newsobserver.com blogs -- orangechat

Slade may start early as Carrboro alderman

mschultz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:14:25 -0500

Newly elected Carrboro Alderman Sammy Slade may get to start a few weeks early.

The board plans to seat its newly elected members -- incumbents Jacquie Gist and Randee Haven-O'Donnell are the others -- at an organizational meeting Dec. 1, according to Town Clerk Sarah Williamson.

But Mayor Mark Chilton suggested back in August that the board apppoint the newly
elected alderman to finish the last few week's of John Herrera's term, according to a memo from Alderman Dan Coleman to his colleagues. Herrera resigned unexpectedly, saying he had moved, remarried and wanted to spend more time with his family. His resignation helped pave the way for Slade, whom he endorsed.

"Unless anyone disagrees, I would like to ask Mark [Chilton] to arrange with the
clerk and with Sammy that this would be our first order of business
next week," Coleman says in the e-mail.

That would give Slade three meetings to settle in. The board has meetings scheduled Nov. 10, 17 and 24, according to Williamson.

Mayor's race not quite over

jessedeconto — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:07 -0500

Mark Kleinschmidt edged Matt Czajkowski by 99 votes, and there could be more than that many provisional ballots left to be counted. There are 78 in Orange County, and the county Board of Elections will meet no later than Nov. 10 to decide whether they're valid ballots. Orange elections director Tracy Reams is still waiting to learn how many provisional ballots came out of the tiny portion of Chapel Hill that's in Durham County.

It's not likely very many, but Czajkowski nearly doubled up Kleinschmidt, 287-146, in that section of town, so it could make a difference, at least in narrowing the gap between the two men. If it closes to less than 1 percent of the total -- probably somewhere between 85 and 90 votes, depending on the total of provisionals -- Czajkowski would have the right to demand a recount. That will only take a difference of a dozen or so votes in the provisional ballots.

Czajkowski won election in 2007 after the Board of Elections denied a recount request from incumbent Cam Hill, who lost by about 60 votes.

UPDATE: Durham County has nine provisional ballots for the Town of Chapel Hill, making for 87 total -- not enough to change the outcome but perhaps enough to allow a possible recount. Czajkowski did not return a phone call inquiring whether he was considering asking for a recount.

Poll: Voters split on filling Strom vacancy

mschultz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:06:14 -0500

A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows Chapel Hil voters evenly divided on whether one of the losing candidates in Tuesday's election should be appointed to fill Bill Strom's seat: 38 percent in favor, 38 percent opposed, and 24 percent unsure.

"Trumping that finding with the loss of Jim Merritt though is probably the question we asked about whether Chapel Hillians thought it was important to have an African American on the Town Council," says PPP's Tom Jensen.

Fifty-seven percent of voters said yes to that with just 28 percent dissenting. "I imagine given the strong support from the community that's the direction the Council will now go in with the appointment,' Jensen says.

Two other key findings from the poll, neither of which Jensen says is particularly surprising given the returns. 51 percent of Chapel Hill voters support publicly financed elections with only 31 percent opposed.

"Given Mark Kleinschmidt's win and Penny Rich's first place finish it's clear there was no backlash from that and it's even possible the opposite was true," he says.

Cam Hill registers PAC

jessedeconto — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:57:26 -0500

Former Town Council member Cam Hill registered his Chapel Hill Caucus political-action committee today, complying with state law. Hill drew criticism last week for a campaign flier attacking mayoral candidate Matt Czajkowski, who bumped him off the council in 2007. Hill had until today to register the PAC. Hill may have broken campaign-finance law by not noting that incoming mayor Mark Kleinschmidt had not authorized the flier. Hill has said he didn't know of that rule. Hill loaned his PAC $1,703.46 for the mailing, a sum he'll have to forgive or collect as contributions to the PAC. Hill will have to report the disposition of that debt in a January campaign-finance report, according to Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams.

School board candidate wants clarification

sadialatifi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:30:00 -0500

I wrote a story in Sunday's N&O about the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board elections.

Greg McElveen, the only incumbent in today's race, called in and wanted to clarify some of his statements on the school budget cutbacks.

The story says that McElveen said "he isn't troubled by budget cuts - quality programming now means lower costs later. "If you pull from the right set of resources and provide teachers with support they need, you can be successful even with limited funding," McElveen said."

McElveen said to me that he indeed recognizes "the difficult challenges associated with the budget cuts," but that he is "not deterred by these cuts in my pursuit of excellence for all of our children."

Former Chapel Hill councilman sent campaign flier

mschultz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:11:51 -0500

The state Board of Elections confirmed today that former Chapel Hill Town Councilman Cam Hill sent a flier from an unregistered political action committee promoting Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt for mayor.

The flier, which called mayoral candidate Councilman Matt Czajkowski "divisive" and "out of sync with Chapel Hill values," was paid for by CHC PAC. Neither candidate knew who sent it, and the mailing violated state election law by not saying Kleinschmidt had not endorsed it.

The state traced the mailing to Hill through a mailhouse bulk mail permit. Such mailings are considered a campaign media expense and are a public record, according to Amy Strange, a compliance specialist with the state Board of Elections.

Hill has until Wednesday, 10 days after incurring the expense, to register as a political action committee, Strange said. Anyone raising money or spending money on behalf of a candidate is required to register, she said. Registering late can trigger fines, through the state typically issues a warning notice, giving the group 20 days after which the matter can be sent to the district attorney's office.

The state received two complaints about the flier. UNC student Kendall Law, one of them, said Hill timedthe flier so he would not have to go public until after the election. "Clearly he knew what he was doing," Law said. "He didn't waant anyone to know he was doing this until after election day."

Czajkowski finished about 60 votes ahead of Hill to win a seat on the council two years ago.

"Apparently he's still got some hard feelings about those results," Law said.

We tried to reach Hill before posting this news and will add his comments if we reach him.

Election morning

julianmarch — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:17:37 -0500

In Carrboro, Mayor Mark Chilton is seeking a third term. He is being challenged by political newcomer Amanda Ashley and Brian Voyce, who ran for mayor in 2007.

There are three open seats on the Board of Aldermen.

Incumbents Jacqui Gist and Randee Haven-O'Donnell are seeking re-election. Challengers Sammy Slade, Sharon Cook and Tim Peck are all vying for a seat.

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to follow OrangeChat and look for election stories on chapelhillnews.com this evening.

What are your predictions?

OCS board to discuss financial audit, school improvement plans tonight

sadialatifi — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500

Orange County Schools will present its annual financial audit report and individual school improvement plans to the board of education tonight.

The board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the school system's headquarters, located at 200 E. King St. in Hillsborough.

This is the board's only meeting this month. View the full agenda for tonight's meeting here.

Carrboro Elementary admin named Chapel Hill-Carrboro principal of the year

sadialatifi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:28:05 -0500

Emily Bivins of Carrboro Elementary has been named the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' Principal of the Year.

Bivins was selected for the honor by her fellow principals. She will now represent the district in regional and state competition. Bivins has been principal of Carrboro Elementary since 2006.

Prior to being named principal of Carrboro Elementary, Bivins served as the school's assistant principal. She was the coordinator of elementary education for Cherokee County Schools in North Carolina, as well as the director of elementary instruction and staff development for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. She served as a classroom teacher at Estes Hills Elementary, McDougle Elementary and Alexander Wilson Elementary in Graham.

She holds a bachelor's degree in education from Wake Forest University, a master's of arts degree in elementary education from Elon College, a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

How's your school doing?

sadialatifi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:11:13 -0500

The state's Department of Public Instruction released School Report Cards for districts and individuals schools late last week.

Each school's report card can be viewed at www.ncreportcards.org. You can click to view details on each school district and individual schools in categories like technology usage, funding, test scores, suspensions and teacher quality.

It's a quite interesting and comprehensive read. In addition to the standard testing reports, you can also check out how many of your school's computers have Internet access, or how many teachers have advanced degrees.

Today in The Chapel Hill News

mschultz — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:09:06 -0500

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

STROM SEAT DECISION DELAYED: The Chapel Hill Town Council has decided to delay appointing a successor to Bill Strom's seat until after the newly elected council is seated. Read Jesse James DeConto's story to see what changed current council members' minds.

HOW SAFE IS THE SLUDGE : That's the question the county Board of Commissioners had recently, as it told the Health Department and Commission for the Environment to proceed with planning a potentially regional forum on biosolids or treated sewage sludge. Orange County ranks fifth in the state for acreage permitted for sludge application.

RURAL RESIDENTS WANT OUT: Several challengers for mayor and Board of Aldermen joined some local rural residents Friday to call for Carrboro to return land in its planning area back to the county. Read Julian March's report, including a response from Mayor Mark Chilton.

MORSEL: It's light and fluffy. But if you take it home and don't eat it quickly, freeze it. Correspondent Elizabeth Shestak reports on Jamil Kadouras' new pita bread oven in her monthly look at the local food and dining scene.

Lots more, including your letters; a report on Monday's launch of Justice United, the new Orange County community organizing effort; and local sports.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

Unregistered PAC flier violates election rules

jessedeconto — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:27:30 -0400

An unregistered political-action committee has mailed out a postcard promoting Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt for mayor and painting rival Matt Czajkowski as a “divisive leader … out of sync with the progressive values Chapel Hill has worked hard to protect.”

Kleinschmidt said he did not authorize the postcard, which violated state law by failing to state that he had not endorsed it, according to Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams.

Kleinschmidt said he doesn’t know who sent it.

“I have not authorized, and I would not authorized something like this,” he said. “It doesn’t approach the campaign the way that I would.”

Czajkowski also said he did not know who sent the postcards.

We'll have more on this in Saturday's News & Observer.

Chapel Hill mayor endorses Kleinschmidt

mschultz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:35:35 -0400

Mayor Kevin Foy endorsed Mark Kleinschmidt this morning. Here is his statement:

I hope the voters in Chapel Hill will join me in voting for Mark Kleinschmidt for Mayor. I’ve served as mayor for the past eight years, and I’m proud of our town – we’ve adhered to our values as a place that protects the natural environment, works closely with our university, and respects all our neighbors without regard for their economic status. Over the past eight years, with Mark Kleinschmidt helping to lead the way, Chapel Hill has invested in a safe, vibrant downtown, new greenways, the arts, a major new park, a transit center, a new public works facility, and an aquatics center. We’ve done all this with an eye to prudent money management (we have the highest bond rating) and diversifying our tax base.

And it has paid off – just this year Chapel Hill was named both America’s Most Livable City and Best Place in the Country to Start a Business. We’re doing a lot of things right!

We have a bright future. A vote for Mark for Mayor will keep Chapel Hill on the right track.

Kevin Foy

Answers to questions about insider-trading story

jessedeconto — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:08:58 -0400

We've had some questions on the News & Observer Web site and by e-mail about our story on Matt Czajkowski's insider-trading case, dismissed in 2005.

One reader wanted to know why we didn't elaborate on who has been questioning Czajkowski about the issue. The fact is, we didn't have room. So, for the record, Czajkowski himself told me he's been getting questions about it.

A letter to the editor in the Independent brought it up last week, concluding that he "got off on a technicality," which is not exactly true. Insider-trading cases often fail to go forward in Delaware because the burden of proof is high. The plaintiffs did not provide any evidence that Czajkowski had material nonpublic information that led him to sell off part of his stock holdings in the company.

At a public election forum held by the League of Women Voters earlier this month, Czajkowski took exception to a question about how management of his personal finances would reflect on how he would handle the town's finances.

"I've tried really, really hard to keep this campaign focused on the issues," he said. "It's almost sad that I have to address questions which are simply innuendo. I personally have a surplus, I have savings which I've worked hard for over the course of my life, and I hope that the town can have the same."

Another reader noted that Czajkowski sold his house in The Oaks for $550,000 on Aug. 5, 2005, remained as a tenant, then bought it back on April 13, 2007 for $650,000. I had asked Czajkowski about this by e-mail a while back, and here's what he wrote.

"It is unusual for somebody to sell their house and then buy it back at a higher price but in our case there is a simple explanation. We sold our home and rented it back because we were planning to build a new home on another lot we owned and I didn’t want to carry two mortgages. We subsequently decided not to build the home and approached our landlord to see if we could repurchase the home we were living in. He was willing to accommodate us but since housing prices had appreciated in the interim two years we agreed to pay more than our sales price to buy it back."

In today's Chapel Hill News

mschultz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:50:34 -0400

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

But first, in today's N&O we report a story we finished too late to make today's CHN. (The Wednesday paper goes to press Monday night). Staff writer Jesse James DeConto talks with mayoral candidate Matt Czajkowski about a lawsuit that accused him of insider training when he worked for drugmaker Pozen. The lawsuit, filed after top executives sold company stock a month before the value of the stock plummeted, was dismissed by a judge because the plaintiffs did not seek remedy from the company first.

And in the CHN:

MISSIVES FLY: The fighting between the town of Carrboro, Marilyn Kille and unnamed others in the county's rural planning area continues. Kille, a farm owner who pleaded guilty to forging a town document then held a press conference to say she had proof she didn't, and others in a new Southern Orange County Farm and landowners Committee have sent a letter to farmers saying the town intends to put them out of business. The mayor has sent a counter letter, calling the claims wild and exaggerated. Correspondent Julian March has the story.

THE VARSITY: As reported earlier this week, there's life in the old theater yet. Staff writerSadia latifi speaks with the new owners about their plans to revive the Chapel Hill landmark as a $3 theater.

We also have stories today about a collaboration between the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and Piedmont Health Services that is providing affordable healthcare to small business employees, and we report on yet another mayor's race, this one in the town of Pittsboro where newcomer Bill Crawford is challenging incumbent Randy Voller's bid for a third term.

Lots more, of course, including more letters than we know what to do with (We will print as many endorsement letters that arrived past our Oct. 16 deadline as we can, but most will not get in; we were deluged.)

As always, thanks for reading,

Mark

School board forum video online

mschultz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:06:46 -0400

An FYI to OrangeChat readers requested by the PTA Council:

The video for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board candidates forum sponsored by the PTA Council and League of Women Voters is available at ptacouncil.com

Wolff flier targets Kleinschmidt

jessedeconto — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:19:46 -0400

Kevin Wolff dropped out of the mayor’s race two weeks ago. But he’s still circulating a flier painting Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt as a gay rights activist who has no children and doesn’t own a home in Chapel Hill.

The flier emphasizes that Wolff and Town Councilman Matt Czajkowski, another candidate for mayor, do have children and own homes and are not gay rights activists.

Kleinschmidt shot back Tuesday, saying the flier reveals Wolff as the fringe candidate. "He shows how different he is, I think, from the people of Chapel Hill by highlighting those facts,” Kleinschmidt said.

Kleinschmidt sold his condominium on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard last year after renting a townhouse off East Franklin Street with his partner. Kleinschmidt said they have not purchased a home together because his partner is still trying to sell his house near Wake Forest.

“It’s where I want to spend the rest of my life,” he said. “This is my hometown.”

We'll have more on this in tomorrow's News & Observer.

Chapel Hill's Varsity Theatre to reopen as $3 moviehouse

mschultz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:43:28 -0400

Franklin Street’s Varsity Theatre will reopen under new ownership in mid-November after extensive renovations including an upgraded lobby and concessions area and the addition of a children’s birthday party room.

Chapel Hill residents Susan and Paul Shareshian have begun working to restore the theater to its former elegance. “We want to bring back the feeling of a classic old-time movie theater and also provide a clean and fun space — with excellent service and a customer-focused staff — where local residents can enjoy a movie at a reasonable price,” says Paul Shareshian in a news release.

The Varsity will show recently released and classic movies, with all tickets costing just $3. In addition to regular movie showings, the theater will be available for rental for children’s birthday parties, private screenings, lectures and corporate functions.

Cho: Was Wolff's "withdrawal" a ploy?

mschultz — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:16:40 -0400

Augustus Cho is asking whether Kevin Wolff's announcement that he was leaving the mayor's race was really an attempt to get onto the council or to get Cho to drop out, giving Wolff "ever so slight a chance" of defeating Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt?

Wolff asked Cho to leave the race with him at last week's candidates forum sponsored by WCHL. Cho declined.

"Could it be that if Kevin Wolff truly had withdrew and got me to withdraw with him that Matt Czajkowski -- if elected mayor -- would agree to appoint Kevin Wolff to his vacant seat on the council?" Cho asks on his blog Chautauqua.

"Worse," he continues, "is it possible that Wolff was trying to get me to drop out so that he might then not withdraw from the race, continue campaigning and, with ever so slight a chance, actually win by deception -- through the back door?"

"In any event, it is unfortunate that Wolff may have used a local media WCHL, to dramatize his perceived exit from the campaign."

Wolff, incidentally, has sent out an e-mail saying he will take his campaign signs down after the election. He says in the e-mail, posted on Cho's blog (Oct. 19), that a number of his supporters intend to vote for him even though he has withdrawn from the race.

Why Czajkowski didn't vote before 2007

mschultz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0400

Mayoral candidate Mark Kleinschmidt asked Matt Czajkowski at Sunday's NRG forum why he didn't vote in local elections before 2007. Kleinschmidt said he learned the importance of civic participation when he came to UNC, his adopted hometown of 21 years, and has voted since he was eligible.

Czajkowski said at 18 he was serving in the Navy. "I think I have my [civic] credentials," he said, then offered this answer.

"I was like 85 percent of the people in this town, which is really a shame," he said. "I was disengaged. At the end of the day I didn't care too much because all in all life was pretty good."

He said that changed one day when he took his kids to Ben and Jerry's on West Franklin Street. He felt uncomfortable eating outside with them. (Note: The bench outside the store is a frequent gathering spot for street people; we did a story a while back about a former police chief's suggestion to make benches less comfortable so people would not recline on them.) Czajkowski contrasted the scene with being able to eat ice cream on the rocking chairs outside Mapleview.

Kleinschmidt is appealing to principles on the campaign trail: inclusivity, civic involvement, repeated references to his being the candidate who best represents Chapel Hill's historic values. Czajkowski is telling stories and appealing to people's pocketbooks (i.e., his calls for a two-year freeze on the town tax rate and a second look at town employee health benefits).

Chapel Hill-Carrboro senior leadership declines bonuses

sadialatifi — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:27:33 -0400

The senior leadership team of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will not be receiving bonuses this year.

But they wanted it that way.

At the annual superintendent's evaluation last Thursday, superintendent Neil Pedersen, assistant superintendent for instructional services Denise Bowling, assistant superintendent for support services Todd LoFrese and chief technology officer Ray Reitz, petitioned the school board to forgo their annual bonuses in light of the economic downturn.

The senior leadership team was eligible to receive a bonus according to terms of their contract.

"You are eligible to receive a bonus of up to $12,000 for the satisfactory achievement of the priorities and goals. The partial accomplishment of the priorities and goals qualifies you for an award of a bonus," said school board chairwoman Lisa Stuckey.

But because of the economic considerations facing the school system, from teachers to the custodians, the board agreed with the senior leadership team's request.

"I appreciate the School Board's evaluation of my performance and its recognition of the progress that the district made last year. We had many successes that I attribute to the incredible staff in our schools and central office. I declined the bonus that my contract calls for due to the financial position of the district and the fact that other employees received no salary increases and incentive bonuses. We're all in this together," Pederson said.

Czajkowski repeats call for tougher anti-panhandling ordinance

mschultz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:25:38 -0400

Matt Czajkowski repeated his call for tougher anti-panhandling rules at Sunday's Neighbors for Responsible Growth forum.

The issue came up in the section of the two-hour meeting where candidates got to ask one another one question. Czajkowski and opponent Mark Kleinschmidt have disagreed on this and did so again.

The town already has a tough ordinance, Kleinschmidt said: no panhandling on buses, within six feet of bus stops, 20 feet of banks and ATMs. The town web site says arrests declined, from 28 in 2006 to 14 in 2007.

"I don't think legislation is the way to get at this," Kleinschmidt said. As a former high school teacher, he added, "I'm never attracted to solutions that take a group of people, no matter who they are, and say we don't want you here."

Augustus Cho, the third candidate for mayor, said he agreed with Kleinschmidt but said if the system isn't solving the problem, the system needs to be re-examined. "We have to look at solutions that don't sacrifice the rest of us."

More from the forum in tomorrow's Chapel Hill News.

Orange County Schools forms special education PTA

sadialatifi — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:01:13 -0400

The Orange County Special Education PTA will meet for the first time this week.

Following this summer's court battle concerning the education of a student with autism (which is still ongoing - visit the mother's blog for updates), some parents say this group couldn't come soon enough.

The meeting will take place Thursday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at AL Stanback Middle School's media center, 3200 NC 86 South in Hillsborough.

The introductory meeting will be immediately followed by a parent information session on public health funding programs for special needs children, which will last until 8:30 p.m.

Record numbers at annual walk for education

sadialatifi — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:10:04 -0400

More than 4,000 people walked down Franklin Street Saturday afternoon to show their support for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system.

The Public School Foundation's "Lucky" 13th Annual Walk for Education raised more than $83,000 to support the schools.

Seawell Elementary had the most walkers at 426. Rashkis Elementary raised the most money.

For photos from the walk, visit the Chapel Hill-Carrboro flickr site.

In today's Chapel Hill News

mschultz — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:57:17 -0400

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

WOLFF'S INVITE: Kevin Wolff told Matt Czajowski he might be dropping out of the mayor's race before he announced his decision Thursday night. Czajkowski said no deal was made. "It never crossed my mind that I had anything to offer, or that I would." Read our story.

OH, DEER: So we asked wildlife vet Bobby Schopler whether guns or bows and arrows were more humane. Schopler said it depends on the accuracy of the hunter. He called too late to get into today's story, but you can read what the Town Council had to say in our report.

GROCERY SHOPPING: The redevelopment of University Square is several years away. But local residents and merchants have already put a grocery on the shoping list. Eric Ferreri has our story from this week's meeting with the university foundation's consultants.

CARRBORO CANDIDATES: And Julian March has the first of two reports on what the candidates for Carrboro mayor and aldermen are saying about growth, taxes and watershed protection.

Plus, today's My View by Carol Henderson (why she rarely goes to the post office anymore, and why that's a bad thing), Jeff Hamlin on the Wildcats breaking their football drought in dramatic fashion and more on this week's development on the political front. And 25 letters from readers! (But remember, the deadline for letters endorsing candidates has passed.)

Catch the candidates for Chapel Hill mayor starting at 3 today at the Chapel Hill Public Library. I'm going to try to get there too. Say hello and let me know how we're doing.

Got my dog Travis sleeping at my feet after a hike in the woods this orning (cold out there). A definite plus for working from home.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Orange honored for high grad rate

sadialatifi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:49:25 -0400

Both school systems in Orange County were honored Monday for having high graduation rates.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools received recognition at a state ceremony held by the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. State Superintendent June Atkinson and former govenor Jim Hunt presented the honors.

North Carolina's overall graduation rate is 71.7 percent. At Chapel Hill-Carrboro, the overall rate for their student cohort was 86.7 percent; in Orange County Schools, the rate was 81.4 percent for the class of 2009.

The student cohort rate tracks the progress of all students who enter districts in the ninth grade.

Wolff's big surprise

mschultz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:45 -0400

Political observers should not be surprised by anything three-time mayoral candidate Kevin Wolff says. Still, last night's announcement that he was dropping out of the race was a stunner.

Wolff, who had run ads urging Matt Czajkowski to drop out of the race, said with two moderates running, it had just become clear to him that neither could win. Here's what he told his fellow candidates at last night's WCHL forum:

TO MARK KLEIINSCHMIDT: "Mark, I do expect you will win this race and become mayor due to the strength of the Democratic Party in Orange County."

TO MATT CZAJKOWSKI: "Matt, I encourage you to the run the very best campaign you can. But be mindful that you are running against the designted mayoral candidate of the Democratic Party, which should not be taken lightly. When you return to Town Council, I hope you will work to make allies with all the other members and work as a team toward common visions and common goals. Good luck."

TO AUGUSTUS CHO: "Augustus, I encourage you to join me and bow out of the race and let these two candidates compete against each other for the good of our town."

Wolff ineligible for public campaign funding

mschultz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:43:44 -0400

Kevin Wolff surprised many when he announced he had filed for public campaign financing under the town of Chapel Hill's new "Voter-Owned Election" program.

Wolff has been a harsh critic of the voluntary program, which provides qualifying mayoral candidates up to $13,000 in public money.

"In one sense, I guess it's an attempt to keep the playing field level," he explained last month." It's my tax dollars that are going to be used, and I think I'm entitled to it as much as anybody else. It doesn't change my position that I oppose the current language of the voter owned election, which I call public financing."

But Wolff will not be eligible for any public money, a state Board of Elections official said today. Wolff loaned his campaign $10,000, surpassing the maximum $6,000 candidates for mayor may raise if they want to receive public funds.

"Kevin Wolff is no longer considered to be a participating candidate," said Amy Strange, compliance specialist. "Kevin Wolff, based on the loan he made himself, has made himself ineligible for the Voter Owned Election campaign financing."

Gravelly Hill principal named OCS principal of the year

sadialatifi — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:22:21 -0400

The principal of Gravelly High Middle School, Jason Johnson, has been named the Orange County Schools' 2010 Wachovia Principal of the Year.

Johnson has been the principal since the school opened in 2006. Over the past three years, Gravelly Hill has shown a decrease in the achievement gap and a 20 percent improvement in both math and reading scores, according to the school system.

"This is not my award. This belongs to the students, teachers, cafeteria staff, office staff, every community and everyone who works at Gravelly Hill," said Johnson, in a release.

The principal of the year program is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Center for School Leadership Development Principals' Executive Program and the Wachovia Corporation.

Johnson began his career as a teacher in Chatham and Guilford County schools before becoming an assistant principal at A.L. Stanback Middle School.

He will go on to compete with other regional award recipients for the regional title and if he wins that, the state title in April.

Czajkowski passes $21,000; Kleinschmidt gets "rescue" money

mschultz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:04:33 -0400

Matt Czajkowski has passed the $21,000 fundraising threshold, triggering the release of an additional $4,000 in "rescue" funds for his chief opponent in the race for mayor, fellow Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt.

Czajkowski, who has two years left on his Chapel Hill Town Council seat, has raised $23,629.50, according to a campaign finance report filed Friday.

He has spent $12,857.77, according to the report.

Among Czajkowski's new donors are developer Carol Ann Zinn ($100); retired teacher Lillian Lee, wife of former mayor and state Sen. Howard Lee ($25); UNC political science professor Thad Beyle ($25); former Town Council member Nancy Preston ($50); and former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Donald Boulton ($100).

Kleinschmidt, who gave a up a chance to keep his seat to run for mayor, had raised $4,505.50, according to his latest campaign finance report filed Sept. 28. He is allowed to raise up to $6,000 while receiving an initial $9,000 in public funding and now the additional $4,000 in "rescue" funding.

Kleinschmidt had spent $2,988.85, according to the report.

Chapel Hill mayor hopes to pick Strom successor Nov. 9

mschultz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:32:35 -0400

Mayor Kevin Foy wants the Chapel Hill Town Council to appoint someone to finish Bill Strom's term Nov. 9 -- after the Nov. 3 election, but before the new council is seated in December.

In an interview today, Foy said picking the fifth place finisher doesn't make sense since the three council incumbents chose not apply for the seat. What if one of them finished fifth, he asked.

But if the council won't go for the fifth, or sixth or seventh finisher, why not wait until December? That's what Matt Czajkowski wants.

"Absolutely, absolutely," Czajkowski said this afternoon. "The newly elected council will reflect the most recent sentiment of the voters in the town who should decide," he said.

Not so, said the mayor. The Strom seat went to the voters two years ago and the current council is going to fill it.

"This is the council that was presented with the vacancy," he said. "This council could have made the decision to appoint someone immediately. We didn't. We decided to take the election into account. But that's not the same thing as saying let the next council do it."

Look for more on this in tomorrow's News & Observer.

Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson won't seek re-election

mschultz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:30:53 -0400

Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson announced today he will not seek re-election when his seat comes up next year. Here is his statement:

"Though the primary is next May, the filing period begins shortly after the first of the year. I’m announcing early to provide sufficient notice to those who have interest in running for the Board."

"It takes considerable effort to create a campaign organization, recruit volunteers, raise money and to do all the other things necessary to run a campaign in a county as large and diverse as Orange. I want to make sure interested parties have time to build strong campaigns."

"Orange County rich with talent, and I am confident that a number of public service minded candidates will emerge."

"I'm grateful that the citizens of Orange County gave me the opporunity to serve. You are passionate, engaged, progressive and dedicated. You insist on quality schools, a clean environment, a social safety net that protects the weakest amongst us, and you believe there is strength in diversity. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve you."

Greene on bowhunting deer: 'No way, no how'

mschultz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:40:35 -0400

Sally Greene is the quiet Chapel Hill Town Council member. But when a petition Monday night suggested the town allow deer hunting in the Mount Bolus neighborhood with bows and arrows, she spoke up quickly and decisively.

"I cannot support an urban archery program," she said. "No way, no how."

Professor Jesse White supported the request. "This has become a real growing program in our neighborhood," he said, adding it took only 10 days to get 27 signatures. The deer eat people's plants and host disease-carrying ticks, he said.

The state's urban archery program runs from Jan. 9-Feb. 13, and 16 towns have adopted it, the nearest in Pittsboro. All are smaller than Chapel Hill, and one town's past hunt generated trespassing and other complaints. In a memo, Police Chief Brian Curran said having to follow up on such complaints could deplete his resources.

Councilman Matt Czajkowski found the chief's recomendation "difficult to accept."

"One out of 16 is more an anomaly than a trend," he said. If the hunt was limited to Mount Bolus, residents there could make sure there were no complaints, he said.

But Councilman Ed Harrison said police are already stretched. "It's a lightly policed town by some standards," he said. "I don't think we want police time spent on this."

Council member Laurin Easthom said she would oppose an urban archery program, even though she's had two car accidents with deer. In one, she said, if she had pushed down the brakes instead of taking her foot of the gas, the deer would have come flying through her windshield.

Council member Mark Kleinschmidt said he needed to know more about where the deer were coming from and how. If the herds aren't thinned, the deer will die from other causes, he said. He suggested the town might consider an option like Australia's rabbit-proof fence (amazing movie, by the way).

In the end, Mayor Kevin Foy said the issue was not a police matter. He asked Town Manager Roger Stancil to come back with recommendations.

Wolff repeats call for new Orange County landfill

mschultz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:36:21 -0400

Mayoral candidate Kevin Wolff repeated his call for a new Orange County landfill at this week's forum.

Wolff had already called for a landfill at a forum sponsored by the Sierra Club. This time he spoke at a forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, Empowerment Inc., the Daily Tar Heel and WCHL.

Wolff said he does not want a transfer station near the Rogers Road community or to send the town's waste outside Orange County. "We can take the time and do it right and do our own landfill," he said. "We are fools as a town if we invest in outting our waste in somebody else's town."

Augustus Cho said the solid waste question is outside the town's control. He noted that waste disposal is a county function that town has little say in, other than offering or rejecting its land for a solid waste facility. "Beyond rhetoric there's not much we can do about it."

Matt Czajkowski said he opposes a transfer station but did not say what the town and county should do with its trash. Mark Kleinschmidt said the trash laid at the doorstep of the Rogers Road community needs to come to an end. But he said a transfer station might be necessary in the short term on the way to a regional solution.

The county is considering a partnership with Durham on an epxansion of that city's transfer station. Chatham County has also said it might be interested in a regional partnership as it considers building a new landfill.

Kleinschmidt defends Greenbridge vote

mschultz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:25:59 -0400

Mayoral candidate Mark Kleinschmidt defended his vote to require developers to include affordable housing units in the seven- and 10-story Greenbridge condominium towers on West Rosemary Street.

The councilman was responding to a question from Delores Bailey of Empowerment Inc. on how the town could protect neighborhoods from new development. The Greenbridge developers had offered free energy audits in Northside, which they said would have helped keep people in their homes by reducing their utility costs. The council rebuffed that as well as an alternate proposal to let the developers pay for affordable housing off site.

Kleinschmidt said without affordable units (15 of the 100 units will be priced under $100,000, while others will top out at over $1 million), Greenbridge would have been a "vertical gated community."

"We cannot have gated communities in this town," Kleinschmidt said, adding that the town should use federal block grant funding to help protect fragile neighborhoods. "I don't believe our town would have been well served by having a vertical gated community that said no one who doesn't have the million dollar fee will be allowed in."

Should Carrboro pay to use Chapel Hill Library?

mschultz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:13:41 -0400

Candidates split this week on how to pay for the Chapel Hill Public Library. The library costs $2.5 million a year to operate, rising to $4 million when the expansion is built. Yet, 40 percent of users live outside town, and Orange County's contribution remains just $250,00 a year.

Mark Kleinschmidt said he will draw relationships built over eight years on the Town Council to get more money from the county. He called charging out-of-county users "an unworkable idea. ... I'm not going to support charging a Carrboro student coming to the Chapel Hill library to check out books."

Matt Czajkowski said Mayor Kevin Foy has relationships too and they have not helped the library's bottom line. [Foy has suggested charging out of town users for a library card.] "What's not discussed is the town of Carrboro," Czajkowski said. "It is flat out unfair for residents of Chapel Hill to be effectively paying for them to use our library."

Augustus Cho said he would support a minimal fee for people living outside Chapel Hill.

Kevin Wolff did not comment on fees for out-of-town users. He said the town needs to be as proud of its library as its fare-free bus service and that the council needs to prioritize its spending. "It's our public library; we need to pay for it," he said.

Wolff continues offensive in race for Chapel Hill mayor

mschultz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:27:40 -0400

Kevin Wolff, making his third bid for Chapel Hill mayor, continued his attack on opponents Matt Czajkowski and on Mark Kleinschmidt at Wednesday night's forum sponsored by The Chamber of Commerce, Empowerment Inc., The Daily Tar Heel and WCHL.

Wolff stressed that no candidate brings the broad experience he does in business, law and science. He has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, an M.B.A. and a J.D.

"By voting for Matt you'll be gaining nothing," he said. He repeated that Czajkowki had no political involvement before he ran for council two years ago and "didn't even vote." And when Czajkowski said he couldn't imagine someone being mayor without first being on council, Wolff said he wouldn't have that problem. He's watched council meetings and knows Robert's Rules of Order, he said.

"The butterflies, the lack of experience that Matt had, that's not me," Wolff said.

Wolff turned to Kleinschmidt and thanked him for his eight years of service to the town. He then listed three votes the councilman cast as reasons not to vote for him: lifetime health benefits for council members (actually I think it was until Medicare kicked in), the East 54 project and taxpayer-financed elections, which Wolff recently joined but has said he would like to reform to make it need-based.

And though he didn't name third opponent Augustus Cho, Wolff made an indirect response to him as well. After Cho, a native Korean, said he represented diversity, Wolff challenged anyone to question his diversity. On his Web site, Wolff says his father was a janitor who went on disabilty at age 43. One of five siblings, he said the family struggled to make ends meet and that he was the first in his family to attend college.

Observations on the mayoral candidates from a Chinese professor

mschultz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:05:47 -0400

Chen Kai teaches at Communication University of China and is a visiting scholar at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication，She has been reading the Chapel Hill News as part of a study on how China can promote community newspapers.

"Community is a new concept in China," she says. "During the whole year I hope to observe operation of a typical American community newspaper as well as its role in community building and write a book introducing its mature experience to Chinese newspaper industry."

We attended last night's Chapel Hill candidates forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, Empowerment, the Daily Tar Heel and WCHL, and on the car ride home I asked her what she thought about the candidates for mayor.

- Matt Czajkowski she knew had raised the most money.

- Augustus Cho, she said, must not have much money because she saw fewer signs for him and knew less about him, she said.

- Kevin Wolff was "aggressive," she said. He also "looked like a mayor." Wolff was wearing a sportscoat or suit. I couldn't tell from where we were seated in the room.

She didn't mention Mark Kleinschmidt. I've e-mailed her for more detailed thoughts and will update this post when she replies.

Chen also asked me if elections were very important to the community. I thought about that. I said not necessarily in terms of how many people vote. But yes, in terms of how the town looks and operates.

More later.

Campaign slogans creeping out

jessedeconto — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:37:20 -0400

Jim Merritt started a landslide of campaign slogans at the League of Women Voters forum Monday.

"Remember," he said in his closing statement,"Chapel Hill has Merritt."

Next in line was Matt Pohlman: "I don't have any catchy phrases. Pohlman is limiting."

Ed Harrison revived his slogan from 2005: "Common Sense for an Uncommon Town."

Laurin Easthom deconstructed the whole endeavor: "Chapel Hill Has Merritt. Everybody Votes Raymond. For Pease in a Pod. DeHart of Chapel Hill. All I ask is to just, 'Vote Easthom'. I can't think of anything."

Cho confuses "rural perimeter" for "moral parameter"

jessedeconto — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:17:11 -0400

At an election forum this week, mayoral candidate Augustus Cho got the first crack at the question, "What is your position on the rural perimeter?" (That's the boundary that keeps development in Chapel Hill and Carrboro roughly south of I-40 and Eubanks Road, east of Old 86 and north of Highway 54).

"Moral parameter?" asked Cho. "Was that the question?"

"I think I've heard that one before," said opponent Kevin Wolff.

"No, the rural perimeter," said moderator Jan Richmond, past presdent of the local League of Women Voters.

"I'm sorry," said Cho. "No cheap shot; I didn't mean to."

Cho, like all the other mayoral candidates, said he favored keeping the rural buffer.

Czajkowski: potential allies running for council

jessedeconto — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:05:47 -0400

At the League of Women Voters candidates forum Monday, an audience member submitted a question asking Kevin Wolff why he was personally attacking Matt Czajkowski in the mayoral campaign. Wolff has been publishing a half-page newspaper ad calling on Czajkowski to drop out of the race so that he and Wolff can be allies on the council. Wolff's campaign mantra has been: "Keep Matt where he's at."

"I'm not having personal attacks against Matt. I'm attacking the position that he's taken to run for mayor," Wolff replied. "I like Matt. I helped him get elected. ... I hope Matt and I get to work together on the Town Council."

Czajkowski said he wished the campaign could focus on the issues. "Chapel Hill dearly needs that discussion," he said. "Mr. Wolff doesn't do some of the candidates for council justice who arguably very much share my views."

Asked later to identify those candidates, Czajkowski declined.

"All I meant was that there are several other candidates running this year who have careers in business similar to Kevin's and mine," Czajkowski wrote in an e-mail.

Those candidates would be business executive Gene Pease, investment adviser Matt Pohlman and mortgage broker Jon DeHart. Will Raymond, a software engineer with management experience, might also fit that bill.

Incumbent Jim Merritt spent his career in education. Incumbent Laurin
Easthom is a dentist. Incumbent Ed Harrison is an ecological planner.
Challenger Penny Rich is a personal chef.

Pease, Pohlman and DeHart, along with Czajkowski, Wolff and mayoral candidate Augustus Cho, have been talking about the need to build the commercial tax base and cut expenses to lower the residential tax burden.

Mayoral rival Mark Kleinschmidt, meanwhile, touted his experience has head of the nonprofit Fair Trial Initiative, along with his eight years on the council, as evidence of his budgeting ability. Kleinschmidt said he trusted citizen input to help the council manage the budget every year.

"We have an issue with taxes in this town," he said. "We have some of the highest municipal taxes in the region."

Time, location changed for candidates forums

mschultz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:19:25 -0400

Due to incorrect information from the Chamber of Commerce, today's Chapel Hill News gives the wrong time and location for the Chapel Hill candidates forum tonight and the wrong time for the Carrboro forum tomorrow night.

The Chapel Hill forum begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Lincoln Center on Merritt Mill Road. The candidates for mayor will go first, followed by the candidate for council at 7:30 p.m.

The Carrboro candidates forum begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night at Carrboro Town Hall.

Thank you to Kevin Schwartz for correcting this information.

Clifton appointed Orange County manager

mschultz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:59:25 -0400

The Orange County Board of Commissioners last night named Frank W. Clifton Jr. the next county manager. He has been serving as interim manager since June 15, 2009

Clifton has served as county manager in Onslow County, N.C.; city manager in Casselberry, Fla.; county manager in Cabarrus County, N.C.; and city manager in City of Bristol, Tenn.

He has a bachelor’s degree in management and finance from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in city management from East Tennessee State University. He has also continued his education through the City-County Government Administration Program at UNC's School of Government.

“The Board has high hopes and high expectations that Mr. Clifton will continue to lead the County forward as he has for the past few months,” board Chairwoman Valerie Foushee said.

The vote by the Board to appoint Frank Clifton was unanimous. His salary will be $161,200.

Clifton follows Laura Blackmon, whose last day was June 30, 2009.

Chapel Hill won't buy Weaver Dairy Road office building

mschultz — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:22:03 -0400

Looks like the town of Chapel Hill won't be buying Dawson Hall, an office building off Weaver Dairy Road, for a future police headquarters.

The Chapel Hill Town Council met in closed session Monday for a report about the possible purchase. The council decided not to proceed, after Town Manager Roger Stancil cited several concerns:

- buying the site would put the town at its limit for keeping its current bond rating

- financing the building would depend on selling the current police headquarters site, which could not be guaranteed in a specific time frame. Also, the best use of the police site would require a rezoning, also not guaranteed

- buying Dawson Hall would mean joining an association with other tenants of the Chapel Hill 40 complex, which could limit the town's ability to use the building and property as it needs

- there would be insufficient parking for the Police Department's needs, given the other tenants parking demands

Stancil did recommend the town explore a short term lease of the property while the Chapel Hill Public Library is under construction for a long-awaited expansion.

Read Stancil's report here.

Wolff asks Czajkowski to quit Chapel Hill mayor's race

mschultz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:03:18 -0400

In an ad in tomorrow's Chapel Hill News, mayoral candidate Kevin Wolff calls on fellow candidate and current council member Matt Czajkowski to withdraw from the race.

"If you want another moderate voice on Town Council then ... Please join me in asking Matt to please drop out of the race for mayor of Chapel Hill and to support Kevin Wolff for Mayor of Chapel Hill," the ad reads.

Woff has run for mayor twice before, winning about 30 percent of the vote. But he was largely silent in those bids, attending few forums. He now says with just 5 percent more votes, he can win in the four-person field. With law, business and engineering degrees he says he's the best candidate.

Czajkowski, who has two years on his council term, has been ineffective, rarely getting a second on his motions and failing to make allies, Wolff says. "Matt will remain ineffective, even as a mayor."

"In fact given his lack of progress in the past two years, without me to help bridge the gap between him and the other town council members, Matt will continue to be ignored and unable to gain support for his initiatives."

Public will have say on homeless shelter site

mschultz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:45:53 -0400

Last week I wrote how a reader asked what public process led to the men's homeless shelter moving to MLK by Homestead Road. I wrote how I told her there was no public process. Mayor Foy, then Chancellor Moeser and IFC head Chris Moran just announced it one morning.

Carlo Robustelli, the mayor's aide, called after that column ran. He wanted us to know that the mayor had recently responded to some residents who had the same question. He sent me the letter, which spelled out the town's special use permit process.

The only town meeting has been at the Design Review Commission, which met June 17. The Town Council was supposed to get its early look at the project last week, but that has been delayed to Oct. 19.

When I told the caller last week there had been no public process in choosing the location, I didn't mean to imply there would be no public process from this point on. So here are some points from the mayor's letter.

Once the IFC applies for a special-use permit, neighbors within 1,000 feet will be invited to a public information meeting. The neighbors will get another letter when the permit application goes before the planning board. Between the information meeting, the meetings of various town advisory boards, the planning board and finally the Town Council, the public will have many chances to comment on the proposed men’s shelter.

In fact, this is how most development occurs. Someone buys a property or buys an option, makes a proposal and it either goes forward or goes nowhere. Some current candidates also think it goes on for too long, without any assurance that developers or the town get what they want in the end. Council incumbent Ed Harison called the SUP process a “crap shoot” at last week’s NRG forum. Challenger Gene Pease said it flat out doesn’t work and needs an overhaul.

I'll have more on this in tomorrow's Editor's Desk column in The Chapel Hill News.

The Bill Thorpe Undergraduate Internship Program

jessedeconto — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:00:31 -0400

At the request of the late Town Council member Bill Thorpe's family, the council tonight named the town's undergraduate internship program after him.

The town hires about 20 interns a year for 12 hours of work per week for $1,000 per semester. Thorpe hatched the idea before his 2005 council campaign and ushered it into reality for the fall 2006 semester.

"Bill Thorpe believed that young people should play a more active role in the political and economic decisions that impact their lives," said his son, Bill Thorpe Jr. "It was his idea. He proposed it. He promoted it. There's been no scandal associated with it," said Thorpe Jr., drawing laughs from the crowd at Town Hall.

Thorpe Jr. said his father won three council terms and lost five other elections.

"He lost more times than he won, but he kept coming back," he said.

School board candidates to debate in second forum tonight

sadialatifi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:02:38 -0400

The Orange County Democratic Women hosts the second public forum for school board candidates tonight.

All six candidates will be present at the forum, held in the OWASA Community Room located at 400 Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro. The forum will run from 7:30-9 p.m.

There are six candidates vying for three seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board.

Thorp asks Western Civ adviser to step down after gun joke

jessedeconto — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:07:52 -0400

The controversial student group Youth for Western Civilization lost its university sanction Friday when its second faculty adviser was forced out.

Retired psychology professor Elliot Cramer resigned after he joked in an e-mail about defending himself with a Colt .45 against student protesters.

Chancellor Holden Thorp, who asked Cramer to step down soon after reading the e-mail, said YWC is out of business until it can find another faculty adviser.

“We’re trying to come up with a way to have civil disource and for different points of view to be shared,” Thorp said. “Somebody’s who’s the faculty adviser has to show some restraint.”

Ex Chapel Hill councilman Strom buys apartment in New York

jessedeconto — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:39:05 -0400

For months before his resignation on Aug. 1, former Town Council member Bill Strom denied he was planning to move back to his native New York. But on Aug. 5, Strom and his wife Jennifer, former managing editor of The Independent newsweekly, purchased a Manhattan apartment for $625,000, New York City online public records show.

The News & Observer questioned Strom about his plans back in May, and he said he and his wife were downsizing. When his house in Chapel Hill sold in June, he said they had moved to an apartment in Chapel Hill. (As the buyer in the Manhattan transaction, the Stroms listed their address as Todd, N.C., where they've had a vacation home for years).

If Strom had resigned prior to July 14, the two years left on his council seat could have been up for election on Nov. 3. Instead, because of Strom's timing and town law, the Town Council must appoint a replacement, and all potential appointees must apply by Oct. 11, nearly a month before the voters decide on four other expiring seats. Some have called on the candidates to collectively apply so that no one gains or loses in the process, but some have resisted, saying they only want to be re-elected.