This Weekend FRIDAY What a 60% Chance of Rain 81/58 weekend SATURDAY 20% Chance of Rain A look back 79/54 in pictures SUNDAY 50% Chance of Rain 79/59 Page 12 carrborocitizen.com MAY 8, 2008 u CARRBORO’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER u VOLUME II NO. VIII FREE Big turnout marks Orange primaries by Kirk Ross Franklin Street, the Illinois senator Staff Writer won 70 percent of the vote to Sen. Hill- ary Clinton’s 29 percent. Clinton did Going into Tuesday, higher registra- not appear in Orange County, but her tion numbers were already indicating a husband, former president Bill Clinton, heavy turnout for Election Day, when Or- made a stop in Hillsborough. ange County voters would cast their bal- A 14 percent victory in North Caro- lots for everything from a tax referendum lina and a tighter than expected race to the next president. The early vote total in Indiana shifted momentum back to swelled as well, nearly reaching 18,000 Obama, who on Wednesday picked up votes by the close of business on Saturday, the endorsement of state Democratic meaning that 18 percent of those regis- Party chairman Jerry Meek, one of the tered voted prior to Election Day, a total roughly 800 so-called superdelegates close to the average total turnout in a typi- who may decide the nomination. cal primary year. By the time Tuesday’s Election results also showed that votes were added in, more than 46,190 concerns that thousands of new voters had voted in the county, putting turnout would not participate in down-ballot at an estimated 48 percent. races were exaggerated. As evidenced by the results, driving The state Senate District 23 primary the turnout was a surge of interest in between incumbent Sen. Ellie Kinnaird the Democratic presidential race. In and veteran County Commissioner Mo- that contest, Barack Obama won 62 of ses Carey drew a total of 34,831 votes in Orange County — about 5,000 less North Carolina’s 128 delegates with 56 PHoto BY KirK ross PHoto BY Ken moore percent of the vote. In Orange County, than those at the top of the ticket. Lorie Clark was an enthusiastic supporter of Moses Carey who lost to Ellie Kinnaird An ant exploring a female holly flower. Note the where Obama had high visibility and in the state Senate race. She and Obama poll worker Julia Tarr camped out all day immature berry at the flower center. an office full of volunteers on West SEE ELECTION PAGE 7 Tuesday at the OWASA precinct. flora By Ken Moore Transfer tax crushed Tax hikes Holly flowers by Kirk Ross In an email response to The Citi- bullies in North Carolina govern- cometh Staff Writer zen, Mark Zimmerman, who owns ment are out to defeat you,” he olly flowers are really a local real estate brokerage and is said, “they will.” by Kirk Ross neat. Though not big Like elsewhere in the state, voters spokesman for anti-tax group Citi- Jacobs said the county did not have Staff Writer and showy like dog- in Orange County overwhelmingly zens for a Better Orange County, enough time to educate voters on the woods and magnolias, rejected a proposed 0.4 percent land said the results were clear. tax nor did it see sufficient success in It’s budget time for local govern- Sixty-six percent of the county’s articulating what the tax was about. ments and indications are that no mat- once you have looked transfer tax. The ballot referendum was defeat- voters, he said “agreed that the He said the tax is a “less-painful” way ter where you live in Orange County, closely at a cluster of holly H ed by a margin of 28,053 to 14,288, County needs to find another way to cover the county’s growing need for your tax bill is likely to rise. flowers you may get hooked on or 66 percent to 34 percent. to support our wonderful schools new schools and parks. “The property Carrboro Town Manager Steve Stew- looking forward to them each Real estate and homebuilder groups and parks. The vote followed a vig- tax,” he said, “is the real home tax.” art presents his annual budget on Tues- spring. And you’ll feel really spent more than $205,000 through orous debate and an unprecedented Jacobs said the commissioners will day. Though it is uncertain how much of special when you can determine the end of April toward defeating the county education campaign. Our meet and discuss the issue and may an increase he’s built in, the town is faced for your neighbors and friends measure. A pro-transfer tax group already well educated voters were decide to put the tax back on the bal- with the same challenges as many oth- spent only about $2,000 in advocating very well informed on the issue, lot in November or try to put a sales ers, including rising health care increases whether or not a particular holly and they joined voters in 19 other tax on the ballot instead, an idea they and the cost of staffing new facilities. will have berries in the fall. for the effort. And though the county allocated $100,000 for an education counties who have overwhelming- rejected earlier this year. After last year’s 4.8 percent hike in the Knowing that holly trees are campaign, many observers expect the ly said a land transfer tax is not the The transfer tax and the sales tax Carrboro tax rate, Stewart noted that staff- either male or female, you can actual money spent to be lower than way to raise new revenue.” were the two routes given counties ing the new fire station remains one of the describe that a winter berry that, given the short amount of time County Commissioner Barry to make up for reductions in state town’s biggest costs. But a $314,000 Feder- display on a female tree depends between the decision to add the tax to Jacobs saw the results differently. funding for counties as part of last al Emergency Management Agency grant upon the presence of a male the ballot and the election. “When the biggest financial year’s budget. the town received in February eased that a holly within flying distance for bit by helping cover the costs of three new firefighter positions for the next four years. insects to carry pollen from the Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton male to the female tree. said the grant helps considerably. I took a close look at the male “Even though there’s a local match, it and female Deciduous Hollies, still saves us about a penny on the tax rate,” Ilex decidua, in my yard. All holly Chilton said. As a result, Chilton said Car- flowers have four petals, though rboro will see a tax increase this year, but he you may find a five-petal flower expects it to be lower than in other towns. On Monday, Chapel Hill Town among all the others. There’s Manager Roger Stancil revealed a bud- always an exception to the rule. get proposal with an 11 percent tax hike. Female flowers are distin- He cited health care costs, increases in guished by having a little green debt service, a small raise for employees bump, an immature ovary, in the and the opening of the Homestead Road center. That’s the future holly Aquatics Center as key reasons for the berry. The four accompanying increase, the town’s first in three years. stamens are nonfunctional, in The county budget will also con- tain increased spending to open new that they do not produce pollen offices and facilities as well as to con- bearing anthers. tinue to pay for school and park bonds The flowers of the male tree already approved by the voters. are more numerous than the County Commissioner Barry Jacobs sparsely flowered female trees said the county will see at least $8 million and the stamens are quite obvi- in additional costs for health care, employ- ous, with globs of pollen waiting ee costs-of-living raises, debt service and opening the new Durham Tech campus. to adhere to the body of some PHoto BY KirK ross One penny added to the county unsuspecting insect for the flight OWASA precinct chair Susan Siegel said many in the precinct took advantage of the early voting opportunities, keeping lines flowing on Election Day. tax rate yields about $1.25 million in over to those female flowers. additional revenue. I noticed several ants crawling among the female flowers. I’m not certain what attracted them to make such a long journey up Haw festival this weekend the tree and out to those flowers by Susan Dickson Local musicians will perform – perhaps to collect some nectar Staff Writer throughou the festival, from 1 to or nibble at the tips of the 6 p.m. Now that spring is finally in full bloom, it’s time In addition, Crossen will lead SEE FLORA PAGE 10 to head on down to the banks of the Haw River in a river-monitoring demonstration Bynum, where this Saturday, the Haw River Assembly from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in which par- will host the 19th annual Haw River Festival. ticipants can learn how to check Cynthia Crossen, the Haw River Assembly’s River water health by looking for dif- INSIDE Watch coordinator, said she hopes the festival, a fund- ferent river critters. Both children raiser for the Haw River Assembly, will bring folks and adults are encouraged to take from all over the watershed area.