This Weekend Friday 60% Chance of Schools Thunderstorms 63/39 Saturday New store provides Partly Cloudy 53/36 teachers school Sunday supplies 30% Chance of Rain 47/22 Page 8 carrborocitizen.com JANUARY 10, 2008 w CarrBORO’S COMMuniTY NEWSPAPER w VOLUME I NO. XXXXIII FREE Calvander at the crossroads After months of discussions, the committee studying plans for the town’s northern area sends a plan to the board of aldermen By Kirk Ross the Talberts on the west side of mouthful: the Northern Study Staff Writer the intersection isn’t just hop- Area Plan Implementation Re- ping at lunchtime. view Committee. A new school is several fren- Last spring, concern about At the heart of concern for zied months of construction growth in the area led the Car- shaping growth was a recogni- away from opening day, as are rboro Board of Aldermen to tion that it can’t be all residen- new homes in developments impose a six-month develop- tial — that the area will need recently approved nearby, but ment moratorium and charge some commercial services and PHoto BY PETER WHITE the intersection of Homestead a 17-member committee made amenities. Sycamore bark peels off to change Road and Old N.C. 86 at Cal- up of residents, elected offi- How to do that became the the coarser grey-brown-green bark vander is already a busy place. cials and town advisory board subject of a long-running of the lower trunk to a smooth Steady development has members with coming up PHOTO BY KIRK ROSS How to shape development along the east and west sides of Old stark white trunk above. made it much more of a cross- with ideas for how to proceed. SEE CROSSROADS, The committee’s name was a N.C. 86 became a subject of debate among a town committee roads than ever before and now PAGE 10 In praise of studying plans for the area. the mighty sycamore Citizens take note! Historic debate at Century Center FLORA By Kirk Ross the Iran-Contra scandal and re- By Ken Moore Staff Writer cently served on the American Bar Association’s task force on presidential signing statements. Botanical Garden director They’re promising an old- Arguing against impeach- Peter White loves trees. Chatting fashioned political debate in ment is liberal journalist Mi- with him over a coffee at Open the spirit of the famed Lincoln- chael Tomasky, who writes for Eye, I mentioned featuring the Douglas matches. But for Al New York magazine and is the Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) in McSurley, John Heuer and other author of Left for Dead, a study The Citizen’s “Flora” column. He members of the local Coalition of the intellectual collapse of enthusiastically responded with for the Constitution, which is the American Left. numerous stories. sponsoring the event scheduled Both men say they’re looking Its beauty is somewhat ob- for next Tuesday at the Century forward to the discussion. scured by the foliage during the Center, the stakes are somewhat In a recent interview with The growing season, but in the winter higher than who will be the next Citizen, Fein said that he will ar- no tree in the Carolinas is like the senator from Illinois. gue that the president and vice sycamore with its distinctive bark The title of this one is “On president have so distorted the and habit. The base is somewhat the Question of Impeach- powers of their office that they like a typical tree bark. Now, I’ll ment,” and in addition to the must be challenged. The theory leave it to your imagination to vi- all-American bunting Heuer the Executive Branch is working sualize a “typical” bark. As your and McSurely plan to hang a on post-9-11, he said, contends eye travels up the trunk of the banner reminding those gath- “all the planet is a battlefield in tree, you will notice bark peeling ered that they’re sitting in the and outside the U.S.” Bush, Fein off in large irregular scales col- cradle of impeachment. said, has created in terms of na- ored from gray and tan to green. The “convenor” for this de- PHotos BY kirk ross tional policy “a state of nature Further upwards, the trunk bate is County Commissioner with war of all against all.” becomes very smooth and snow TRIEM TAGGED Moses Carey and moderating In addition, he said, the ad- white in color, reaching skyward The empty Triem building will be professor Hodding Cart- ministration’s obsession with se- to the very branch tips. During on South Greensboro Street er III. While an elected dignitary crecy, Bush’s signing statements the winter months, even viewed has seen a growing popularity and a professor may seem about that indicate he can interpret laws from speeding vehicles, the stark among graffitti painters. On right in their roles, the actual and choose to not obey them and white stems along riverbanks are this week’s Opinion page, debaters might surprise you a one local resident says it’s politically motivated vendettas unmistakable. It occurs through- bit. Arguing for impeachment time to paint over the marks like the mass firing of federal out our state – one of our most is Republican Bruce Fein, a for- to discourage the practice. prosecutors necessitate action. magnificent native trees. mer justice department lawyer Single trunk specimens are See Guest Column, page 6 who was research director for most commonly seen in ur- the congressional inquiry into SEE DEBATE, PAGE 3 ban landscapes. Many of the specimens found in the wild are multi-trunked. Next time you are walking along a stream or river, Who will tell the people? take time to notice how many of Taylor Sisk the trees are multi-trunked with By and by the people they’ve come ers to reconsider their decision boro, where the majority of our two of more stems. Flooding Staff Writer to represent who’ve refused to be to site a waste transfer station on waste is generated, prepared for a and logging in floodplains cause quiet when confronted with what Eubanks Road at the location of landfill in their own backyards? injuries to trees and loss of main Lest you’d come to doubt, they perceive to be unjust treat- the current landfill. A search is And: What are our long-term stems. The trees rebound vigor- EDitor’S NotE: don’t. Democracy does still work ment – by those who’ve stayed late now underway to determine the plans for reducing our waste and ously with “stump sprouts” that This story is the seventh in America. It’s alive and well, in to see that it works. When people best site for a transfer station. for alternatives to both landfill mature into dramatic multi-trunk in a series that examines fact, and toiling away right here in are heard, and done deals are no Eubanks Road is not off the ta- and transfer? specimens. issues related to environ- Orange County. But pack a lunch; longer quite so done, thank the ble as a potential location. But at least we’re talking, and Asked for an explanation for mental justice and to the a change of socks. Plan to stay late. folks who stayed late, and consider Beyond that particular or- that’s democracy at work. the unusual smooth white upper fight of the Rogers and You’ll then see it well at work. democracy being done. der of business, though, is the So what does a community at bark, White can describe a num- Eubanks roads commu- Of course we all knew this. Consider it – but not for long. question of whether the county large – that portion not immedi- ber of interesting theories. One nity to be relieved of what We were aware that democracy Because nothing’s yet settled. should have a transfer station at ately affected by hazards and/or is that the white bark evolved they allege to be an undue still works when people are will- After 35 years of carrying all: Should we be shipping our inconveniences – gain from dia- to make a surface against which burden. To read the stories ing to work at it. But it’s nice to what it’s felt to be a solid-waste garbage out of county for some- log of this nature? caterpillars were easily picked off in this series and for other be reminded – as we have been overburden for the good of our one else to deal with? Plenty, says Gary Grant, a di- as tasty morsels by birds, a clever resources, go to www. by our county commissioners, by community at large, the Rog- And: If we were to site an- rector of the North Carolina En- sycamore adaptation to protect carrborocitizen.com/main/ the Rogers-Eubanks Coalition ers-Eubanks community has other landfill (or landfills), where vironmental Justice Network its leaves. rogers-road to End Environmental Racism successfully lobbied the Orange should they be placed? Are the (CEER), by CEER’s supporters County Board of Commission- towns of Chapel Hill and Carr- SEE PEOPLE, PAGE 7 SEE FLORA, PAGE 10 INDEX INSIDE Women writers wooed by Chapel Hill News ..............................................................3 Police say suspect winning an award for a play she wrote. It Community..................................................4 RECENTLY... became the tipping point for her fragile “I’ve now read both and Land & Table ...............................................5 nabbed in break-in, By Valarie Schwartz marriage. am left impressed by the Opinion ..........................................................6 may have been Valerie Yow, a petite blonde Greensboro Obituaries .....................................................7 native, arrived in 1991 after raising two strength and courage of two Schools...........................................8 on a spree Two women came to Chapel Hill to daughters during a career of writing plays women who, bolstered by Sports ...........................................9 See page 3 write books.