Chatham County Online

I have been walking everyday, trying to loose some weight and our community is so trashy I cant hardly believe my eyes. Litters should be publicly stoned! Now insted of reacting it is time to be proactive...Are you with me?

Being new to the community I don't know what city office is responsible for keeping the city clean, that being the case is there a city wide or county wide clean up movement? If not perhaps the great citizens of Pittsboro and Chatham county would like to join together and hold a clean up event weekend?

Hey we could make a community event and get sponsors from the local business community and the city for trash bags , supplies and transportation.  Here a thought, as a reward for investing your time to make our county and town a cleaner place to live we could have an old time pig pickin celebration? Hey I am sure we could get the PIG and cooker donated and I will even provide the PA system, and DJ the party playing some great music.

What ever it takes, we live here and should be proud to live in such a great county and have such a great town that still has that old time charm.

So if anybody is fed up with the trash situation as I am and wants to make a difference  let me know and if enough want to commit to putting something positive together let just do it!

BM

Just had a dude walk up in my yard as I was working out there. Supposedly with ADT Security System. Vehicle descript, license plate...well, he is on foot, no sign of a vehicle. Yeah, right! Maybe I'll see he can stay for lunch also! HA!

Big box beaten at cost of $200,000

BY RUTH SHEEHAN - Staff Writer

Read the entire story at http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/08/376587/big-box-beaten-at-cost-of-200000.html

The state Supreme Court recently handed Bob and Beverly Murdock a final victory in their long legal battle to prevent a large plot of land behind their Chatham County home from becoming a big-box store.

But here's what a victory looks like after three years in court.

The land, just over the Orange County line, is not home to a Walmart or other big-box store. That much is true.

But the so-called County Line Plaza site was long ago denuded of its dense woods. Now the visitor's first glimpse of Chatham County sits vacant with signs and construction barrels and roads leading ... nowhere.

Meanwhile, the Murdocks and another couple are out nearly $200,000 for their efforts.

"Unfortunately, that seems to be the price of justice in our society," Bob Murdock said.

The project was approved by Chatham County commissioners in November 2006, one of the final acts of the outgoing pro-development majority. Citizen outrage over how this and other projects were changing the character of Chatham County had led to the election of a new "managed growth" majority, which took office the following month.

In its haste, the exiting board majority left a few chinks in the approval process - not the least of which was the redrawing of the area zoned for business on the site from 20 acres to 29 acres. Just enough to accommodate a big box.

The Murdocks and their neighbors and good friends, Susan and David Keesee, were joined by several others in suing to stop the project - challenging the county, as well as the owners of the land, then called Lee-Moore Oil, now Lee-Moore Capital Co.

Little did they know how long it would drag out.

I live off Manns Chapel Road near Perry Harrison.  Every Wednesday and Sunday I used get a Chapel Hill News newspaper delivered.  When my wife asked me for some scrap newspaper to use for a craft project, I couldn't find any.  I realized they haven't delivered for a while. 

I'm glad they don't deliver it anymore.  That free newspaper went straight from my driveway to my recycle bin.  Just wondering if anyone knows anything about the change.

I'm sure the newspaper business is a dying one...looks like their website (http://www.chapelhillnews.com/about/) is still intact, but no relevant info there.

Congratulations to all the winners!
Part 2 of 3 (Last part later in the week)

Best ATM
State Employees Credit Union
Honorable mentions
BB&T, SunTrust, Capital Bank

Best local place to bank
State Employees Credit Union
Honorable mentions
SunTrust
Capital Bank, BB&T
First Citizen’s, First Bank

Best local bank teller
Lori Whitaker at SunTrust
192 West St, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Phone: (919) 542-3436
Honorable mentions
Sue at the Capital Bank in Pittsboro
Maria at First Citizen’s in Pittsboro
Stephanie at First Bank
Crystal & Pam at BB&T Pittsboro
Tania at SECU in Pittsboro

Best waiter/waitress
Carolyn at Virlie’s
58 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Phone: (919) 542-0376
Honorable mentions
Angela at the Carolina Brewery
TJ & Vicky at S&T’s Soda Shoppe
Beverly Harris at Virlie’s

Best local politician
Randy Voller
Honorable mentions
Charles Johnson
Mike Cross
George Lucier

Best local attorney
Greg Stafford
53 1/2 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC
Phone: (919) 545-0041
Honorable mentions
Paul Messick
Jennifer Andrews
Cindy Perry, Todd Roper

Best county department
Health Department
Honorable mentions
Animal Control
Planning

Best county employee
Michael Yarborough
Animal Control
Honorable mentions
Renee Pascal, Asst. County Mgr
Pandora at the Board of Elections

Best city employee
Misty Bonnau
Pittsboro Support Specialist

Best law enforcement officer
Chief David Collins of Pittsboro
Honorable mentions
Sheriff Richard Webster
Percy Crutchfield, Steve Maynor
David Collins, Tim White

Best firefighter
Darryl Griffin of Pittsboro
Honorable mentions
Jay Farrell, Todd Harrington

Best grocery store
Harris Teeter
Honorable mentions
Chatham Marketplace
Pittsboro & Siler City Food Lion
Pittsboro & Siler City Piggly Wiggly
Lowes Foods

Best local farmers’ market
Pittsboro farmers’ market
Honorable mentions
Fearrington farmers’ market
Siler City farmers’ market
Carolina Brewery farmers’ market

Best Ag agents
Al Cooke
Honorable mentions
Debbie Roos
Sam Grose

meh, nevermind, venom and whatnot.

Young Says Edwards's Poverty Work Not Sincere

http://www.wchl1360.com/details.html?id=13751
 
By Lynda-Marie Taurasi
WCHL News Director

UNC Chancellor Thorp told ABC 11 news that the partnership created with Edwards in The Center for Poverty, Work and Opportunity was a mistake that the university has learned from. Andrew Young, former aide to John Edwards, says as director of the center, Edwards was hardly there.

Although the Center for Poverty at UNC's School of Law was established at Edwards’instigation, Young, who has written a tell-all book that is now a national best seller, says that Edwards's motivation to end poverty was clouded by presidential aspirations.

The Center was launched in 2005, after the Kerry/Edwards ticket lost the presidential race the previous year.  Young says the work Edwards’ accomplished at the Center drew criticism from insiders and eventual scrutiny from the University.
 
Although the Center still remains an establishment at UNC, Edwards left his position as director in 2006, for what would become an ill-fated, second attempt for the White House. Young went on to author the, “The Politician.” He is set to again face a Pittsboro judge and lawyers for Rielle Hunter, Edwards’s former mistress, regarding the Hunter/Edwards sex tape. Phone calls to Wade Smith, Edwards’ attorney were not returned.

Pittsboro's Biolex raises $10 million

Read the entire story at http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/02/26/358903/pittsboros-biolex-raises-10-million.html

A Pittsboro biotechnology company using a genetically engineered pond plant to develop an experimental treatment for hepatitis C now has more money for its mission.

Biolex Therapeutics raised $10 million from its existing investors, the private company reported in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company, which scrapped plans in 2008 for an initial public offering of stock, raised $60 million from venture capital investors in fall 2008.

The money will be used to continue clinical testing of its Locteron treatment for hepatitis C. Biolex produces the active ingredient of Locteron using Lemna, an aquatic plant also known as duckweed.

GOP moxie in Speaker’s backyard

http://www.news-record.com/blog/53964/entry/84371

I was occupied with the State Board of Election yesterday, but did not want to let the following pass without notice. From the AP via WRAL:

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GOP legislative leaders and party Chairman Tom Fetzer sought to symbolize efforts to win majorities in the House and Senate with a news conference on Thursday in Pittsboro in the district of Democratic House Speaker Joe Hackney.

“We’re here in Joe Hackney’s district to announce that every seat is in play this year," Fetzer said. "From Murphy to Manteo, Republicans will pursue every seat and let the voters know that they don’t have to settle for higher taxes and corrupt government anymore."


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Click here for more.

Was the event meaningful? Eh, maybe not. But it was in-your-face and shows perhaps that the GOP seems to be making a more energetic run at unseating the Democratic state House and Senate majorities than has been the case over the past few years. More from a GOP release:


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“The fact that all of these Republicans are gathered in Pittsboro is no accident,” said NCGOP Chairman Tom Fetzer. “We’re here, in Joe Hackney’s district, to announce that every seat is in play this year. We call it our ‘M&M Strategy.’ From Murphy to Manteo, Republicans will pursue every seat and let the voters know that they don’t have to settle for higher taxes and corrupt government anymore.”

 

Senate Republican Whip Jerry Tillman noted that for the first time in modern history, Republicans have fielded candidates in all 50 Senate Districts. “It’s a sign that Republicans are energized and Democrats are not,” Tillman said. Speaking about the fact that eight Democrat Senators have decided not to run for re-election, Tillman said: “The Democrats would rather retire, because the back row would be too embarrassing for them.”

 

House Republican Leader Skip Stam spoke about the “most impressive recruiting class in memory.” The House GOP has fielded candidates in 111 of the 120 seats in the House. “We have great candidates who will work hard to put the people first.” Stam introduced Cathy Wright, who is running against Joe Hackney in House District 54.


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Of course, the Democrats didn’t think much of the gathering. From NC Democratic Party state HQ:


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The North Carolina GOP opened its “No Solutions” tour today with a stop in Pittsboro, NC where GOP Chair Tom Fetzer cavorted before a few supporters with his back-up band, the Do- Nothing Obstructionists, led by state Rep. Skip Stam and Senator Jerry Tillman.

The Do-Nothing Obstructionists played no new songs, offered no new ideas, and proposed no solutions. Instead, they simply played the only tune they know -- the tired and worn-out song, “Blame Someone Else.”

 

“Listening to these broken records would be amusing, if it wasn’t so tiresome,” said NC Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen. “While Governor Perdue and Democrats in the General Assembly have worked tirelessly to guide North Carolina through this global recession, this little band has stood in the way, said ‘no’ over and over again, and done nothing to help North Carolina families. Because of that, their tour will close with these same characters playing to an empty ballroom.”

 

While the NC GOP is on their “No Solutions” Tour, Governor Perdue and N.C. Democrats are working to grow businesses and create jobs. Recently, Governor Perdue signed an executive order that provides North Carolina-based business a “home field advantage” when they bid on state contracts. Perdue’s order allows a North Carolina company that loses a state contract to an out-of-state company to match the bid and win the contract if the original bids were close.


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Ah, 'tis truly campaign season.