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VOLUME 112, ISSUE 9 UNC aims to avoid delays Multiple changes to plan expected BY RAND ROBINS STAFF WRITER University officials are opti mistic that a request from the Chapel Hill Town Council to halt proposed changes to the campus’ Master Plan will not halt UNC’s efforts to expand. The council decided at its meet ing Monday to draft a letter asking the University for its cooperation in revamping the zoning regulations for the changes. Construction proj ects currently fall into the Office/Institutional-4 classification. The revised plan includes relo cating a 10,000-ton chiller plant and 600 parking spaces about 300 feet across South Road from the Science Complex to a lot behind the Bell Tower, said Bruce Runberg, UNC associate vice chancellor for planning and construction. “We really need the chiller plant and the parking deck approved to continue moving forward with the design,” he said. A 2001 agreement between the town and the University regarding zoning regulations states that the council has 90 days to assess revi sions once they have been submit ted. The Master Plan involves more than 100 projects and is expected to cost about $1.3 billion. Butthe muncilwantsinore time to examine proposed changes, council member Jim Ward said. Instead of the 90-day review, Ward said, he wants to see a concept plan illustrating considered modifica tions to give the council time to have input early in the process. “The council was most sur prised by the significance and size of the modification,” he said. Both the chiller plant and the parking deck are integral pieces of the infrastructure required for the the massive development plan to be implemented, Runberg said. But the council is wary of what could be drastic changes to the original layout of campus, and Ward said it is too early to assess the ramifications of the proposed modifications. “We’ll have to wait until a traffic engineer can say what impact they’ll have on road systems,” Ward said of the parking deck and chiller plant. But many building schedules depend on the completion of the expanded parking deck and the chiller plant, which cools water for use by other structures. Building the new plant and adding 600 parking spaces to the planned 1,000 spot parking deck SEE PARKING DECK, PAGE 11 Turnout pleases student officials BY JAMIE MCGEE STAFF WRITER Student body president cam paign members and officials said they were pleasantly surprised with the voter turnout in Tuesday’s runoff election and linked the increased turnout to the nature of the race and the highly publicized investigation. Voter turnout increased by 7 votes since the first runoff Feb. 17, jumping from 6,113 votes to 6,120. Board of Elections member Walker Rutherfurd said the board did not know how high voter turnout would be. “We knew there had been a lot of publicity about the entire process, and we were worried peo ple would get tired of dealing with the election process,” Rutherfurd DIVERSIONS URBAN LANDSCAPE Public art exhibits enhance urban spaces across the country, including in Chapel Hill PAGE 5 Serving the students and the University community since 1893 ®hr Safin ®ar Itrrl Ilk isljfe - DTWJUSTIN SMITH U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., announces Wednesday at Broughton High School in Raleigh his withdrawal from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination while Edwards' 3-year old son, Jack, waves one of his father's campaign signs. OPTIMISM MARKS EDWARDS’ BID, EXIT BY CHRIS COLETTA ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR RALEIGH U.S. Sen. John Edwards ended his bid for the presidency Wednesday, returning to his home state to make his final speech as a Democratic candidate for the White House. Speaking at Broughton High School, which his son Wade attended before he died in an accident in 1996, the North Carolina senator looked back on his upstart campaign with fondness and encouraged those in attendance to con tinue his fight. “You should not step back. You should step up,” he told the staff, supporters and Broughton students who filled the school’s gymnasium floor and the royal purple bleachers behind it. said. “The board is always happy when the students’ will is repre sented.” “The more people that vote, the clearer picture we have of what they want. It says the student body is committed to being involved and that the students govern.” Rutherfurd said the voter turnout was related to the public ity of the investigation two weeks ago. “The investigation and its out comes did have an effect on peo ple’s decision,” he said. “The increased publicity kept the elec tion at the forefront of the stu dents’ mind.” Tre Jones, campaign manager for Student Body President-elect Matt Calabria, expected a lower turnout than the first runoff and www.dailytarheel.com A WARM HOMECOMING With “John Edwards: President” signs still serving as the backdrop for the raised stage on which he spoke, the South Carolina-born son of a mill work- er thanked his staff, his parents and his wife, among others, and said he has run a blessed campaign. “All my life America has smiled on me, and today I’m INSIDE Experts say Kerry must shift message, focus on November PAGE 3 smiling right back,” he said. As members of the Secret Service lined the balconies in front of the gym bleachers and misty-eyed staffers lis tened in the corner of the room, Edwards also took time out for some lighthearted moments. ‘7 know some people were afraid (turnout) would be lower, but I didn’t think so.” matt tepper, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT linked the turnout to high media coverage. “I thought (turnout) was going to be lower, that the students were going to be tired of the dragging election,” Jones said. “Overall, the coverage of the hearing process was enough to get students’ inter ested.” While Jones said his campaign worked hard to generate initial interest in the election, he said that interest was maintained in large part because of the runoff’s controversy. “I think the candidates’ efforts all campaign season long con When his youngest son, 3-year-old Jack, became fidgety on stage, Edwards chuckled and cracked a joke about his children’s low level of patience. The problem wasn’t solved until someone handed Jack a campaign sign, which he held proudly as his blond, mushroom-cut hair bounced above his eyebrows. The crowd laughed, and as it turned out, Edwards’ speech would address his son and countless others. “To have my life blessed with four beautiful children and family and friends I couldn’t ask for anything more.” The suspension of Edwards’ cam paign came after his rival for the SEE EDWARDS, PAGE 11 tributed,” he said. “The second runoff was not necessarily about campaigning but more the nature of the re-vote.” But Student Body President Matt Tepper said the high turnout was no surprise to him. “I know some people were afraid (turnout) would be lower, but I didn’t think so,” Tepper said. “Students have a lot of faith in the student leadership.” Tepper, too, said the nature of the race added to the student interest. SEE TURNOUT, PAGE 11 INSIDE BALLIN' UNC's club handball team hosts the national handball championships March 12-14 PAGE 3 Student attorney general selected BY EMILY STEEL ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Carolina Chavez’s voice brimmed with passion for the University’s honor system Wednesday evening soon after she learned that she has been recom mended to be next year’s student attorney general. “All of us are here to get a degree, and we want to graduate with a degree that means something,” she said. “I want to make sure that the system we are promot ing works well.” Student Body President Matt Tepper announced Wednesday evening that he appointed Chavez for the position. Chavez will be inaugurated April 6, if Student Congress approves Tepper’s recommen dation at its March 23 meeting. The junior English and polit ical science double major has worked on the attorney general staff for three years, most recent- ly as chief of staff to the student attorney general. A committee composed of several student gov ernment leaders and David Gilbert, assistant dean of students and judicial programs officer, inter viewed six applicants for the position. “It was the toughest field of candidates we’ve had in the four years that I have been here,” said current Student Attorney General Jonathan Slain, who served on the selection committee. Tepper cited Chavez’s experience, presence as a speaker and passion for the position as the quali- SEE APPOINTMENT, PAGE 11 splits limit on area gay unions BY EMILY VASQUEZ STAFF WRITER Chapel Hill is known throughout the state as one of the most liberal communities in North Carolina. But that isn’t likely to make much dif ference for same-sex marriage activists. Mayor Kevin Foy cannot pull a San Francisco. Under North Carolina’s constitution it is clear that local governments don’t have the kind of autonomy that city’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, claims. Newsom ordered the San Francisco coun ty clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting Feb. 12. “I don’t have the authority, but I’d be glad to do it if I did,” Foy said. “I think what Mayor Newsom is doing is admirable and worthy of the state of North Carolina. It’s a matter of equal rights.” According to the N.C. Constitution, marriage is explicitly defined to be between a man and a woman, and same-sex marriages granted outside the state are not recognized. Though legalizing same-sex marriage isn’t pos sible at a local level, leaders in Chapel Hill and Carrboro have taken unprecedented steps toward recognizing same-sex couples in the past. SEE GAY MARRIAGE, PAGE 11 EMOTIONAL VICTORY ■?***"* i Ip pi W* f ~- f - *• '\'V %? ; ' WMBOp J?JH| DTH/JOHN DUDLEY f n women’s tennis team plays against William & Mary | on Wednesday afternoon as the men’s team watches JL from the stands. The women defeated William & Mary 6-1 at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The win continues the team’s 8 game winning streak. For the frill story, see page 11. WEATHER TODAY Partly cloudy, H 76, L 56 FRIDAY Mostly cloudy, H 76, L 62 SATURDAY Rain, H 72, L 39 THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2004 A m Junior Carolina Chavez was recommended to fill attorney general post.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 4, 2004, edition 1
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