A friend of ours who used to work at the Inter-Faith Council once lamented over another in the string of attempts to find a new home for the downtown homeless shelter by noting that, “If we were talking about dolphins, we’d have no problem.†He was absolutely right. If Chapel Hill and Carrboro suddenly found…
Category: Opinion
Letter: Thanks for a great day
A belated Bravo to the Carrboro High School football team, several dozen of whom turned out to volunteer on Carrboro Day. The purple-jerseyed Jaguars and their super coach, Jason Tudryn, arrived in time to help set up and stayed all afternoon moving tables, chairs, books and band equipment. They played with little kids and ran…
Letter: First and worst
Just a few weeks before they are to graduate, hundreds of high school seniors in North Carolina have been punched in the gut. Today, the North Carolina Community College system announced that no community college will accept undocumented students. These children did not make the decision to come here, and most do not have the…
Letter: Vote Allison
Leo Allison is the better choice to fill the Orange County Board of Commissioners position in the June 24 run-off election because he is caring, thorough and a tireless contributor to the community he has loved since childhood. And, he is known to do his homework! At Efland-Cheeks Elementary, “our school,†where we both volunteer…
Thorp is the right choice for chancellor
By Robert Dickson I shuddered last fall when I read that UNC Trustee Roger Perry had said that the search firm hired to find the new chancellor knew every “player†in the country. That description implied to me that our school was in for yet another development-minded leader and that the university of never-ending construction…
Letter from the Editor: 05/08/08
Ordinarily, the editorial after an election day, and especially after a primary, is our opportunity to scold. Turnout has been so dismal for so long that it’s part of the drill. We even took to reporting the numbers in inverse as a form of shock therapy (as in, “73 percent of the registered voters failed…
Reduce teen pregnancies to reduce the dropout rate
By Paige Johnson For a senior in high school, there is no greater season than spring. Warm weather and trees in bloom seem to coincide with a 12th grader’s growing sense of triumph and potential. Prom night, family celebrations and high school graduation are only days away. Her future is filled with promise or, at…
Gas tax moratorium? A sputtering idea
By Elaine Mejia Earlier this month, presidential hopefuls John McCain and Hillary Clinton, along with gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham, endorsed a temporary gas tax holiday to last through the summer vacation season. These proposals should come as no surprise given the squeeze that rising gas prices is putting on middle-class families. While the notion of…
Two choices for Wednesday
By Chris Fitzsimon When the votes are finally counted Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, except for a few possible runoffs, the primary season will be over and the general election push begins. There are plenty of issues likely to define the general election battle in statewide and legislative races, and plenty of issues that…
Seven reasons to vote yes
By policy, this newspaper does not endorse candidates. Matters of public policy, however, are fair game. After weighing both sides in the debate over a real estate transfer tax, we strongly suggest you vote for it. Here’s why: 1. Another source of funds — The transfer tax will be a source of revenue for schools…
The health care campaign
By Chris Fitzsimon Virtually every poll finds that the economy and health care are the issues people in North Carolina and the nation are most concerned about, and they are undeniably related. People know that if they lose their job, they will lose their health care. Even if they stay employed, they may face rising…
Putting testing to the test
By Steve Peha & Margot Carmichael Lester As we head to the end of the school year, we find ourselves in testing season. We also find ourselves unsettled as a nation with regard to the value and appropriateness of this now-annual ritual. Government officials at the state and federal levels contend that widespread testing is…
Letter to the Editor: Fire safety for the deaf
While Carrboro is in the process of revamping its building rules, I hope they will contact the State Fire Marshall’s Office about a little known federal law passed in 1997: (42 U.S.C. 4151—4157, 7 CFR 1930 Sub part C), which states that owners of apartment buildings must install visual alarms for deaf residents at no…
Letter to the Editor: Thanks, Val
On behalf of the Jung Society of the Triangle Area, I want to express appreciation for the fine article Valarie Schwartz wrote about our organization and its 25th anniversary. I have long enjoyed her writing when she was on the staff of the Chapel Hill News. How fortunate you are to have her with The…
Endorsement Letters: Page Vernon
For Vernon I have known Page Vernon for over 25 years. In that time, I have worked with Page in regards to youth and families in Chatham County in her role as attorney, guardian ad litem, board member and mentor. The words I use to describe Page are: honest, thoughtful, compassionate and fair. She knows…