Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Jan. 14, 1976, edition 1 / Page 1
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4 ' rf n - L - V I M Z5 if fi V y Vol. 83, No. 76 a il by Linda Rosenfield Staff Writer Two ordinances establishing a town historic district and providing for the preservation of other historic properties were approved unanimously by the Chapel Hill Board of Aldermen Monday night following a standing-room-only public hearing. Most of the approximately 1 00 citizens attending the meeting appeared to favor the historic ordinances. The first ordinance establishes a I3l-acre Historic Conservation District and a nine member Historic District Commission to regulate construction in the district. The district will be regulated in two ways. First, before the exterior of any district building is altered, the commission must issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to ensure that the alteration is harmonious with the character of the district. Secondly, any owner wishing to demolish a, structure in the district can be restricted from doing so for up to 90 days while the commission determines whether the structure is of historic value, and if so, how it can be saved. Town Planning Director Mike Jennings Two ships passing in the night they're not, certain garage grandeur about them. by Nancy Mattox Staff Writer UNC geology department members remained silent Tuesday on their reaction to UNC seismologist David Stewart's recent support of a psychic's prediction that a major earthquake will probably rock the North Carolina coast this week. But informed sources have said that department members are displeased with Stewart's involvement in the prediction, and most remain skeptical as to whether the quake will occur. While he would not comment on Stewart's support of the psychic, geology department chairperson Roy Ingram said Tuesday, "I don't think much of the prediction. This kind o f thing (psychic prediction) has no basis of reliable information." "If we (UNC) weren't playing basketball this weekend, I would go down to Wilmington to prove what 1 think about it," he said. But Stewart said he expected public criticism for his support of psychic Clarisa Bernhardt's prediction Saturday that the Wilmington area would be hit by a severe earthquake, registering 8.0 on the Richter scale, within the year, b 0 I rnr1ll,r ,,- -nr r. i 1 O'Neal denies involvement in suit Pope claims he wrote the suit himself Former Student Body Treasurer Mike O'Neal delivered to the DTH Tuesday a notarized letter signed by Campus Governing Council Rep. Dick Pope stating that Pope alone wrote a bogus suit challenging the constitutionality of the student body comptroller. "Mike O'Neal had no part in the writing of the case," the letter read. The DTH had previously reported thatan' unnamed CGC source said Pope and O'Neal' had jointly written the suit. O'Neal could not! be reached for comment at the time. Pope, however, had been asked at that. I said nothing in the ordinance prohibits maintenance of existing structures in the district as long as no major changes are made to the buildings' exteriors. Portions of University-owned property, but none of the campus itself, is included in the historic district, which protects homes in the area of East Rosemary, East Franklin, Hillsborough, Boundary and North Streets. The University agreed to maintain the campus historic buildings on the condition that it be omitted from the district, Jennings said. The second historic ordinance approved by the aldermen establishes procedures for designating historic properties outside the historic district. Although the ordinance sets up the Historic Properties Commission to recommend designation of historic properties, the commission has no enforcement powers to preserve the architectural style. Rather it can only make recommendations concerning exterior alterations and demolitions. Chapel Hill native John Manning said the ordinances are unnecessary since people maintain the area without regulations. He also said he opposes establishing the Historic District Commission. "There's nothing historic in the district unless I'm Staff photo by Steve Causey but these Chapel Hill buses do have a and probably on Jan. 17. . Stewart had told the Seismological Society of America last November that, on the basis of scientific evidence gathered over two years, the Wilmington-Southport area would be hit by a major earthquake within the decade. In revealing Bernhardt's prediction, Stewart said, "All 1 can do is control my own actions. All 1 have done is to be very careful that 1 have not done anything that wasn't well-considered and objective, completely within the bounds of science. I'm at peace with myself so that's all I really want." Stewart told the Daily Tar Heel before Saturday's disclosure the reasons why he decided to support Bernhardt. While scientists could possibly predict an earthquake and its destructiveness, they could not predict when it would happen, he said. Bernhardt's three previous earthquake predictions have been correct, he said, adding that the probability of predicting the date of such an occurrence was in the thousands. While pointing out that he could not say positively that Bernhardt's prediction is correct, Stewart said, "This time, "Did you and O'Neal write the comptroller suit?" and had replied, "Yes." After the DTH received the letter Tuesday, Pope was asked about his earlier response. He replied, "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. What I meant to say was that O'Neal and I both had the ideas for the case, but I actually typed it up." The controversial comptroller suit was filed Dec. 2, the night CGC overrode the presidential veto of the comptroller bill. The suit challenged the legality of the office and was filed before a similar one prepared by presidential aides Barry Smith, Bob Loftin Serving the students and the University community since 1893 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Wednesday, January 14, 1976 historic," Manning said. "Everything between Tenney Circle and Rosemary Street was built during my lifetime, in the past 60 years." Other opponents to the ordinances questioned having strict government regulation of private property. Alderman Jonathan Howes said residents would have to rely on the Commission's good judgment in approving alterations to district buildings. "The commission is made up of people who are interested in the area and educated in history," he said. Richard H. Lamberton, owner of the Mickle-Mangum-Smith house, spoke in support of the ordinances. "If we had not bought the house, it would have been torn down, and a condominium would have been built in its place," Lamberton said. "The good will of the neighbors would not have stopped this." Nancy Preston, president of the Chapel Hill Preservation Society, said much of the town's charm has been lost in the last two decades. ' The designation of a historical district would establish "visual good manners" in the community, she added. "We have to control the quality of the area," resident Watts Hill Jr. said. "I'm sorry the University saw fit not to join in. They were wrong not to join in and cooperate with the community." Also at the board meeting, the aldermen passed a resolution, 7-1, to continue the town's policy of prohibiting commercial advertising on bus exteriors and allowing only free public service announcements on the interiors. The Board of Transportation had recommended that the town allow interior commercial advertising which could raise an estimated $2,500. But Mayor James C. Wallace objected to the recommendation, saying the amount of "revenue would be insignificant. Howes, the only alderman supporting interior advertising, said people are subjected to all types of advertising anyway so "why not on the buses?" Advertising would also brighten dull bus interiors, Howes added. But Wallace replied, "I can't imagine a dull bus, and 1 can't imagine it being perked up by some dumb ad." 1 "7 ?. . .iv Staff photo by Charles Hardy Dr. David S. Stewart, geologist and assistant professor at UNC is so important and the consequences so dire that I really didn't have much choice" in deciding to support her. The National Earthquake Information Service in Denver, Col., apparently shares Stewart's position. John Terr, the service's coordinator, said Tuesday that while psychic prediction has not been very accurate in and Rick Buttner. It was given to Greg Scott, a sophomore not affiliated with Student Government, who was asked by a CGC representative to deliberately lose the case. By losing, the anonymous source said, the office of comptroller would be established and the second suit would probably not be heard. CGC Administration Committee Chairperson Dave Rittenhouse was identified by the DTH source as the council ( member who approached Scott. Although Rittenhouse denied the charge, Scott confirmed the report. m v v. Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan will visit North Carolina on Jan. 27 to campaign in four cities. Administra tion has no reply yet to complaint by 'Newspaper' by Merton Vance Staff Writer The UNC administration has not yet indicated how it will respond to an official complaint made by the Chapel Hill Newspaper last month concerning the closed meeting practices of its Board of Trustees. A letter outlining the complaint was sent to William L. Friday, UNC system president, Dec. 12 by North Carolina Press Association attorney William Lassiter, who is representing the Newspaper. r - ; ;; :.:"!" " - President Friday said Tuesday that he has read the letter and forwarded it to UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor N. Ferebee Taylor and to Walter Davis of Midland, Tex., president of the UNC CH Board of Trustees. Taylor said Tuesday that the board f would determine what action would be taken on the matter. . general, "This person has been successful in three consecutive predictions. "We at least consider the possibility that geographic evidence indicates that there may be an earthquake in that vicinity at that time. It would be irresponsible to ignore the prediction." At UNC professors and graduate students in the geology department declined to comment on Stewart's appearance with the psychic. Stewart said, "I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the politicians went out and hired themselves a seismologist to call me a charlatan. But I know that what I've done is valid." According to a diagram released by Stewart Tuesday on the possible effects of a 8.0 degree earthquake, automobiles in the Chapel Hill area would face interfered steering while stucco and masonry walls would possibly fall. Also, frame houses might be shifted off foundations, branches may be broken off trees and cracks may appear in wet ground and on steep slopes. Stewart was ' asked to compile the diagram at the request of the National Earthquake Informational Service. Meanwhile, Carolina Power and Light Co., the operators of the Brunswick nuclear reactor inSouthport near Wilmington, have said it has no plans for defueling the plant because of the psychic's prediction. - Assistant State Geologist Eldon Allen has said he does not believe the quake forecast, adding that Southport seismographs which normally operate eight hours a day, are now operating 24 hours a day. However, John Mumra, C P & L's manager of licensing and technical service, said the plant is observing its usual operating procedure and that the seismographs were not' operating continuously. An effort is being made though, to keep the information up-to-date, he said. Reagan plans to visit N.C. later this month United Press international RALEIGH Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan will stump for votes in as many as four North Carolina cities Jan. 27 and plans an address Feb. 6 to Raleigh Jaycees, campaign aides said Tuesday. North Carolina's presidential primarv will be held March 23. Reagan's state campaign coordinator, Tom Ellis, said tentative plans call for the former California governor to make stops in Asheville, Charlotte, Gastoniaand Winston Salem to seek support in his challenge of President Ford. Ellis said the Jan. 27 visit may include a luncheon at Asheville, a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Charlotte Reagan campaign office, a dinner at Gastonia and an airport stopover at Winston-Salem. A spokesperson for the North Carolina Jaycee organization and the Citizens for Reagan Committee said Reagan w ill address The complaint was filed after former Newspaper reporter Bill Weich, now working in Charlotte, was asked to leave meetings of the Board of Trustees Utilities Public Relations committees. When Welch asked why he had to leave the Utilities Committee meeting, Committee Chairperson Ralph Strayhorn of Durham, told him the committee would be discussing the sale of water, sewer, electrical and telephone utilities presently owned by the University. I ' The North Carolina open meetings law permits a government body to enter into executive session only under specified conditions. A public meeting can be closed when considering the "acquisition, lease, or alienation of property." However, in the only court test of the open meetings law, Charlottejudge Sam These two gentlemen. Wick Smith (left) and Keith Edwards, were the first in line for the distribution of basketball tickets to the N.C. State game Sunday. Edwards and Smith began their vigil Friday night. Tickets were distributed Sunday. The game itself, while it appears on many schedules as a 1 2:30 game, will in actuality be held at 5 p.m. Budget error causes English II confusion by Bob King Staff Writer A budgeting error which caused 20 sections of English 2 to be cancelled was rectified Monday afternoon. Freshman English Director Doris Betts said yesterday. All but six of the sections were restored. Approximately 240 students, almost all of whom are freshmen, had their sections cancelled and were forced to enter full sections because of the error. Betts said Tuesday she regretted the inconvenience caused to these students, most of w horn will have to re-register in their old sections. Department Chairperson William Harmon said he was not sure exactly how many sections there will be this semester. There were originally 96 sections scheduled. He added that English 2 students will be able to make section changes in the department for "as long as it takes" for each to get in a suitable section. Harmon said the error was caused by confusion between his department and the UNC Budget Office. The English Department, Harmon said, was operating on next year's budget, assuming that the new calendar year marked the beginning of the new fiscal year. Weather: cloudy and warmer an estimated 2,000 persons during his early February visit at" the state Jaycee convention. The two announced isits ill be Reagan's third and fourth since announcing he will challenge Ford for the GOP nomination. He stopped at Charlotte the day alter announcing he would run and made a two city swing through the state Jan. 8. Jaycee spokesperson Edward Hedgepeth said Ford had also been invited to address the convention but that there had been no confirmation from the White House. He added that Reagan will spend the night in Raleigh and then fly on to Florida for that state's March 9 primarv. Hedgepeth said 1.500 seats for the convention address will be sold for S5.50 per seat, and another 500 will be sold to Jaycees. None of the ticket receipts will go to the Reagan campaign but rather will be used to cover the cost of the dinner, a campaign worker said. Reagan will fly in lor the event from New Hampshire, aides said. Ervin III ruled that a body can hold a closed meeting only if a majority of the members approve. Welch said Strayhorn called the executive session without putting the proposal to a vote. Welch was also asked to leave a meeting of the Board of Trustees Public Affairs Committee of which Strayhorn is chairperson. Again, Welch asked why. Welch told the JDaily far Heel that Strayhorn said the Public Affairs committee would be discussing the disbursement of funds to be acquired from the proposed utilities sale. Strayhorn told Welch that this would exempt the meeting from the open meetings law. The open meetings law does not permit closed sessions to consider public relations or the disbursement of money acquired from transferral of property. Staff photo by Steve Cau&ey The consequent hhortiail about S20.000 has been resuppiied with funds from several different sources. No teaching assistants (TAs) will lose their jobs. Harmon said, though some will now teach only one section of English 2 instead of two. Freshman English courses are taught primarily by TAs. Each TA is paid a SI. 450 stipend for the semester's work. James Gaskin. dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, called the mistake "a simple error." adding. "Tod many teaching assignments were made, and teaching assignments had to be altered." Gaskin said some of the funds which bailed out the department came from a reserve fund established last July for such emergencies. Funds of. some departments not in English's financial bind were also used, he said. Additional money came from within the English Department itself, Harmon said. Funds originally budgeted to pay for visits by prospective faculty will be reallocated, he said. Betts said she was "almost crazy" trying to iron out the administrative details resulting from the snafu. "It's been a crisis, with its own depths and heights." she said. "I appreciate the patience students have shown."
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Jan. 14, 1976, edition 1
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