‘It was an exciting time.’
Pittsboro woman witnesses inauguration
By Randall Rigsbee
On the
morning of January 19, Mary Nettles boarded a bus and headed for
Washington D.C.
Like 1,550
others in North Carolina on the "Dream to the Promise" trip and the
nearly two million others from across the country, Nettles was on
her way to see the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
"It was an
exciting time," Nettles said. "I just wanted to be around people who
were ready for a change," Nettles said.
Nettles’
journey to the inauguration began last year in Denver.
Nettles, who
is from Pittsboro, represented Chatham County as a delegate for
Barack Obama in the Democratic National Convention in Denver in
August.
While at the
convention, Nettles learned that a group, the Martin Luther King
Association of North Carolina, was planning a trip to the
inauguration.
"In Denver
they were getting the buses together for the trip and I had them put
me down for two spaces," Nettles said.
"I just
wanted to be [at the inauguration]. I just wanted to be with the
crowd," Nettles said.
"He was
talking about hope, and we need a change," Nettles said.
Through her
participation with the group, Nettles was given a prestigious blue
ticket to the inauguration – a pass that allowed her to get nearly
in the front section for the event.
However, when Nettles
arrived at the blue section, she was turned away.
more- See Thursday,
January 29,
2009
edition
Eyes of
nation view inauguration
By Randall Rigsbee
As the nation’s eyes were
focused Tuesday on the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th
president of the United States, many Chatham County residents could
enjoy having helped make this moment in history.
Chatham
County voters helped put the Barack Obama/Joe Biden Democratic
ticket into office in the Nov. 4 election.
With a huge
voter turnout of 77.84 percent (the second highest turnout, per
capita, among North Carolina’s 100 counties), Chatham County voters
played a role in history, helping put Obama into office.
With 54.32 percent of voters
(17,862 votes) favoring Obama/Biden, compared to the Republican
ticket of John McCain/Sarah Palin, which garnered 44.61 percent
(14,668 votes) here, Chatham County joined the majority of North
Carolina voters, favoring Obama with the state’s popular vote and
its 15 electoral college votes.
more- See Thursday,
January 22,
2009
edition
Relay kicks
off new year
By
John Hunter
The West
Chatham Relay for Life held its annual kickoff dinner Thursday,
January 22, at Loves Creek Baptist Church in Siler City.
The dinner
was held in an effort to bring awareness to those battling cancer as
well as remembering those who have been lost to the disease.
"This is
mostly to let Chatham County know that this is it. This is where we
start, though it technically goes on year round," Carla Daniel,
steering committee member for the West Chatham Relay said.
"This is
sort of a pep rally to start our next year," chair Dacia Hayes said.
Daniel said
that the efforts of Relay for Life hit close to home for her, as
well as many others.
"I have a
father-in-law who has cancer. I lost my sister last year to cancer,"
Daniel said,
"No one is
not affected by this disease. I haven’t met a single person who
doesn’t know someone, love someone or that has lost someone that has
cancer," Daniel said.
"This is truly the best way
that I can serve my county in such an incredible way," Daniel added.
Hayes also
has a personal connection with Relay for Life’s fight against
cancer.
Hayes has
been involved with Relay for Life in different aspects for years.
"But three days after I was
asked to chair this year’s event, my mother was diagnosed with
cancer," Hayes said.
more- See Thursday,
January
29,
2009
edition
|
"Do not make
this happen. Make a stand. Please. We ought to be
thinking about getting (alcohol) out of here, not bringing it in." -
Siler City resident Mel Perry
County board
hears comments, will decide referendum next month
Randall Rigsbee
County
commissioners will decide next month whether to approve a referendum
allowing Chatham residents to vote on liquor by the drink here.
In the
meantime, the five-person county Board of Commissioners will be
considering data from the 82 North Carolina counties that have
liquor by the drink, including the measure’s economic impacts and
statistics regarding traffic fatalities.
Commissioners also have a wide span of public opinion to consider,
some of it presented to them Monday night during an hour-long public
hearing.
The
near-capacity crowd of Chatham residents which convened in the
Superior Courtroom in Pittsboro Monday appeared evenly split on the
subject, judging by the speakers’ comments and the applause which
often followed.
Some
speakers – including Beth Morton of Moncure – urged commissioners to
go no further with the measure. She shared a story of how a drunk
driver impacted her family in the early Seventies.
"My family
was destroyed by one too many drinks someone had that night," Morton
said.
Others –
including Loyse Hurley, president of the grassroots Chatham Citizens
for Effective Communities (CCEC) – urged commissioners to let voters
decide the matter in a referendum.
"CCEC is
supportive of anything that will assist in economic development,"
Hurley said.
If
commissioners move forward with a referendum on liquor by the drink
– board chairman George Lucier said commissioners will make that
decision at either their Feb. 2 or Feb. 16 meeting – the referendum
could be held as early as May or as late as February.
Sixteen residents addressed
commissioners on the matter Monday, presenting a variety of opinions
on whether voters should decide if restaurants and bars will be
allowed to sell mixed drinks throughout Chatham County.
"Commissioners, I encourage you to put it on the ballot and let
the people voice their opinion about how they feel."
-referendum proponent Francine Henville-Shannon
more- See Thursday,
January 29,
2009
edition
Report
addresses
housing needs
By
John Hunter
Because the
average price of a home in Chatham County is, at around $400,000,
out of many people’s reach, a group of Chatham residents has spent
the last three years studying the issue of affordable housing.
The Chatham
County Affordable Housing Task Force recently completed its report
and on Monday presented a list of recommendations to the county
Board of Commissioners.
Those
recommendations include the county establishing an ongoing program,
with staff and funding, to support local affordable housing on a
continuing basis and that the county work closely with the three
municipalities in providing such housing.
Presenting
the report Monday, task force members noted that affordable housing
is an often misunderstood term and they suggested an alternative
term: workforce housing.
The common misconception is
that "affordable housing" refers to public housing.
more- See Thursday,
January 22,
2009
edition
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