It is more likely an aid for pilots, but when workers removed the old roof, they thought they found a long-forgotten helipad. Above photo courtesy of Cabins, Cottages & Bungalows. Other photos by Kirk Ross

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

HILLSBOROUGH — The façade still stands at the old Southern States building at 137 West Margaret Lane, as does the front door, although the dark red paint job is cracked and there’s a busted out pane or two.

For more than half a century, farmers and gardeners throughout the area crossed that threshold. To do so now would not be advised. The first step, as they say, is a doozy. Except for the graffiti on the walls, a couple of fuse boxes and the remains of a bathroom, not much is left to tell you the building even had a first floor.

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Since opening in March, GlassHalfFull has been a big draw. Photos by Kirk Ross

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

If you’ve driven past the old Trading Post building on South Greensboro Street lately, you might notice that the resident antique shop is now somewhat smaller. What might draw you in, however, is the latest addition to Carrboro’s restaurant scene, now filling the building’s extra space.

GlassHalfFull, which opened in March, brings a little something different to the area, offering a tapas-style menu of small plates to complement the restaurant’s eclectic wine list.

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Dianne Reid, who has led Orange County’s economic development efforts since 1999, has agreed to take on the same role for Chatham County.

Reid will serve as executive director of the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation. She will begin work in mid-June.

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Town names economic development officer

Dwight Bassett, a former development manager for the City of Rock Hill, S.C., has been named Chapel Hill’s first economic development officer.

His professional background includes positions as Old Town redevelopment manager for Rock Hill and downtown manager for the Downtown Statesville Development Corp. in Statesville. He also has held business development positions for the cities of Concord, McCormick, S.C. and Hinesville, Ga. Bassett now lives in Parkers Lake, Ky. He is expected to start in Chapel Hill on June 4 with an annual salary of $78,000.
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Windy, Wild and Wonderful
No denying it — Carrboro Day is for kids of all ages, and last Sunday’s breezy celebration was no different. Mostly that means the little ones, like 5-year-old Flora Arnsberger (above), who spent a little time making spin art…

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Whether the town should pay health care stipends or offer coverage to its part-time employees and how to set the fee structure for use of the Town Commons are two of the main sticking points in this year’s budget.

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen ran through a short list of changes to Town Manager Steve Stewart’s proposed 17.3 million budget Tuesday night.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Noting that the town’s debt service increases are not keeping pace with revenue growth, Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil is asking the Town Council to shift $3.8 million from the town’s reserve fund and raise the tax rate by 2 cents in order to make ends meet.

The changes would raise the town’s tax rate to 54.1 cents per $100 valuation.

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UNC News Services

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill honored six employees with 2007 C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Awards, one of the most coveted honors bestowed by the university, on Saturday, April 28.

Recipients are Terry J. Bowers, an electronics technician with the Housing Support Department in Facilities Services, of Hillsborough; Carolyn Cannon, associate dean and director of the academic advising programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and General College, of Durham; Sue Klapper, senior associate director of Undergraduate Admissions, of Chapel Hill; Dr. Michael S. O’Malley, associate director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, of Chapel Hill; Kirk P. Pelland, director of the Grounds Services Department, of Hillsborough; and Wanda Thompson, a housekeeper in Winston Residence Hall, of Siler City.

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Close inspection will reveal the green ‘baby’ blackberry fruit in the center of the white petals. Photo by Ken Moore

By Ken Moore

It’s early May and the blackberry “brambles” are brightening field edges and roadsides with masses of pure white flowers. When these same blackberry flower-filled days and nights are really, really chilly, the old timers refer to it as “Blackberry Winter.” That description certainly is appropriate for this early May in and around Carrboro. Blackberry flowers (Rubus argutus is the most common of about a dozen edible blackberry species in our state) are particularly beautiful this year, perhaps due to the cool temperatures prolonging their freshness. Or perhaps my pronouncement is the result of over-stimulation by the excessive masses of flowering brambles beginning to overtake more than the edges of my wild garden. Well, very few would describe my yard a “garden” since nature is far more in charge than am I.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

With Carolina North bearing down on Orange County and Chatham County’s population set to explode, transportation was a top concern for Orange and Chatham county commissioners at a joint meeting Tuesday night.

Orange County Planning Director Craig Benedict cautioned that because many Chatham County residents are employed in Chapel Hill, as Chatham County’s population grows so does the need for public transportation between the two counties.

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The Orange County Lands Legacy Program has received an Excellence in County Planning
award.

The National Association of County Planners last month recognized the program for outstanding achievement in protecting natural areas in a rapidly growing area. The county enacted a comprehensive program for the acquisition of priority natural and cultural resource lands in April 2000 and has since protected 1,761 acres.

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UNC News Services

Breathing air containing coarse particulate matter such as road or construction dust may cause heart problems for asthma sufferers and other vulnerable populations, according to a new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

The researchers found that in people with asthma, a small increase in coarse particulate matter in outdoor air raised bad cholesterol and increased the count of inflammation-linked white blood cells, among other changes.

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East Student in critical condition
East Chapel Hill High School senior Conrad Zaborowski is in critical condition at UNC Hospitals after a single-car crash on Seawell School Road around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Police believe Zaborowski was driving more than 100 miles per hour south on Seawell School Road when he ran off the road and lost control of his vehicle. Zaborowski was thrown from the 2001 Audi A4 before it caught fire.

The 18-year-old is in a coma and has sustained severe injuries.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

After more than a month of deliberation and revisions, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education last week voted 5-1 to approve a redistricting plan that will move nearly 500 students to a new elementary school when it opens in the fall of 2008.

Immediately following the decision, the board also voted 5-1 to create a subcommittee to review the redistricting process, citing difficulties with this year’s and past redistricting efforts.
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Local teacher named cultural ambassador
Helen Crompton, a British international-exchange teacher at Carrboro Elementary School, has been named outstanding cultural ambassador by the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program.

VIF is the largest international-exchange program linking teachers and U.S. schools, sponsoring about 900 international teachers in the state. Crompton teaches fifth grade at Carrboro Elementary, where she is known for planning international and cultural activities for her class and for the entire school.
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