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©2001-2005 The Chatham News Publishing Co., Inc. - All Rights Reserved

 Siler City, North Carolina  (919)663-3232   

County to pay local attorney $10,000 for volunteer work

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham County will pay a Siler City attorney $10,000 for work she voluntarily undertook  to help the county obtain a US 64 entrance to county-owned industrial property near Wal-Mart.

County commissioners approved the payment to attorney Jennifer Andrews on Monday, but the five-member county board didn’t reach the decision unanimously.

Commissioners split 3-2 in the decision, with chairman Bunkey Morgan and commissioners Tommy Emerson and Carl Outz casting votes in favor the payment and commissioners Mike Cross and Patrick Barnes voting against it.

Andrews, a member of the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), will receive $10,000 for her work in helping the county secure the US 64 access, which was vital for county plans to use the property as a business park.

The county has been negotiating with several property owners for several years attempting to obtain the access to the county’s approximately 500-acre property.

The county recently obtained the easement, which is between the Rocky River and Wal-Mart on US 64, from property owner Ed Stone.

The county got the easement without purchasing additional property through an agreement with Stone, who will continued to have access to his property through the agreement.

more- See Thursday, June 9 paper: Vol 85, No.28

Siler City annexes business park

By Joseph Pardington

The Siler City Town Board unanimously approved on Monday annexation of the 489-acre property that is the future site of the Chatham County Business Park.

The vote followed a public hearing during which nobody requested time to speak in favor of or opposed to the annexation.

Siler City town manager Joel Brower told the Town Board that the public had been duly informed about the annexation by public notices in the local newspaper.

Brower summed up the importance of the vote.

“This would be the final step in bringing this property into the corporate limits,” Brower said.

“This annexation will be effective June 30^th of this year,” he added.

With annexation, the town will provide water and sewer capacity to the property, once the studies are completed and the property owner, Chatham County, provides the infrastructure.

The SC Town Board also unanimously approved the conditional use permit of the same property, as recommended by the Siler City Planning Board on May 8.

The planning board recommended the permit provided certain conditions are met, including a traffic impact study, a storm water drainage plan, a wetland survey, construction details and public water hydraulic analysis.

Siler City planning director Jack Meadows listed one change in the conditions – providing access and utility easement to Chatham Land Timber Management LLC.

more- See Thursday, June 9 paper: Vol 85, No.28

County continues budget work

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham County commissioners have yet to sign-off on a final fiscal year 2005/06 budget, which they must do before the end of the month, but they were firm in declaring on Monday that one thing the budget won’t include is a pay raise for themselves.

County manager Charlie Horne had included in his budget proposal an increase in commissioner pay.

The elected commissioners are compensated approximately $13,000 a year for their work.

Commissioners quickly rejected any increase in their pay during a Monday discussion.

“We volunteered for this,” said chairman Bunkey Morgan.

Commissioners were unanimous in rejecting any pay increase.

more- See Thursday, June 9 paper: Vol 85, No.28

Law enforcement totes Olympic torch

By Cara Rotondaro

Chatham County law enforcement officials participated in an ancient Greek practice last Wednesday when they carried a torch through Siler City and Pittsboro to publicize the North Carolina Special Olympics, held in Raleigh June 3 to 5.

Detective Sergeant Mike Szpunar of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office has helped organize and has participated in the torch run and Special Olympics fundraisers in Chatham County for the past eight years.

“It’s a chance for the kids to compete and do things that other kids do,” he said about the annual games.

The Special Olympics is a national program that provides year-long athletic training and sports competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

This year nearly 1,100 athletes from across North Carolina competed in Special Olympics activities, including aquatics, athletics, gymnastics, powerlifting, softball, and volleyball.

Those who participated in the torch run, including representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, and police departments from Siler City and Pittsboro, as well as several students in basic training for law enforcement at Central Carolina Community College, were in good spirits while promoting the worthwhile cause, said Szpunar.

“Everyone had a really great time this year,” he said. “Everyone is always welcome to come out and carry the torch.”

This year there were about 12 law enforcement officers who ran the approximately four miles throughout the county, said Szpunar. They carried the torch about two and a half miles through the Siler City business district and about two miles through Pittsboro, ending at the Sheriff’s Office.

Similar torch runs occurred all over the state. Chatham County participants picked up the torch from law enforcement officials in Pinehurst and passed it off to the Cary Police Department once the Chatham leg had been run.

The torch run final leg ceremony occurred Friday night in Raleigh.  

Szpunar and others have been working to raise money for the event since January through tee-shirt sales and other fundraisers.

Those interested in participating don’t need to worry that they missed out for this year’s Special Olympics games and torch run. Special Olympics organizers always need more volunteers at the games, said Szpunar.

And local law enforcement would love to see residents come out and support the annual torch run, or even jump in and participate.  

“We always do this, and we’ll be doing this next year,” Szpunar said.

The Chatham News

is Published Every Thursday by The Chatham News Publishing Co, Inc at

303 West Raleigh Street, Siler City, NC 27344, (919)663-3232

Alan D. Resch Editor-Publisher

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