like the Hooker 5K and create
ones like "Answer the Bell with Bunting."
By Jenny McLendon
Staff Writer
Carolina Athletic Association President-elect Kris Willett has
selected a team that she said will help her
“enhance the fan experience at UNC.”
Willett, who vowed to recruit a
diverse Cabinet in her election platform,
said her CAA Cabinet selections were
made Thursday after a selective inter
view process.
Of the 26 applicants, 14 received seats
on the Cabinet, and the remainder were
offered committee positions.
“We had a very qualified group of can
didates, and it was really hard to pick,”
Willett said. “But I was pleased with the
final group, and we encouraged those who
did not get a spot to be on committees.”
Willett named sophomore Sherrell
McMillan as vice president, junior Sarah
Davis as secretary, junior Chase Chopin
as treasurer and junior David Forsythe as chairman of
Carolina Fever, the fan organization within CAA.
See CAA, Page 11
TAKE THAT!
W |
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Mmm Jr s
k. t*.
DTH/ANNE MEADOWS
Meghan Carmody, a resident assistant in Alderman Residence Hall,
practices the knee-to-the-groin kick Tuesday during an introductory
self-defense class sponsored by the Department of Public Safety.
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
ditionally funds town infrastructure
improvements like sidewalk repair and
greenway development.
But with the town’s constrained fiscal
situation, the program’s $438,000 will
fund debt payments and repairs at the
Hargraves Center and Inter-Faith
Council Shelter.
Horton said the town’s outlook for
the next few years is brighter but that
any economic uncertainty warranted the
conservative spending plan.
“My crystal ball is not any better than
the next person’s, and 1 can’t see that far
out.”
The City Editor can be reached at
citydesk@unc.edu.
CAA President-elect
Kris Willett
says she is confident
that the CAA is on
the right track with
its plans.
3