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"Lean" county
budget presented to board
By A Staff
Report
Lean. That’s how Chatham County manager Charlie Horne described his
proposed Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget, which he presented to county
commissioners Monday.
Horne’s proposed budget includes a recommended “revenue neutral” tax
rate of 60.32 cents per $100 of property value.
The revenue neutral rate is aimed at helping offset some of the
impact of the 2009 revaluation on property owners. The current tax
rate is 65.3 cents per $100 of property value.
Two public hearings on the proposed budget, which is available for
view online at the county website (www.chathamnc.org) are set for
May 18 at 6 p.m. in Pittsboro in the Superior Courtroom (at
beginning of a regular board meeting) and May 21 at 6 p.m. at Siler
City Town Hall.
Copies of the proposed budget will also be available at all county
libraries (Goldston, Pittsboro and Siler City) by May 7.
Horne acknowledged the difficulty of creating a budget “in an
atmosphere of economic uncertainty.” The proposed $80,995,467
General Fund budget is 3 percent lower than the current budget, but
is actually 7 percent lower when required debt payments are
excluded, according to Horne. Departments identified many of the
cuts, including not funding some positions.
Budget cuts in the proposed budget include suspending the
pay-for-performance (merit) salary increases earned by county
employees during the current budget year and also postpones
implementing a pay plan to bring all employees up to at least the
minimum of their pay range, based on the local market.
“These were painful decisions, but we have no choice at this time,”
Horne said.
At the same time, the recession has increased demand for some county
services when there is less revenue to fully meet those needs, Horne
said.
“Because we are in better fiscal shape than the state and most local
governments, we are still able to recommend a fiscally prudent
budget with limited impact on services,” he said.
He noted that the county has had effective fiscal stewardship for
many years due to the leadership of the budget and finance staff.
“We should be able to weather a short-term storm, but if the
recession is prolonged, we will have to make deeper cuts,” Horne
said.
more- See Thursday,
May 7,
2009
edition
Gang activity varies by school, authorities say
By
John Hunter
“With the kids and the gangs, they’ve got this big, blown out thing
about respect,” Barrios said.
“A lot of them take this thing “respect” and twist it around. And
then when you as an adult or teacher tell them you have to do this
or this or this, then it’s ‘Oh, you’re disrespecting me’,” Barrios
said.
“Basically the way the gang culture lives is ‘If you’re
disrespecting me then my gang is going to get you,’” Barrios said.
Barrios said that the die-hard gang attitude is not that severe in
Chatham County.
“But they all still have that problem about respect,” Barrios said.
Barrios believes a great deal of this attitude stems from a
glorification the gang ethos in pop culture.
“They watch TV, the videos, the rap songs. And they always have
someone as a gang member that’s got all this money and pretty girls
that do whatever I want,” Barrios said.
Historically gang members have identified themselves with various
distinctive identifiers such as colors, hand signals, jewelry or
even numbers.
Barrios said that belt buckles will act as an identifier for gangs.
“You will see the number 13 or the “S” for Sueranos or the “N” for
Nortenos. Or you’ll see an “M” and that stands for Mexican Mafia,”
Barrios said.
Recently the schools have become aware of certain gang symbols and
have begun to crackdown on what students are allowed to wear.
However, said Barrios, the students are still finding more subtle
ways to display their gangs identifiers.
“I was at Chatham Middle and I was looking at this boy who had the
Abercrombie shirt with the number 20 on it. But on his pants he had
a big 7 embroidered on it,” Barrios said.
“Before I could add and subtract, his friend comes walking up, same
shirt, but a different color and the same 7 on his pants. So I said
‘Ah. What’s 20 minus 7? 13,’” Barrios said.
Some students have opted instead to hide their gang’s colors or
signs under other clothing.
“Some of them will hide their bandanas under their clothing, or they
will have two shirts on and the shirt underneath will have the
number 13 on it, and they’ll lift it up,” Barrios said.
Despite the efforts to rid the gang signs from the school, Barrios
said that some, such as American flag belt buckles, will still make
their ways into the school.
“How many stripes does an American flag have? 13. But if a Hispanic
kid is wearing an American flag belt buckle, can the school
administration say anything? No one can say anything,” Barrios said.
Because of a law that went into effect in December, the N.C. Street
Gang Suppression Act, gang members are now encouraged not to get
tattoos. Under the new law, many crimes committed by a known gang
member that would be misdemeanors automatically become felony
charges.
more- See
Thursday,
May 7,
2009
edition
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Lee Moody photos
Carrying the torch . . .
Gail Fox of Silk Hope, who is undergoing
treatment for breast cancer, carries the torch onto the track at
Jordan-Matthews High School for the two-day Relay for Life.
Relay honors survivors
By Milburn Gibbs
By any gauge, The Western Chatham
2009 Relay for Life was a huge success. From the survivors who were
honored, to the business of raising money for cancer research, every
part of every event went off flawlessly at the Jordan-Matthews High
School track May 1 and 2.
The Ray Dowd Memorial Bicycle Ride
took place Sunday morning.
Siler City has gained a reputation of
always conducting a superb Relay for Life. This year was surely no
exception, as thousands responded.
Western Chatham 2009 Relay for Life
Event Chair Dacia Hayes and Event Co-Chair Terrie McLaurin, and many
others, helped organize what probably was the best Relay yet. If
there was anything Dacia and Terrie overlooked, it was not evident.
TV host and author Robin Bertram
spoke inspiringly to help open the event.
“This is about coming together as
one,” Bertran said. “There is hope available in the midst of battle.
We can do more than just be survivors; we can be conquerors. There
is hope in the battle and we can find peace in the battle.
“Choose life! Cancer is an invader.
A true believer refuses to give up. Cancer will be overcome.”
Bear Creek’s Reval McClain was
diagnosed with cervical cancer 15 years ago.
“As far as I know, my cancer is
gone,” Reval said. “I kept my faith in God.”
Ledford Brady of Bennett is a
10-year survivor.
David Hart called every survivor’s
name during the Survivor’s Lap on the track. There were scores of
names called off.
“Survivors are why we are here
tonight,” David said.
Norma Harris of Siler City is a
19-year survivor. “I have lost seven family members to cancer,” she
remembered painfully. “With God’s help and support of my family, we
will continue to fight this terrible disease.”
Her husband Joe Harris believes he
has been cured.
William Fields of Siler City is also
a survivor, as is Dixie Smith, who has had cancer three different
times. The Rev. Jim Wall is also a survivor.
more- See Thursday,
May 7,
2009
edition
Officials remain vigilant with H1N1 now in state
By John Hunter
North Carolina has one seen one confirmed case of the H1N1 virus.
But that has not prevented those around the state and in Chatham
County from keeping a close guard against the illness.
According to the Chatham County Public Health Department, no
confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, have
been reported. The Health Department declined to release the number
of suspected cases of H1N1 in the county.
The Health Department has set up a phone line -- 919-545-8397
-- for H1N1 related issues. Callers are asked to leave a
message.
Chatham County Schools’ officials have advised administrators to
consult the school nurse if any suspected cases arrive.
According to Chatham County Schools Superintendent Robert Logan, any
school with a suspected case of H1N1 is required to close. Logan
also said that a letter will be sent home to parents that will
provide more information regarding the school system’s approach to
the virus.
The livestock industry, says Sam Groce, an agent with the Chatham
County Cooperative Extension, has been mostly impervious since the
H1N1 outbreak.
“We have not heard of any human being infected in this country by an
animal. So far it is being passed human to human,” Groce said.
The biggest impact on livestock, says Groce, stems from fear and
misinformation.
Groce says that many in the public who falsely believe that they can
be infected with the H1N1 virus are causing the price of hogs to
drop daily – a myth that Groce is eager to debunk.
“It is still safe to eat pork chops and bacon and all of these
products,” Groce said.
In fact, says Groce, swine farms have been and are currently
required to operate under strict biosecurity practices.
“These farms have the same bio security issues that they do day to
day. Nothing has changed there,” Groce said.
Groce says some of the misinformation comes from the common name
given to the virus - the “swine flu.”
Though the H1N1 virus is comprised of two components swine flu, it
also is made up of one component avian flu and one component human
flu – a strain that is unique from the actual swine flu, says Groce.
more- See Thursday,
May 7,
2009
edition
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