More than 400 Chatham residents armed with citizen outrage, clever slogans and demands for public records rallied around the Pittsboro courthouse and stormed a commissioners meeting on Jan. 20. “We are fed up!” Haw River Assembly leader Elaine Chiosso shouted through a megaphone outside, to loud applause, whistles, stomping and drum beats. “We’ve never seen […]
Jennifer Strom
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Durham CAN shepherds a successful agenda
A grassroots group that’s been sowing seeds across many facets of Durham reaped two big victories for low-wage workers in the last two months, persuading county commissioners to adopt a living wage of $9.51/hour for their employees and to look into expanding the standard to outside contract staffers as well. “The mix of people and […]
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Mega-project brewing for Pittsboro
While citizens and elected leaders in Chatham County work to shape rules that will govern enormous subdivisions like the 2,500-home Briar Chapel project headed their way, a second mega-development nearly as large is taking shape under the public radar–and outside the jurisdiction of the county’s proposed regulations. A national homebuilding company is proposing a 1,000-acre […]
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Paradise tossed
A perfect storm of uncontrolled growth caused by poor planning and an election bought by developers is about to overwhelm northern Chatham County, once a rural retreat on the edge of the Triangle. Citizens are starting to take action. But is it too late?
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One woman’s battle won
While a debate about growth in Chatham County has been brewing in public arenas like commissioners meetings, Jo Hill has waged a private battle of her own with one of the largest developers in the county. The conflict, which lasted the better part of three years, finally ended last month. (See “In the Crosshairs of […]
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A plan’s in the works
Chatham County citizens will soon have a chance to comment on the guidelines that will govern development of the so-called “compact communities”–large, stand-alone residential neighborhoods with “town centers” like the proposed Briar Chapel along U.S. 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. The guidelines are the first result of a citizen-based process called the Land Use […]
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A dog’s life, and mine
Along the shore of Lake Michigan last weekend, a young woman on a park bench bent down to talk to her dog. Rubbing his furry, mottled ears, she murmured reassurances that the green- and purple-haired teenage girls in black lipstick and camo pants passing by meant no harm and didn’t deserve his bark-alarm. I’m sorry […]
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A return to the Chicken Hut?
On Sept. 11, Durham’s People’s Alliance, a progressive grassroots political action committee with about 300 members, endorsed three candidates for city council: Diane Catotti, a longtime PA member and former group president, who is white; Warren Herndon, a retired Duke administrator and political newcomer, who is black; and Diane Wright, another longtime PA member, and […]
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Angry voices rising over Durham library director
Some people say the Durham County library director is a difficult man. In his previous job in Illinois, Philip Cherry III drove away half a dozen top managers with his tyrannical style. He made subordinates cry and publicly clashed with library trustees and city aldermen–all in just 15 months, before he was asked to resign. […]
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Still making waves
Replacing a CEO is never an easy task, especially if the outgoing chief is the company’s first-ever leader and reluctant to yield the spotlight to a successor. This summer, board members of the internationally known, Durham-based Divers Alert Network are ushering out founding CEO Peter Bennett, who has sued the board of directors for control […]
