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Local reviews
mixed for bailout plan
By John Hunter
As Congress
toils over the details of a bailout deal that would see the
government acquiring up to $700 billion of troubled mortgage-backed
securities, several residents of Chatham County offered their own
insights.
"It’s
needed," Megan Lucas of Pittsboro said. "It is the only thing that
is going to help us."
Janice
Escott, owner of Unity Books & Stuff in Pittsboro, says that she is
fortunate to own a business that will support her for the rest of
her life.
However,
Escott is concerned with others throughout the United States who are
not as fortunate.
"What are
people over the age of 65 going to do with no retirement?" Escott
said. "Our retirements are going really fast because of this
situation."
Roger Gerber,
the Republican candidate for the NC Senate District 18, believes
that the bailouts are a function of government-backed entities that
"are getting so large that elected officials are afraid to let them
fail."
"Free markets
cannot operate freely when a company’s losses are covered by tax
payer dollars," Gerber said.
According to Karl Kachergis,
the chairman of the Chatham County Democratic party, reckless
economic policies led to the government bailouts – something he
holds Republicans responsible for.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
One stop
voting set for Oct. 16
By Bill Willcox
One Stop
Voting for the upcoming Nov. 4 general election will begin Thursday,
Oct. 16 and end Saturday, Nov. 1.
There are
three sites in Chatham County where voters can cast their ballots
early.
The Board of
Elections office at 984 Thompson Street in Pittsboro will be open 8
a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The Chatham Downs Shopping
Center site at the intersection of U.S. 15-501 and Lystra Road will
be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10-3 on
Saturday.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
Deputy cleared
in wounding of suspect
Chatham
County Managing Assistant District Attorney, Kayley Taber, of the
Office of the District Attorney for District 15b, announced this
week that Chatham County Deputy J. Cruz was justified in his action
in firing on and wounding a suspected drug trafficker during service
of a search warrant in Siler City on April 14, 2008.
"Based on my
review of the comprehensive investigation by the State Bureau of
Investigation, Deputy J. Cruz acted lawfully and reasonably to
protect his own life and the lives of the other deputies on the
scene," Taber said. "On the date of the incident, the deputies
announced their presence and entered the residence pursuant to a
search warrant for illegal drugs and weapons. Deputy Cruz was the
first through the door and immediately encountered the armed
suspect.
"The suspect failed to comply
with commands to drop the weapon and raised the handgun toward the
deputy," said Taber. "At that time the deputy felt his life was in
jeopardy and discharged his firearm, striking the suspect. I believe
this action saved Deputy Cruz’ life and was justified based on the
facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
McCleave pens memoir of civil rights movement
Milburn Gibbs
The Rev. Dr.
Mansel Philip McCleave of Siler City has seen civil rights history
up-front. He was a part of it.
Additionally,
he has written a book –"Hunger Pains in our Heads: The Story of the
Non-Violent Student Sit-In Movement and the Black Struggle for
Equality."
On February
1, 1960, four black college freshman from N.C. A. & T. sat down at
4:30 p.m. at the lunch counter of Woolworth’s in Greensboro, N.C.
and asking to be served.
The four were
refused service because they were black.
"At that exact moment a whole
generation of black people stood up," McCleave said in his book.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
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Two weeks
after hurricane, gas supplies here remain uncertain
By John Hunter
Hurricane Ike
made landfall in Texas on September 13th, causing several oil
refineries to shut down.
Two weeks
later, gas stations throughout the state are continuing to
experience a shortage in fuel, causing several Chatham County
residents to ask "Why?"
"I’m kind of
wondering why there is a shortage," Dean Jeffrey said.
"The
hurricane didn’t seem to affect anything [in Texas] except
Galveston," Jeffrey added.
"It’s being
caused by panic by other people," Jeff Riggs of Pittsboro said.
Megan Lucas
of Pittsboro said that she doesn’t believe there is a shortage.
"I think it
has to do with Congress. I don’t agree with any of it," Lucas added.
George Cooper
of Cooper Brothers convenience store feels that much of the gas
shortage comes from gas stations waiting for a price change.
"When you get
short, the price swings up and then back down," Cooper said.
"If you
bought gas at $3.70 and tomorrow it’s down to $3.50, you’re losing
money," Cooper said.
"You can’t
shoot yourself in the foot just for that," Cooper added.
Mallika
Patel, owner of C Mini Mart in Pittsboro, said earlier this week
that her store was out of diesel fuel, and she was not sure when she
would get more.
"I called the
oil company last week and they said [diesel fuel] would be here by
Friday," Patel said.
"But I still don’t have it,"
she added.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
His motto:
"Take the ‘t’ out of can’t"
Rev. McCleave
continues long history of community service
Milburn Gibbs
The Rev. Dr.
Mansel Philip McCleave has devoted his life to education and
religion. The Siler City resident has also been a community leader
as well as a businessman for five decades.
He has two
honorary doctorates.
Education and
religion have been the two major focuses in his life.
He served 34
years as an instructor in horticulture and plant sciences in the
N.C. A&T’s School of Agriculture in Greensboro, where he also was
director of the green houses.
McCleave
retired in 1987 from A&T and moved to Atlanta to operate a florist
business.
He is nothing
if not an entrepreneur, having owned and operated five businesses
all told, one of which was a dry cleaners in Siler City, and another
a flower farm and nursery.
He received honorary
doctorates from Friendship College and Apex School of Theology.
He served
three tenures as pastor over 18 years at the First Missionary
Baptist Church in Siler City, beginning in 1957.
Beginning in
1958, he also became the pastor at Liberty’s Edwards Grove
Missionary Church for a total of 30 years in three tenures at
Liberty.
From
1977-1980, he served as Moderator of Deep River Missionary Baptist
Association, which consisted of 28 churches.
His favorite
scripture is Proverbs 3: verses 5 and 6.
The young
McCleave graduated from Chatham County Training School in Siler City
in 1943, and attended Hampton Institute in Hampton, VA in 1943 and
1944, before he was drafted into the US Army, serving in Japan for
two years in 1946 and 1947.
He attended
N.C.A&T from 1947 until graduation in 1950, and returned to A&T as
an instructor in 1953.
Additionally,
he studied at UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Shaw
University graduate schools
"Most of my course work was
in horticulture and plant sciences," he explained.
more- See Thursday,
October 2,
2008 paper:
Vol 90, No.45
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