Chapel Hill Officials and Leaders of Ram Development Company Work Together to Break Ground on the 140 West Franklin Multi-Use Development at a Jan
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Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 The Daily Tar Heel VoLumE 118, ISSuE 128 monday, january 10, 2011 www.dailytarheel.com a nEw forcE on frankLIn DTH/VICTORIA STILWELL Chapel Hill officials and leaders of Ram Development Company work together to break ground on the 140 West Franklin multi-use development at a Jan. 5 ceremony. The new complex is slated to be completed in late 2012. 140 west aims to revitalize downtown area BY VICTORIA STIlwell downtown atmosphere. The structure will stand eight sto- CITY EDITOR ries tall at its highest point and contain 140 units of upscale On the hunt for a condominium, Bill Spiegel first condominiums, 28,540 square feet of ground-level retail heard about the 140 West Franklin development more space and 337 private and public parking spaces. than two years ago from an unlikely source: a salesman The complex is a half-mile from the Greenbridge for Greenbridge, the new Rosemary Street development mixed-use development, which finished construction just blocks away. in October, and is just 2 miles from East 54, a self-pro- “He mentioned two other condominium projects,” claimed “urban village” of luxury condominiums, shop- said Spiegel, a 1971 UNC graduate and former asthma ping and dining. researcher. “The one that was the least far along was 140 Mike Hammon, the chief development officer for Ram West Franklin. Being downtown really appealed to me — Realty Services, said 140 West’s location sets it apart from and the fact that it wasn’t happening very soon.” the other complexes. And after delays in the permitting process, development “Each development has a unique project,” he said. “I think and town officials celebrated the start of a project more what we’re trying to create is this sense of community.” than 10 years in the making at a Jan. 5 ground-breaking Nearly 100 people gathered in a tent set up in the lot as ceremony held at the complex’s location at the intersection Ram Realty Services Chairman Peter Cummings, Chapel of West Franklin and Church streets. Caterpillar machines Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt and Town Manager and blue work tarp have replaced the vehicles and parking Roger Stancil spoke on how the development would help machines that once inhabited the town-owned Parking Lot recharge the downtown atmosphere by connecting East 5, signaling the start of construction. and West Franklin streets. DTH/VICTORIA STILWELL The $75 million complex, which is being constructed by “It was this space that really added to the argument Bill Spiegel, a Chatham County resident and new 140 West Franklin homeowner, stands in front of a the Ram Development Company, combines public, com- showroom model of the development. Spiegel said he values the downtown location of the complex. mercial and living spaces with the goal of recharging the SEE 140 WEST, PAGE 5 famed environmentalist to ross to face more cuts lion budget, which means the budget for unc-system budget the University system could be reduced by almost 19.5 percent, Ross and former give commencement speech could lose 15 percent President Erskine Bowles said Dec. 20 in a joint memo to UNC-system chancellors. BY C. RYAN BARBER BY TARINI PARTI Universities had previously been told to UNIVERSITY EDITOR STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR prepare for cuts between 5 and 10 percent. In 2003, before he was bestowed the Even the man with one of the toughest But according to the memo, the state responsibility of selecting spring gradua- jobs in the state started his first few days of has now asked all institutions to consider tion speakers, Chancellor Holden Thorp work with the simple things. 15 percent reductions for next year and to was charged with filling venues much At the start of the new start cutting the budget for the remaining smaller than Kenan Stadium. year, now UNC-system fiscal year by a total of 3.5 percent. Then the director of the Morehead President Thomas Ross The new round of cuts issued for this year Planetarium and Science Center, Thorp said he unpacked, settled — or “hold back” — came as somewhat of a looked to E.O. Wilson, a Harvard in to his new office and surprise, said Bruce Carney, executive vice University professor whom he met got acquainted with his chancellor and provost for UNC-Chapel in 2002, to deliver a speech at the staff. Hill. George Watts Hill Alumni Center titled Ross even got a He said the state is going to reduce its “Biodiversity and the Environment.” OneCard. allocated funding to the system in the last “We had all three rooms open and filled UNC-system “A president is no dif- quarter of the fiscal year. with chairs, and the place was packed,” president ferent than anybody else,” “We are scrambling to figure out how to Thorp said of the December speech. Thomas Ross he said. make that work,” Carney said. “There was a line around the block.” is in his first But unlike most oth- Campuses are expected to submit pro- Seven years later, Thorp sought out month serving. ers, Ross, former presi- posals to reduce costs next week. Wilson yet again, this time for the May PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH YOUNG dent of Davidson College The cuts will mean leaving vacant posi- 8 commencement speech. E.O Wilson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, will speak at May graduation. “He’s who was chosen in August to lead the 17 tions unfilled and more layoffs, Carney A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, the most articulate environmentalist of our time,” Chancellor Holden Thorp said. institutions of the UNC system, has to said. Wilson began his career studying ants in the field of sociobiology — a field that biology in human behavior. deal with the constant reminder of losing “There will be layoffs in all corners of the the South Pacific and southern United intertwines several scientific disciplines “He is an incredible advocate for the millions more in funding from the N.C. University this semester,” he said. States before going on to apply his find- to explain the social behavior of species importance of biodiversity and protecting General Assembly and the burden of pro- And unfortunately, the bad news contin- ings to formulate theories that bridged based on their Darwinian advantages. the planet and the species that inhabit it tecting the academic quality of the system’s ued for the UNC system. the gap between the humanities and In 1975, he authored “Sociobiology: The and the difficult times that we are facing,” campuses. Just days after Ross took over, N.C. Sen. science. Wilson is widely known within New Synthesis,” a book that stirred bit- The state is currently projecting a the scientific community for fathering ter controversy for explaining the role of SEE GRAD SPEAKER, PAGE 5 $3.7 billion budget deficit in its $19 bil- SEE ROSS, PAGE 5 this day in history sports | page 22 university| page 3 Today’s weather JAN. 10, 1794 … AN UGLY WIN MORE SNOW DAYS Ninety percent Reverend Dr. David Ker is North Carolina pulled December’s snowfall chance of awesome H 36, L 29 elected Presiding Professor out a victory against didn’t derail exams or by the University’s Board of Virginia despite its poor commencement, but Tuesday’s weather Trustees. Ker previously was shooting, highlighted by University officials may Wintry mix: now pastor of Presbyterian Church a nine-minute scoring plan for snow days with extra slush H 33, L 25 in Fayetteville. drought. in the future. 2 monday, janaury 10, 2011 News The Daily Tar Heel The Daily Tar Heel Hurricanes at Home DAILY take one www.dailytarheel.com DOSE daily Established 1893 117 years of editorial freedom Hairless animal not a ‘goat sucker’ SARAH FRIER BJ DWORAK, FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LAUREN MCCAY 962-0372 PHOTO CO-EDITORS esidents of Appalachia: Your goats are safe. EDITOR@ PHOTO@ DAILYTARHEEL.COM DAILYTARHEEL.COM Biologists have confirmed that an animal shot in Kentucky in December STEVEN NORTON EMILY evans, was not a legendary chupacabra, but in fact a hairless raccoon. MANAGING EDITOR 962-0372 JENNY SMITH “It’s definitely a hideous creature. There’s just no way around it,” said MANAGING.EDITOR@ COPY CO-EDITORS DAILYTARHEEL.COM COPY@ Rwildlife biologist Steven Dobey. “Without that fur it gives it a whole new appearance DAILYTARHEEL.COM C. RYan BarBer as to what it is.” UNIVERSITY EDITOR PARIS FLOWE 843-4529 ONLINE EDITOR The scientists are now investigating the cause of the mammal’s hair loss, which UNIVERSITY@ ONLINE@ DAILYTARHEEL.COM DAILYTARHEEL.COM could include shock, a genetic defect or a virus spread by ticks. VICTORIA KELLY MCHUGH According to legend, the chupacabra — meaning “goat sucker” in Spanish — STILWELL DESIGN EDITOR attacks livestock and bleeds them dry. CITY EDITOR DESIGN@ 962-4103 DAILYTARHEEL.COM CITY@DAILYTARHEEL. COM RYAN NOTED. A Cambridge, Mass. man was QUOTED. “He put himself, his wife, the life KURTZMAN arrested Wednesday after smashing several of his unborn child and the motoring public in TARINI PARTI GRAPHICS EDITOR STATE & NATIONAL GRAPHICS@ items, including a cash register, in a movie the- a very dangerous situation.” EDITOR DAILYTARHEEL.COM ater concession stand. — Maj. Russell Conte of the New Hampshire 962-4103 STATE@ ZACH EVANS The man reacted when the movie he was state police. Conte gave a speeding ticket to a DAILYTARHEEL.COM MULTIMEDIA EDITOR watching, “The Sound of Music,” became blurry man driving his wife to the hospital after her NICK ANDERSEN MULTIMEDIA@ for about five minutes, the theater’s associate water broke. The officer escorted the couple to DAILYTARHEEL.COM ARTS EDITOR director said.