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CITY BRIEFS
Officials: Stephens St. blaze
caused S6OK in damages
A fire that ignited a residence at
107 Stephens St. late Sunday night
caused about $60,000 in dam
ages, Chapel Hill fire officials said.
Capt. John Parker, the assistant
fire marshal for the Chapel Hill
Fire Department, said the fire
started near or on a sofa that was
sitting on the back porch of the
house.
The entire rear portion of the
house collapsed. The heat and
smoke gutted its interior, causing
the most damage to the kitchen
and the hallway, Parker said. Some
of the rafters in the attic of the
house were burnt, but firefighters
were able to control the flames
before the damage spread.
Parker said fire officials still are
investigating the cause of the fire,
which might have been arson.
Because the house has been
vacant since 1999, Parker said,
there was no electricity that could
have started the fire.
Homeless people have been
seen staying near the vacant
house, Parker said, but because the
windows and doors had been
boarded, there were no victims
inside.
Parker said the owner of the
house, Billy G. Batten of Sanford,
plans to repair damages and
remodel the home. Batten did not
have insurance on the home,
Parker said.
NATIONAL BRIEFS
Officer cleared of framing
charges over fake drugs
DALLAS A former narcotics
officer was cleared Tuesday of
charges that he helped frame inno
cent Mexican immigrants who
were sent to jail after being found
with what turned out to he fake
drugs.
Jurors deliberated five hours
beginning Monday afternoon
before reaching the verdict in favor
of former Senior Cpl. Mark De La
Paz, who was the arresting officer
in many of the disputed cases. In
all, more than 80 cases were dis
missed after tests revealed that the
purported drugs actually were
gypsum powder or other legal sub
stances.
Prosecutors had alleged that De
La Paz, 36, lied in arrest warrants
about seeing drug transactions
take place between four innocent
immigrants and confidential
informants. He also was charged
with lying to a prosecutor and an
FBI agent about seeing the trans
actions.
The informants were former
drug dealers who have pleaded
guilty’ to civil rights violations and
who are cooperating with prose
cutors. They were paid SI,OOO per
kilogram in busts they set up, the
defense said.
Toy chain recalls sidewalk
chalk with high lead levels
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Toys
“R” Us is recalling 50,000 pack
ages of sidewalk chalk because the
chalk contains lead at levels high
enough to poison young children.
No accidents or illnesses related
to the chalk have been reported,
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission said Tuesday.
The chalk comes in a clear plas
tic backpack-style carrying case
and is labeled “Chalk to Go ...
Totally Me!... 24 pieces, sidewalk
chalk in different colors, fun chalk
shapes.” The package also says
“Conforms to ASTM-D4236.”
Each package contains solid or
multicolored chalk in red, blue,
green, yellow and purple. The
chalk comes in several shapes:
butterfly, spider, ice cream cone,
bottle, cylinder and triangular
stick.
The chalk was manufactured in
Hong Kong by the Agglo Corp.
and sold at Toys “R” Us stores
nationwide from March to
November for about $4.99 per
package. Toys “R” Us is based in
Wayne, N.J.
WORLD BRIEFS
Columbian militia fighters
lay down arms in ceremony
MEDELLIN, Colombia -
Hundreds of right-wing militia
fighters surrendered their guns
TUesday in a ceremony heralded
by the government as a step
toward peace but denounced by
critics as a show that lets killers,
kidnappers and drug peddlers off
the hook.
Gathered inside Medellin's con
vention center, the 855 members of
the Cacique Nutibara bloc sang the
national anthem, then laid their
rifles, ammunition belts and cam
ouflage shirts in piles on the floor.
Government peace commis
sioner Luis Carlos Restrepo called
the disarmament a significant
move toward finally ending
Colombia’s four-decade war.
Compiledfrom
staff and wire reports.
RHA confident in smoking proposal
But initiative gamers mixed reviews
BY MEGAN SEROW
STAFF WRITER
Officials with the Residence
Hall Association said they are con
fident that because a majority of
surveyed students were in favor of
prohibiting smoking in residence
halls, the organization’s new pro
posal to do just that will be
approved by January.
RHA came up with the plan this
summer and then conducted a sur
vey of all on-campus students to
assess their thoughts on the issue,
said RHA President Kristin Conte.
About 33 percent of the students
■
DTH/KRISTEN ASHTON
Carolina Inn employee Wayne Holland poses with the stuffed turkey that sits in the lobby of Carolina Crossßoads Restaurant and Bar.
A SOUTHERN SEASON
Locals look forward to holiday traditions
BY AMI SHAH
STAFF WRITER
As the aroma of turkey and collard
greens begins to fill the air at local
restaurants, UNC-Chapel Hill students'
mouths are watering in anticipation of
Thanksgiving.
For many in the area, a traditional
Thanksgiving celebration includes ele
ments of their Southern heritage.
Evoking the holiday spirit, a stuffed
turkey lined with autumn leaves stands
in the lobby of Carolina Crossßoads
Restaurant and Bar in the Carolina Inn.
For Thursday's feast, the restaurant
will be filled with pumpkins and squash
garnishing the buffet to give the restau
rant “a flair, a homey feeling,” said assis
tant manager Harry Tatoian 111.
The menu will feature specialities
such as leg of lamb and filet of beef as
well as turkey, the traditional
Thanksgiving staple. The restaurant
also will temper the meal with a
Southern touch by adding sweet pota
toes and collard greens to the buffet.
“(Southern foods) will be included
for the sake of being in the South and to
give (customers) a taste of Southern
cuisine,” Tatoian said.
Mama Dip’s Kitchen will be closed
Thursday, but families still can order
their “traditional, country, Southern
Thanksgiving meal to go,” said Anita
Council, Mama Dip’s daughter.
The restaurant will offer full take-out
holiday meals, complete with turkey,
dressing and pecan pies. Typical of
Mama Dip’s Southern flavor, collard
Former marshal bleeds blue
Professor praised for his dedication
BY INDIA AUTRY
STAFF WRITER
Ron Hyatt spoke before the
2000 Summer Olympic Games in
Sydney, Australia, authored a book
and fought for legislation regard
ing physical education.
But it was his work as the UNC
faculty marshal that recently
prompted faculty to pass a resolu
tion of appreciation for his years of
service.
Hyatt, a UNC alumnus, a senior
professor in the Department of
Exercise and Sport Science and a
faculty member since 1966,
resigned from his post in
September due to health troubles.
Appointed in 1992 by then-
Chancellor Paul Hardin, Hyatt has
Top Nows
surveyed responded. Of those 2,377
students, 88 percent said they were
nonsmokers and 10 percent classi
fied themselves as smokers.
Even though 88 percent of
respondents were nonsmokers,
officials said, they don’t think the
survey is skewed.
They said that surveys were dis
tributed so that students had the
option to respond and that they are
satisfied with the 33 percent
response rate.
The Department of Housing and
Residential Education will review
RHA’s proposal and make a deci-
THANKSGIVING
greens, candied yams and string beans
will be included.
Council said it’s important to add a
Southern touch to Thanksgiving
“because that's what Mama Dip’s is all
about” and because it helps “keep
Southern tradition alive in
Thanksgiving.”
Ashley Vandewart, a junior journal
ism major from Asheville, has had roots
in North Carolina since her grandpar
ents arrived here from Germany.
Vandewart’s family embraces the
South by having sweet tea and also by
inviting a different family friend to din
ner every year in an act of Southern
hospitality. “My family thinks it’s
important to share Thanksgiving with
friends,” Vandewart said.
Journalism Professor Deb Aikat
plans to spend his Thanksgiving relax
ing at home in Carrboro.
“My wife is a vegetarian, so we’re
going to cook a pumpkin,” Aikat said.
For other vegetarians who won’t par
take of a traditional Thanksgiving meal,
the Triangle Vegetarian Society will be
offering a vegan alternative in Durham
at Cafe Parizade. The feast will boast a
variety of Mediterranean dishes as well
as some traditional vegetarian
Thanksgiving side dishes such as gravy,
mashed potatoes and stuffing.
With the semester winding down,
Bridgette Lin, a junior communication
studies major, said she is excited to
return home to Columbus, Ga., for the
SEE THANKSGIVING, PAGE 5
led faculty and guests to their seats
during Commencement cere
monies and University Day cere
monies for 10 years.
Hyatt’s departmental colleagues
said he has a visible love for the
University.
“He’s a native of a little town in
South Carolina, but I can guaran
tee you he’s about as strong a
Carolina fan as you’ll ever find,”
said Professor Ed Shields, who has
known Hyatt for more than 35
years and praised him for his
comedic nature.
“You cut him, and he’ll bleed
Carolina blue.”
Professor Anthony Hackney
remembered the moment he found
out Hyatt held the marshal position.
sion in January before the housing
recontracting process begins.
Christopher Payne, director of
the housing department, said the
department will discuss the issue
with the Housing Advisory Board
and the Student Safety Task Force.
The department also invites feed
back from anyone else interested
in the matter.
The proposed policy includes not
only rooms but also breezeways,
open connectors and balconies.
Some students said they agree
with the initiative. “I five in a hall
style dorm with no ventilation,”
said smoker Stacey McCorkle, a
SEE SMOKING, PAGE 5
Officials prepare
as travelers take
to roads, airways
BY PATRICIA LAPADULA
STAFF WRITER
UNC students will be traveling to all parts of the
country during the next couple of days as the
Thanksgiving holiday begins.
In light of the heavy traffic on highways and in
airports, officials are trying to ensure safe com
muting conditions for travelers during the holiday
weekend.
Thanksgiving is the heaviest travel season of the
year, said Sgt. Everett Clendenin. a spokesman for
the N.C. Highway Patrol.
AAA is expecting 1.06 million North
Carolinians to travel more than 50 miles by auto
mobile this weekend. “We w-ant to encourage trav
elers to allow enough time to reach their destina
tions,” Clendenin said. “And do not speed.”
The Highway Patrol will join the “Booze It &
Lose It” campaign to secure the roadways for the
thousands expected to hit the road during the
break.
The campaign will have checkpoints through
out the state, looking for inebriated drivers.
While people tend to associate the holidays with
drinking, Clendenin said, officers do not expect to
see a significant increase in intoxicated drivers.
The N.C. Department of Transportation also
will ensure that local roads are ready physically for
the considerable increase in travelers.
SEE TRAVEL, PAGE 5
“I thought, ‘What a wonderful
person to lead in the faculty, some
one who is totally in love with the
University,’” he said.
“You couldn’t divine and pick a
better person to be faculty mar
shal.”
Known across the country,
Hyatt has participated actively in
many avenues of exercise and
sport science ever since he
received a master’s degree from
UNC in 1959.
Since then, he has received acco
lades from 11 state and national
professional organizations for his
work.
In addition to his accomplish
ments, Hyatt’s flexibility also
made him a good choice for the
position.
SEE HYATT, PAGE 5
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2003
SHOULD SMOKING BE ALLOWED IN RESIDENCE HALLS?
Of the 33 percent of on-campus students who responded to the Residence Hall Association
survey, most nonsmokers said smoking should not be allowed in rooms or open spaces.
Should smoking be allowed on balconies, Should smoking be allowed in any
breezeways and open connectors? rooms? (by percentage)
800
700 ■ Ronsmokers ■
iHHI
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SOURCE: RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION DTH/AUDREY BUTLER
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- M
DTH/KRISTEN ASHTON
Faculty recently passed a resolution of appreciation for UNC professor
and alumnus Ron Hyatt for his years of service as the faculty marshal.
APS
suffers
more
charges
Contract breaches
added to lawsuit
BY LAURA HIRST
STAFF WRITER
Elliot Cramer and Judith
Reitman amended their lawsuit
against the Animal Protection
Society of Orange County on Friday,
expanding their allegations to a
breach of fiduciary duty by APS'
officers and board of directors.
The new complaint states that
APS endangered its contract with
the Orange County Board of
Commissioners and that the board
of directors mismanaged the
county’s animal shelter.
Pat Beyle, president of the
board of directors, denied the alle
gations.
“We certainly are not misman
aging APS or the shelter,” she said.
“Obviously, I think that we’re
running it the best way we can
right now.”
The amended lawsuit refers to a
report on the shelter's operations
given to commissioners in August
by the Humane Society of the
United States.
Cramer and Reitman originally
filed the lawsuit in February after
the APS board revoked voting
rights for its members. Cramer
was running for a position on the
board at the time.
“From our point of view, that
was the most important part of
our lawsuit," Cramer said. “How
undemocratic can you be?”
The APS articles of incorpora
tion originally stated, “Each mem
ber shall be entitled to one vote at
any meeting of the corporation.”
Ron Merritt, attorney for APS,
has said the change in the bylaws
was legal. He declined to comment
Tuesday because of the pending
litigation.
Barry Nakell, attorney for
Cramer and Reitman, said APS
requested that the discovery peri
od be extended until March 1 and
added that the only actions APS
has taken so far in the discovery
period have been depositions of
Cramer and Reitman.
Cramer said he opposes an
extension. “We are thinking they
have simply delayed giving us our
information.”
APS also has asked to postpone
the trial date from January to
April, according to Nakell.
APS, Beyle and former APS
Executive Director Laura Walters
have filed a countersuit against
SEE APS, PAGE 5
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