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 Siler City, North Carolina  (919)663-3232   

Political action group endorses candidates

By Cara Rotondaro

The recently-formed grassroots political action committee Pittsboro Together this week endorsed three candidates running for seats in Pittsboro government after reviewing candidates’ answers to the group’s questionnaire.

The group endorses Randy Voller for mayor and Pamela Baldwin and Efrain Ramirez for two open seats on the Town Board.

Pittsboro resident Jim Hinkley and Michael Knight co-chair the group.

Voller is running against incumbent Mayor Nancy May. Commissioner Chris Walker is the incumbent running for reelection to the town board. Commissioner Burnice Griffin will give up his seat at the end of his term this year.

In a press release listing the endorsees, Hinkley and Knight said Pittsboro Together picked those candidates whose answers to the questionnaire “showed firm commitment to long-range planning and economic development, downtown vitalization, more open government, expanded cultural and recreational opportunities and preserving and enhancing the unique small-town feel of the county seat.”

These are issues that the political action group, comprised of approximately 25 Pittsboro residents, identified as most important to Pittsboro and its leadership.

 “Randy Voller, Pamela Baldwin and Efrain Ramirez demonstrated they have the knowledge, new ideas and vision that are essential for planning for Pittsboro’s future as we face unprecedented growth pressures,” said Hinkley.

“They offered a strong commitment to more open government and citizen input to help them preserve and improve the quality of life for everyone who lives and works in the Pittsboro area,” said Knight.

All candidates thoroughly answered the 11 multi-pronged questions except May, who said that she was too busy working on town business to complete the questionnaire, according to the Pitttsboro Together press release.

She did, however, conduct a telephone interview with Hinkley.

According to the group’s endorsement, Voller, Baldwin and Ramirez said that Pittsboro needs a better land-use development plan to guide diverse and sustainable residential and business development without increasing suburban sprawl, traffic, pollution and taxes.

Pittsboro Together also pointed out that the three endorsed candidates agreed that the town needs to support more recreational and cultural opportunities.

The three also said steps need to be taken to ensure elected officials fully disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest in decisions before coming to the board and that citizens have adequate access to local government information and meetings.

Walker, according to the release, agreed with new candidates that participation in local government is important, although he saw no reason to change anything to improve citizen access to information.

 Questions posed ranged in subject from citizen participation in local government to the land use plan.

The question, “What do you think the role of local officials should be in downtown development?” generated the following answers:

Baldwin: “The local officials should play an important role in downtown development and should take an active role by holding public meetings and forums and recruiting activities for downtown.”

  more- See Thursday, Sept 29 paper: Vol 85, No. 44

Car strikes, kills woman in silk Hope

By Joseph Pardington

A Silk Hope woman died as a result of being struck by a car as she crossed Silk Hope Liberty Road on Monday, Sept. 26.

UNC Air Care transported Grace Mildred Hargrove of 1953 Silk Hope Liberty Road to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill following the 8:12 a.m. accident, according to the NC Highway Patrol.

Hargrove died from injuries sustained in the accident. She was 80.

The Patrol reported that Eric Raymond Stockton, 47, of 342 Silk-Hope Liberty Road, Siler City was driving west in his pickup truck, while Hargrove was walking north, crossing the roadway.

Hargrove was in the roadway near the centerline when Stockton’s vehicle crested the hill, according to Trooper D.C. Pate.

Stockton told the Highway Patrol that he slowed and that Hargrove attempted to stop and turn around but fell. Stockton swerved to the right and the driver’s side rear view mirror struck Hargrove.

Stockton, who was not charged,  pulled to the shoulder and came to rest. 

County urges voluntary water conservation steps

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham County utility officials are asking water customers to voluntarily reduce usage as a late-summer drought continues.

The request follows a similar plea last week from Siler City officials, who asked town water customers to voluntarily cut water usage, with a goal of 20 percent reduction in consumption.

The late-summer drought is having an impact on regional water supplies, including Chatham County’s.

R.C. “Duck” Duckson, assistant operations manager with the Army Corps of Engineers at Jordan Lake, said the lake level Tuesday morning was 213.26 feet, which is 2 ¾ feet below its normal pool.

Wake County’s Falls Lake, Duckson said, is approximately five feet below normal level.

“We’re not as bad as the lake in north Raleigh,” he said, “but it still doesn’t help us any.”

History doesn’t indicate relief is on the way soon, either, Duckson said, noting October and November are historically dry periods.

“We’re getting ready to enter what is historically our driest period of the next couple of months,” Duckson said.

While the drought is not yet severe enough to warrant mandatory water restrictions in the county, Chatham County water customers late last week were asked to take voluntary conservation steps to cut usage by 10 to 20 percent, according to Will Baker, director of the Chatham County Utilities Department.

Several area local governments in the region have mandated reduced water use, but Baker said he hopes voluntary actions will save enough county water to make mandatory measures unnecessary.

If the drought continues over the next few weeks or customers do not voluntarily conserve enough water, mandatory steps may be enacted.

  more- See Thursday, Sept 29 paper: Vol 85, No. 44

Ten years after fire, merchants seek action on church's structure

Ten years after a fire scorched the First United Methodist Church on S. Chatham Ave., Siler City, the building’s shell remains, with no plan in place for the public to review.

During a town board meeting Sept. 19, two Siler City businessmen complained about the decaying church’s structure.

Phil Edwards, who works at 122 S. Chatham Ave., spoke first.

“I think it’s time something was done,” he said of the building.

“I’m only asking that you get them to give you a schedule they are going to follow,” Edwards said of the property.

Doug Deaton, who works at 117 S. Chatham Ave., spoke next.

“I own property next to the Methodist Church,” Deaton said. “It’s an eyesore to the town.”

Deaton said he kept hearing the same stories over and over about what was being done.

He added that he was in favor of an arts center if the owners would get it done.

But in the meantime, he said, he was the unofficial spokesman of the block, who was sent out to ask questions about the plans.

Siler City town manager Joel Brower on Monday briefly discussed the burnt-out building.

Siler City’s building inspector has spoken to the building’s owners about improving security for the building and cutting the grass, Brower said.

Brower referred further questions to Leon Tongret, who heads the North Carolina Arts Incubator. The Arts incubator holds the lease to the abandoned building.

Tongret was not available for comment.

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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