Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 30, 2008, edition 1 / Page 5
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iailg ®ar Mwl THORPE FROM PAGE 1 “One of the first things he would always say was, ‘What’s your name?’” said Fred Battle, the former head of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “He loved being a politician.” But Thorpe never hesitated to tell council members when he thought they were wrong, friends and public officials said. “One thing about Bill Thorpe, he spoke his mind and people knew when he would come out on an issue that it’s coming from the heart,” said Eugene Farrar, current head of the local NAACP. Thorpe was instrumental in Chapel Hill becoming in 1984 one of the first municipalities in the country to officially recognize the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. as a holiday. And 20 years later he asked then-Mayor Pro Tern Edith Wiggins to present a resolution to rename Airport Road after King, whom Thorpe idolized as a civil GUIDING FROM PAGE 1 Council member Mark Kleinschmidt said Thorpe called him almost every week. Easthom, too, said she would meet Thorpe to talk politics and town policy over lunch. And in an attempt to expand the council’s mentorship to students, Thorpe proposed an internship program for 10 undergraduates, approved in 2006. “That also shows a part of what Bill was interested in, which was giving people opportunities,” Mayor Kevin Foy said. Council members said Thorpe’s personal and leadership experi ences gave him a unique outlook on town issues. Born in segregated Oxford, he moved to Chapel Hill in 1970. He worked for the N.C. Department SEXTON FROM PAGE 1 “There were tough times. There really were,” he said Monday with a shrug. “I remember distinctly telling my dad after leaving (practice) one day, ‘Dad, I feel like my dreams are kind of falling apart around me.’” Starter T.J. Yates’ ankle injury opened up the starting spot on the depth chart, and still Sexton found himself behind rookie QB Mike Paulus, the highly touted first-year. But Paulus’ debut against Virginia Tech was less than impressive, and coach Butch Davis announced that Paulus and Sexton both would play against Miami. Now, two touchdowns, an ACC Player of the Week honor and “a couple hundred text messages” later, Sexton is back in the driver’s seat as UNC’s starting quarterback, as he found out Monday morning. “You have to say that probably Cam has earned slightly a bit of an edge,” Davis told reporters after Saturday’s game. For Sexton, that game was, as he called it repeatedly, “a relief.” “More or less I was just excited about the win. There have been a lot of struggles over the years and then that moment was emotional. “I don’t even really know what I was thinking. I was just excited.” Sexton repeatedly considered transferring. He wondered if he could get a starting job at another school and if his hard work in spring training was being ignored. But eventually a love for the pro gram kept him at North Carolina. “I couldn’t see myself anywhere else and I didn’t want to be any where else,” he said. “I felt like at this point in my career, I wanted to stay and fight instead of going somewhere else.” Sexton’s bad record four touch downs, eight interceptions in 2006 was thought before the game to be his biggest weakness. That experi ence proved to be his biggest asset “He knows how to keep his compo sure,” wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said after Saturday’s game. “He’s a veteran, he’s been here a while, and we knew he could step in and do the job.” Sexton likes to think he hasn’t changed. The past 18 months have been a “growth process,” but he considers himself still the same quarterback more importantly, the same person. His coach might disagree. Comparing Sexton’s 2006 starts to TVoy Aikman s 1-15 rookie season “nobody would think he’d have gone to the Hall of Fame” Davis said Sexton’s constant work ethic helped him succeed when his chance came. “I think probably the best lesson that any young football player can make is watching how Cam Sexton has handled the last 18 months,” Davis said Monday. “Hoping to be the starter, didn’t get the starting job, never quit, never backed down. “Kept preparing, watching film, going to practice... and then when his number was called, he took advantage of it” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu. rights hero. Thorpe, who was not an elected official at the time, spoke person ally with every member of the council in advocating for the change, Mayor Kevin Foy said. “He was not only the initiator but the leading proponent throughout the process,” Foy said. “That has had repercussion throughout the community over the last few years that have ultimately been good for Chapel Hill to have.” The change initiated a town wide conversation about race and institutional racism, Foy said. Thorpe was a political force in Chapel Hill as long-time president of the Hank Anderson Breakfast Club and as a consultant for many local candidates. Candidates crave the club’s endorsement and brag when they receive it. In the 19705, he was part of a committee that rewrote the town charter, Foy said. He took a medical leave of absence from the council earlier this month and did not return. “Who’s going to really be, I guess, a watchdog of the commu- of Labor and maintained a link to workers at UNC and the town after leaving. Asa council member, Thorpe focused on initiatives on behalf of town employees and pushed for more affordable housing. “He understood that we need ed to create places for people,” Kleinschmidt said. As the only African-American on the council, Foy said Thorpe shared what it was like to be part of Chapel Hill’s black community in the past and today. But he said Thorpe told council members, who are elected at-large, to consider all residents their con stituents. “Bill would always make clear TAILGATE EDITION CAROLINA VS. UCONN Chapel Hill’s Game Day Headquarters OPEN 4:00 PM la, j7] Mr - MZridays / /u^ Food, Drink & Carolina Bkw Live Bluegrass Music From Chapel Hill Bluegrass Assembly ON THE FRONT LAWN OF THE CAROLINA INN [DO YOU HAVE COPD7I *£ f 4^,' ;% I We are looking for individuals to participate in a research study to I determine the safety and efficacy '-fr . „ I of an investigational medication. : If you ' O • are a previous or current smoker • have a diagnosis of chronic obstructive ■mnMflljMß pulmonary disease (COPD) (includes chronic bronchitis or emphysema) HMffMvMMliflH you may be eligible to participate. If qualified you ■HUH will receive study-related doctor’s visits, EKGs, 9 lung function tests, and study medication at no cost to you. Qualified participants will be compen ~ I sated up to $950.00 for their time and travel. mhhm North Carolina North Carolina Clinical Research Dr. Craig LaForce and Dr. Karen Dunn mi Board Certified in Allergy and Immunology. sot ORCHESTRA wfth Kenny Werner Tuesday, Sept 30th Memorial Hall * 7:30 Internationally acclaimed jazz pianist and Grammy-nomfnated composer Kenny Werner joins NCJRO for the world premiere of his extended composition as part of UNC-Chapel Hill's Department of Music 10X10 project. The premiere features soloists lames Ketch, trumpet, and Stephen Anderson, piano jazz faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Music. Tickets on Sale now through the night of the concert Memorial Hall Box Office (M-F 10am-6pm) \ (919) 843-3333 * caroiinaperformingarfs.org nity for the people?” said Battle, who has known Thorpe since 1970. Thorpe attended University Baptist Church on South Columbia Street almost every week while he was in good health, Jean Thorpe said. University Baptist will hold Friday a public viewing session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and services at 1 p.m. Mitchell Simpson, the pastor at University Baptist, said Thorpe’s faith was given voice in the larger community. “Clearly this is a guy who had influence but did not try to wield it in a tacky way, and I think that says a great deal about him,” said Simpson, who Thorpe called “Doc.” “With a guy like Bill, all you have to do is stand up and tell the truth about him.” Thorpe is survived by Jean, a retired educator, and his two chil dren, William, 41, and Beverly, 43. Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu. that everybody on the council rep resents all the citizens,” Foy said. He was known to pontificate on what he called the “council-manager form of government” and to remind town staff and council members alike of their roles in the system. And his ability to take a step back from the nitty-gritty of poli tics gave him a reputation for a wry sense of humor. “He could laugh about politics and just not take things too serious ly when they didn’t need to be taken seriously,” Easthom said. “He could rise above the fray and just say, This is how it is.’ And it was funny.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu. News House rejects bailout legislation by a narrow margin WASHINGTON, D.C. (LAT-WP) ln a narrow vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday rejected the most sweeping govern ment intervention into the nation’s financial markets since the Great Depression, refusing to grant the Treasury Department the power to purchase up to S7OO billion in the troubled assets that are at the heart of the U.S. financial crisis. The 228-205 vote amounted to a stinging rebuke to President George Bush’s administration and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., and is sure to sow massive anxiety in world markets. Just 11 days ago, Paulson warned that inaction would lead to a sei zure of credit markets and a vir tual halt to the lending that allows Americans to acquire mortgages and other types of loans. As it became apparent that the measure was heading to defeat, stock markets took a steep dive and stayed down. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 778 points, recording a fall of nearly 7 percent and its largest closing point drop in history. Paulson said after a meeting CIUCK-I bmms "fI€ST BUFFALO UJING6RS IN THC jjjOjjUT MONDAY TUESDAY 50tf Boneless Buffalo Wings / IHBm/ WEDNESDAY JC $9.99 All-U-Can-Eat Buffalo Wings THURSDAY JSpT 501 Boneless Buffalo Wings |AO Tipnn 127 E. Franklin St. ly SfSI IS i 919-929-0393 UuU L/uljLIU□lIuG www.cluckuchapelhill.com andrew bird live in concert Wednesday, Oct. 1.8 p.m. mortal Hail ■ m -rr- ff§ SfF - $1 0 UNC Student tickets eon One ticket per OneCard, Reserved Sealing. two One Cards per person. Memorial Hall Box Office * General Public tickets M-F 10 a.m. -6 pint. ($22) on sale September 22 (919)843 3333 . at the Memorial t-tall .Box Office! TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 National News with Bush at the White House that he was “very disappointed” in today’s vote but that he was com mitted to working out a solution with Congress. “We’ve got much work to do, and this is much too important to simply let fail,” he said. “We need to put something back together that works.” After a week of intense debate in both party caucuses, 95 Democrats and 133 Republicans opposed the bill just five weeks before they face voters in an elec tion that is shaping up as a ref erendum on the economy; 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans supported the controversial mea sure. Republican and Democratic House leaders later blamed the defeat of the bill on each other but vowed to continue working to produce legislation that could pass Congress. They did not say when this could happen. Bush expressed disappoint ment but said he would work with his economic advisers “on a way forward” and would “continue to address this economic situation head-on.” GOP leaders put the onus on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), asserting that she failed to bring on board 95 fellow Democrats who voted against the bill and charging that a “partisan” speech she delivered at the end of today’s debate turned off many Republicans. At the beginning of a floor speech urging support for the bill, Pelosi denounced the S7OO billion price tag as “the costs of the Bush administration’s failed economic policies policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything-goes mentality, with no regulation, no supervision and no discipline in the system.” Democrats scoffed at the Republican effort to blame Pelosi. “There is a terrible crisis affect ing the American economy, we have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis, and because somebody hurt their feelings they decide to punish the country,” said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. 5
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