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Miscellany

Don’t believe the hype

The editorial on the loan dust-up from this week’s paper:

Finally, a Carrboro Board of Aldermen meeting gets wide coverage and, we’re sorry to say, we’re the cause of it all.

There’s been a good deal of tut-tutting about The Citizen’s successful application to the town’s revolving loan program.

There’s an implication that because we qualified and got a small business loan we are somehow tainted, on the dole, in cahoots or worse.

Don’t you believe it.

In 2007, we saw an opportunity to start a newspaper because Carrboro was being covered less and less. Now, in 2009, we are seeing demand for our paper in Chapel Hill, North Chatham and Hillsborough on the rise for the same reason.

In difficult economic times and in a tight credit market, we opted to work with a town-sponsored program that has been successful in helping dozens of other small businesses. The money came with no strings and no winks and the loan, taxpayers, is 100 percent-plus secured.

We’re sorry about the distraction and now intend to get on with reporting on town budgets, county solid waste policy, mental health needs and 20 or 30 other things.

The goal here is a solid community newspaper. Nothing more. And, certainly, nothing less.