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VOLUME 111, ISSUE 56 Talks set tone for future HEATED TOWN-GOWN DEBATE SIGNALS ENMITY LATER ON BY JENNY HUANG ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR It possessed the classic characteris tics of a schoolyard battle: provocation, concessions and victory. But at the end of the contentious town-gown struggle over UNC’s pro posed changes to its Development Plan, it was difficult to identify the bully. After months of intense discussion and debate, the Chapel Hill Town ANALYSIS NASA’s future appears fragile BY ELLIOTT DUBE ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR For the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, two dates July 20,1969, and Feb. 1, 2003 rest on opposite ends of the spectrum. The pinnacle of NASAs achieve ments took place on the first date as Neil Armstrong took mankind’s first steps on the moon. The latter was arguably the agency’s darkest day. In one of the worst accidents in NASA’s history, space shuttle Columbia dis integrated; its seven-member crew died dur ing re-entry. On Monday, the Columbia Accident NASA'S TRAGEDIES • Jan. 27,1967 -3 killed by fire in Apollo 1 module Jan. 28,1986 - 7 killed in explosion of Challenger ■ Feb. 1,2003 - 7 killed in breakup of Columbia Investigation Board released a scathing report, seven months in the making, that details causes of the disaster and recommends improvements to NASA. According to the report, a piece of insulating foam broke off the external fuel tank and damaged the shuttles left wing. The intense heat associated with re-entry weakened the breached wing, and the shuttle disintegrated. The report makes 29 recom mendations to change NASA’s “culture,” including 15 that are to be carried out before more shuttle flights are conducted. The report makes it clear that NASA must fix the shuttle and begin researching and developing a complete revamping of the shuttle’s design, said Howard McCurdy, pro fessor of public affairs at American University. “More importantly, they have to fix NASA,” he said. “NASA’s a pale shadow' of the institution that took humans to the moon in the 19605.” He added that the agency’s mind-set has focused less on relia bility and safety than on keeping schedule and cutting costs. Erik Conway, a historian work ing at NASA’s Langley Research Center, said the agency has shown a dangerous willingness to face risk. “We’ve treated the shuttle as if it were an operational vehicle like an airliner when in reality it is not.” The loss of the Columbia and its crew echoed two other disasters that rocked NASA to its core. On Jan. 27,1967, three astro nauts died during a launch pad test when a flash fire erupted in their command module. The space agency suffered another devastating blow when space shuttle Challenger exploded during its launch on Jan. 28,1986, killing all seven crew members. To prevent future accidents, Congress probably will be asked to increase NASA’s level of funding, SEE NASA, PAGE 5 INSIDE COMING PREPARED O.C. superintendent confident in the face of challenge PAGE 4 Serving the students and the University community since 1893 dlu* iatlg Jtel Council reluctantly approved UNC’s modifications to the Development Plan on Tuesday in a 6-2 vote. The approved changes allow UNC to construct an 800-space parking deck in Jackson Circle and a chiller plant and 500-space parking deck near Cobb Residence Hall. The final proposal also includes UNC’s offer to make improvements to South Columbia Street, a reversal from “In retrospect, I realize that we inadvertently may have offended some of the students dent davis , HILTON MANAGER HHP i __ jhMMI H , 'ff |f """% Hk Wf JjH a. .jl I ■* *' , : l-S-jHF r M ; | IB .. ■GSgSRHHHHHBK DTH/KATE BLACKMAN N.C. Central University senior Derek Morrison stands outside the back door of the Hilton Hotel in Durham. According to the contract they received, NCCU students being housed in the hotel were instructed not to use the front door. HILTON TAKES HEAT Students complain, hotel apologizes about door restrictions BY ELLIOTT DUBE ASSISTANT STATE AND NATIONAL EDITOR DURHAM - Some N.C. Central University students are upset about a policy at the Durham Hilton that allows them to use only the building’s side and rear entrances, but the hotel’s general manager said he apol ogizes for any offense taken. About 130 students are staying at the hotel while numerous residence halls at NCCU —a historically black university are being treated for mold. A contract between the hotel and the university written last Friday states, “Entrance throw (sic) the Main Lobby, Lobby Side Entrance, Meeting Space Entrance or Employee Entrances are all prohibited.” The document also establishes that students will not be permitted to www.dailytarheel.com | its previous desire to widen the road. Yet even after the University’s con cessions and the town’s approval, it was clear from Tuesday’s meeting that feel ings of dissatisfaction remain. Several council members said they felt betrayed by the changes to the plan and bullied by the University to approve its proposal. “We were given an ultima tum,” said council member Ed Harrison. Mayor Kevin Foy said that in the future, town residents should be more thoroughly incorporated into the growth planning process. “There should be a mechanism for community involve ment at the stage of concept plan.” travel above the hotel’s third floor except for evacuation or family visi tation purposes. In addition to students, the hotel serves as a temporary home for many transient guests, said manager Dent Davis creating the possibility' of an overcrowded lobby when students take a shuttle to and from NCCU’s campus. Davis said he had thought it would be best to move NCCU’s shuttle stops away from the front entrance and closer to where the students are locat ed. “We anticipated that roughly prior to eight o’clock in the morning we would have all these students trying to get on the shuttle at the same time,” Davis said. He added that setting restrictions on the doors was a mistake. “In ret- HELP WANTED WORK FOR THE DTH Stop by our interest meeting today at 5 p.m. UNION 226 No matter the protocol for change, University officials warn, town-gown discussions regarding further campus growth are inevitable. Nancy Suttenfield, UNC vice chan cellor for finance and administration, said Tuesday that other changes likely will be made to the Development Plan. “We’re discovering new problems and situations that were not part of the research process in the Development Plan two years ago,” she said. The plan is a 10-year component of the Master Plan, a 50-year blueprint SEE TOWN-GOWN, PAGE 5 rospect, I realize that we inadver tently may have offended some of the students.” He said that the hotel focuses this heavily on logistics with any large group to control the flow of people occupying the building’s lobby. Managerial concerns about stu dents loitering in the lobby are under standable, said Marcus, an NCCU senior living in the hotel who declined to give his last name. But he said stu dents should be allowed to use the front door to enter and leave. Marquita, a junior who also declined to give her full name, added that unlike the front of the hotel, the back section lacks seats and seems less safe at night. Junior Chad Johnson said he SEE HILTON, PAGE 5 SPORTS RUNNING FROM THE PAST Men's cross country boasts improved roster PAGE 11 THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2003 , §H6 DTH/GARRETT HALL Inside the current UNC cancer center, blood pressure is taken in the same room that houses a toilet. University to press on with cancer center plan BY LAURA BOST STAFF WRITER The University is moving ahead with plans for anew SIBO million cancer center despite the fart that state lawmakers have been unable to approve its funding. Officials have submitted a Certificate of Need to the state —a request for approval to begin planning the center with about $7 million from UNC Health Care’s reserve funds. The center first was proposed in 2002 as a replace ment for the existing center, which is 50 years old. “There’s such a big need to replace the existing cen ter and take care of patients,” said Karen McCall, spokeswoman for UNC Health Care. “We know one way or another the center is going to have to be part of our future.” But for two years in a row, state lawmakers have not approved funding for the center. The Senate approved UNC’s request for full funding this summer, but the project was stonewalled when the House failed to reach an agreement during the legislative session’s final hours. Senate lawmakers proposed a plan that would have provided full funding for the cancer center, but the House plan only called for initial planning funds. The existing center treated 82,000 patients last year, and officials estimate that the number of SEE CANCER, PAGE 5 GOP candidates play catch-up in governor’s race BY EMMA BURGIN ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR Republicans vying for the state’s top executive position might not have appeared much in the news lately, but they're brainstorming campaign strategies to help them oust Democratic Gov. Mike Easley. Political pundits say they have their w r ork cut out for them. Easley is starting to appear in public more often, most notably in visits to communities hit hard by the Pillowtex closing that cost 5,000 North Carolinians their jobs, said Thad Beyle, UNC professor of political science. Easley has been criticized in the past for not being visible to North Carolinians. “He’s showing interest and concern,” Beyle said. “Easley is sitting on top of a difficult situation. He’s beginning to be a little more public about what he’s trying to do about it” Asa result, Easley has tightened his grip on re election during the sum mer months, said Ferrel Guillory, director of a! DTH FILE PHOTO/BETH FLOYD Gov. Mike Easley has used veto power to assert his authority over the General Assembly. UNC’s Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life. “He has strengthened himself,” he said. “All of his legislation, with the strong exception of the lottery, has been adopted.” Guillory said Easley’s most recent exertion of power over the legislature seemed to reaffirm his capability to govern. Easley mandated that the N.C. General Assembly convene Tbesdav despite the legislature not being in session to take action on a Senate bill he vetoed last week. The legislature can override a veto with a three fifths majority in both the House and Senate. The bill is a relatively unimportant banking bill, but the veto spoke loudly to legislators, Guillory said. Easley was the first governor to use veto power, which he exercised on an appointments bill last SEE GOVERNOR, PAGE 5 WEATHER TODAY Partly cloudy, H 96, L 70 FRIDAY Partly cloudy, H 97, L 69 SATURDAY T-storms, H 89, L 69 H
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 28, 2003, edition 1
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