Brrrh!

Here's a look at today's local headlines:

JAGUARS MAKE FINAL: With Douglas Parrish scoring two touchdowns and the Jaguars’ defense shutting down the Monarchs’ strong running game, Carrboro came away with a 21-14 victory to advance to the NCHSAA 2AA state championship game. The team, in just its sixth year, is 15-0. Read the story here.

FIVE NOW WANT COUNCIL SEAT: We reported last week how former member Sally Greene wants to finish outgoing Chapel Hill Town Council member Penny Rich's term. Today, staff writer Tammy Grubb reports there are four other contenders, with more possible until the council deadline. Find out who they are here.  And tell us, is it important for the now 6-2 male-female council to appoint a woman to the seat? (Send your comments to editor@newsobserver.com)

BROWN BACK AT IT. : He's the face of downtown, or at least down Chapel Hill's buildings. Hometown artist Michael Brown (left) is back on the ladder, which it where associate editor Dave Hart found him last week painting his latest mural. See it here.

You love your Harris Teeter, the University Mall store anyway. In today's letters, two readers respond to columnist Carol Henderson's recent remarks about the supermarket. The Carrboro aldermen have recommended three sites for the county's new southwest branch library.  Builder Chad Collins is thankful for his home.

And a whole lot more. All in today's Chapel Hill News, reaching 38,000 homes between Fearrington Village and Hillsborough.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

Orange County Gymnastics has found a new, temporary home at the American Legion building in Chapel Hill.

The business had to leave University Mall last week, after town officials realized the building space did not meet state and federal building codes for gymnasiums.
Owners Tim and Jessica Baker asked the Town Council for help last week and have met with town officials about the University Mall space and their old building on Homestead Road, which is owned by the town. The couple bought the business in December, and shortly after found that the town-owned building had asbestos and mold. The town has said it can’t pay to fix the building.

“The town has decided that this is our problem that we need to find more space or that we need to fund the upgrades,” Jessica Baker said at the council meeting. “We purchased a business in good faith and it was housed in a town-owned building we assumed was free from environmental issues."

Chapel Hill Transit will provide shuttle service on its "Tar Heel Express" to and from  the North Carolina-Virginia football game this Saturday.

The American flag will continue flying at University Mall, but not at the front entrance where people are used to seeing it.

The flag was recently taken down and the pole removed, making some wonder if the flag was being removed for a new restaurant tenant.

“As far as I can tell it’s been there since the mall’s been there,” said jeweler Ken Jackson, owner of Wentworth & Sloan.

Red Bull Asian Bistro is moving into the space to the left of the Estes Drive entrance May 1 and will have outdoor dining. But Peter de Leon , the mall’s general manager, says that’s not why the flag was taken down.

The Third Annual Scrapel Hill Exhibit & Competition opens on Earth Day, April 22, at University Mall in Chapel Hill.

The controversial proposal to move the Chapel Hill Public Library to University Mall appears dead.

In an e-mail to Town Council members Wednesday night, Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil says the town and mall owner Madison Marquette have not been able to reach a level of savings over expanding the library at its current site to make a permanent move to the mall feasible.   

The Town Council is scheduled to discuss the mall offer Monday night. The town has received more than 1,000 e-mails about the proposal to move the libary into the Dillard's location, most of them negative.

"I will leave the Library item on the agenda  for your discussion Monday night but [Madison Marquettte managing director Jay Lask] and I share the view that we have not been able to reach a level of savings that makes this an attractive offer to the Town, given all the other concerns raised," Stancil said in his e-mail.

"We have not negotiated in this process, but we did encourage Madison Marquette to put their best offer on the table," he continued. "While initiating negotiations would provide an opportunity to clarify many of the issues raised, those negotiations would not likely increase the savings and would delay the opening of new library facilities."

The town inititally estimated it could save taxpayers $4 million by moving to the mall instead of carrying out a planned $16 million expansion approved by voters at the library's current site off Estes Drive. But the town's initial cost comparison did not include the $4 million cash purchase price the mall wanted for the Dillard's space. 

In a letter, Lask said Madison Marquette still thinks the move could save the town $1.5 million in construction costs less than half the original estimated savings.

"Understandably, without there being significant cost savings, a change the direction of a project so close to ground breaking that has been in planning for so many years is hard to justify," Lask wrote. "While we believe the Town could utilize the library as a catalyst for economic growth, we also understand the reasons why it may choose not to do so, particularly so close to groundbreaking."

Scrapel Hill, a juried competition and exhibition of new works of art made from scrap, recyclable and/or nonrecyclable materials, is putting out a call for entries.

As Chapel Hill considers whether to permanently move its library to University Mall, the key players are remaining silent.

Last month, mall owner Madison Marquette offered to sell the town 52,000 square feet of the space currently housing Dillard’s. It asked for $4 million cash for the space, providing the department store ends its lease. If the town agrees, it could save money over the planned expansion of the current library on Estes Drive and use the building for other needs.

Neither Madison Marquette nor Dillard’s will say when the department store’s lease is up, and Dillard’s won't comment for a story coming Sunday in The Chapel Hill News.

“Right now, they’re going to be there until their lease expires,” says University Mall General Manager Peter DeLeon. “At this stage, Dillard’s is not leaving; a lot of people are speculating about the idea, [but] there is nothing in writing.”
 

Jane Tyndall announced this morning she is closing her gallery in University Mall after seven years. Tyndall Galleries operated for 12 years in Durham's Brightleaf Square before that.

"I've decided to retire to devote more time to art consulting and to my family," she says. "Tyndall Galleries will close its physical space at University Mall and become a virtual gallery, and I will change my position as gallery director back to my roots as an art consultant. We will continue to represent the same brilliant group of artists you have come to love over the years, and you will still be able to enjoy and purchase their work on our website as always at www.tyndallgalleries.com." 
 


The gallery will be open at University Mall through Saturday, Jan. 30.

University Mall in Chapel Hill has teamed up with Dress for Success in the quest to collect gently used women's business attire. The shopping center is looking for suits, separates, scarves, dresses, brief cases, purses and shoes that can be given to women who need clothes for job interviews.

They'll be collecting clothes on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the shopping center. If you donate, you'll get a one-time 20 percent discount good at participating stores.

Get there at 2 p.m., and you'll get to see a free fashion show.