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Matt Hughes on Kinnaird: She Showed Me The Ropes

CHAPEL HILL - Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, Matt Hughes, says he remembers Kinnaird when he first joined the Democratic Party and how she helped him get involved.

“When I first became active in the Democratic Party as a teenager actually, Senator Kinnaird was one of those out there, who was willing to really take me under her wing and show me ropes within the party and just also in North Carolina politics in general, my feeling is that Senator Kinnaird is approachable by members of the community” Hughes said.

Senator Kinnaird iss a former Mayor of Carrboro before moving to the State Senate to represent Orange and Chatham counties.  Hughes says since the beginning of her political career, Kinnaird has been approachable and is willing to listen to everyone about the issues.

“Senator Kinnaird has always been willing to engage with her constituents and really work with them as many of our elected officials in orange county do, but particularly Senator Kinnaird is someone who also has sought out an understanding of those who do not see things from her perspective in order to really construct a well-rounded view” Hughes commented.

Throughout her career, Kinnaird has accomplished many things and earned the respect of many people in the area, including Matt Hughes. Kinnaird’s resignation will leave a void in the State Senate with big shoes to fill.  Hughes says one of Kinnaird’s greatest aspects was that she would pursue the facts and learn an issue from all angles; he says hopes that her replacement will continue to be as open as her.

“What I hope is that the successor to Senator Kinnaird’s seat will be able to really represent all of district 23 Orange and Chatham County” Hughes said “to really have a firm understanding of the issues that are before the state senate and state legislature and how we play a role in that as a community”

Kinnaird served 8.5 terms as State Senator.

http://chapelboro.com/news/state-government/matt-hughes-on-kinnaird-she-showed-me-the-ropes/

Park and Ride Fees; Chatham Residents Get Tax Bills; UNC Degrees

CHAPEL HILL – New fees on Chapel Hill’s Park and Ride lots will begin August 15.

The lots affected will be Carrboro Plaza, Eubanks, Southern Village and Jones Ferry. The rates will start at $2 for a daily rate, $21 for a monthly rate and $250 for a yearly rate.

UNC says it will be implementing its own fees for its park and ride lots at the same time, and UNC park and ride permits will be usable in town lots.

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Final graduation numbers are in as 5,845 students received a degree from UNC this year, including 1,327 master’s degrees, 679 professional degrees and 259 doctoral degrees.

8,547 UNC students were recognized on the Spring 2013 Dean’s List, which requires a minimum 3.5 GPA for 12 hours of letter-grade credit.

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Property tax bills for Chatham County residents should be arriving by at least mid-August, with the deadline to pay on January 6.

Some residents may receive real estate and personal property tax bills separately, according to the Chatham County Tax Administrator, Frances Wilson. Tax payers may appeal the personal property tax bill within 30 days of the date listed on the bill, with all residents encouraged to bring questions to 919-542-8250 or 919-542-8260.

http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-time/park-and-ride-fees-begin-chatham-residents-get-tax-bills-5845-students-get-unc-degrees/

Chapel Hill is Hemorrhaging Tax Dollars

It’s official! Walmart is coming to town!

Well, not our town, but Chatham County, just over the line. And to the victor go all the spoils. Walmart has announced it will build a huge 148,500 square foot store on the 15-501 commercial corridor near Smith Level Road and hire 300 employees.

Walmart cash registers will soon be ringing and Chatham County will rake in the sales tax dollars. Then the property tax will begin to roll in.

Meanwhile, traffic will beat a path across Chapel Hill roads to the Walmart store just a stone’s throw away. More lost business for local merchants.

All this sound familiar? Déjà vu!

First, there was New Hope Commons along with several other commercial developments that went to Durham. The proposed Obey Creek mixed-use complex in Chapel Hill fell through because of town restrictions.

Long in the planning process, projects such as Aydan Court and Charterwood have met similar fates though Charterwood may be revived.

Chapel Hill is hemorrhaging tax dollars and there’s no end in sight.

Let’s hope Town Council gets its act together soon before Chapel Hill becomes the sole enclave of the rich and well-to-do.

http://chapelboro.com/columns/the-commentators/chapel-hill-is-hemorrhaging-tax-dollars/

Fiction tells the truth about North Carolina’s changing rural landscape

We have changed.

More urban. Less rural and farming.
At least that is what the latest Census is telling us.
But the story is more complicated. It is more interesting, too. Out in the formerly all-rural counties of our state, new kinds of residents have moved in. But lots of the old-time residents are still there.
How do fifth-generation farming families interact with back-to-the-land newcomers, suburbanite encroachers, and retirement community residents?
The census does not give us the answer.
Maybe the answer can be found best in fiction.
Chatham County’s award-winning writer Marjorie Hudson has given it a try in a new book of short stories, “Accidental Birds of the Carolinas: Stories about newcomers and natives, and the healing power of the rural South.”
Hudson sets her stories in a fictional Ambler County, which is much like her own Chatham County. Like Chatham, Ambler is rural by tradition, but growth from nearby cities is expanding across the county lines. At the same time, idealistic young people from all over the country are still moving to rural Ambler to try their hands at living on the land and off the grid. The natives and the “accidental” newcomers are characters who move through Hudson’s stories.
In “The Clearing,” a woman running away from a broken relationship moves into an old farmhouse in bad repair. When the pipes freeze, a crusty local plumber named Whiskey Collins fixes them. Before you know, he is fixing everything for her. They may be an unlikely pair, but when they wind up making love in the water of a spring hole, neither seems to care that they might not be meant for each other.
In “Rapture,” an old-timer named Sarton Lee and his wife, Miss Irma, had a daughter Trudy, who was a mess. When she died of a drug overdose, Sarton and Irma were left to raise Trudy’s daughter, Nancy. They love her. Then she falls sick, and, as Sarton says, “The good Lord in his wisdom dragged it out for a full year, that son of a bitch.” There is much more to the story but, quoting Sarton again, “You are never so alone as when a child dies.”
“The High Life” is the story of Dip, a 15-year-old runaway, who is working at a carnival that has stopped in town. He helps Royal, a hard-core carnival man, who, ugly and dirty as he is, still is a great seducer. Dip has a hard time adjusting to his new life and ultimately runs away again.
Nina is married to a mentally ravaged-by-war soldier who turns his wrath on her. A voice tells her to leave. Driving through North Carolina, she sees a sign, “Providence,” which gives the story its title. She stops, finds an old house to rent for $50 a month, and settles in.
In “Home,” a young woman marries Carter, who lives on a farm. Carter’s son from his first marriage loves the farm where he, his mom, and Carter, once lived. The new wife’s marriage is haunted by her thoughts of Carter’s first family’s life on the farm where she now lives.
In the title story, a retired Army colonel trying to get used to subdivision life in Ambler County loses his wife unexpectedly. He finds himself ill equipped to deal with his new circumstances.
 “The Outside World,” really a novella, tracks the marriage of a student at Chapel Hill who falls in love with her professor. She follows him to a farm in Ambler County, where he tries to replicate the experience of Henry Thoreau, resulting in special challenges to their lives and marriage.
Sometimes fiction is the best way to tell the truth.
This time, Marjorie Hudson’s fiction does the job.
http://chapelboro.com/columns/one-on-one/fiction-tells-the-truth-about-north-carolinas-changing-rural-landscape/

Medicaid and Medicare Myths

In the face of all the budget cuts for both state and federal I thought some interesting facts and statistics would put our “state of Medicaid and Medicare” in perspective. The bill recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives would cut federal Medicaid spending by 50% by 2030.
Medicaid Facts
  • It is funded jointly by state and federal governments, with the federal government’s share ranging from 50% to 80%.
  • Over 15% of seniors rely on Medicaid, all of whom are poor.
  • Seniors and people with disabilities comprise 1/3rd of Medicaid recipients, but account for 2/3rds of the costs.
  • Medicaid is primary payor for long-term care.
  • 1/3rd of total Medicaid spending supports 2.8 million people through home and community-based services (HCBS) and 1.7 million nursing home residents.
  • 7-out-of-10 people over 65 will need long-term care at some point, and nearly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day.
On top of these facts about Medicaid, here are a few compelling facts about Medicare:
  • According to the figures presented by Dr. Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation at the LCAO event, half of all Medicare recipients live on incomes of less than $22,000 a year, with less than $2,100 in savings accounts and less than $31,000 in other assets.
  • Projections show that about half will have incomes less than $27,000 by 2030.
  • The need is growing as seniors and people with disabilities live longer.
I am interested in your thoughts on aging Americans in our country and our “state of Medicaid and Medicare”. 
Tell us your Comments!
 
Source: LeadingAge.org
http://chapelboro.com/columns/enjoy-life/medicaid-and-medicare-myths/

Scholarship Programs for Education… What Do They Mean To A Community in Today?

As I was reading a recent blog post regarding budget cuts to the UNC system in the area of 15 percent equating to an estimated $75 million and the quality of education for 222,000 students in North Carolina I applaud any organization in today’s economy offering scholarship programs for education!! Gone are the days we can take for granite benefits offered via our employers, including health insurance, and I am fortunate to work with an organization that believes in its employees enough to continue the Scholarship Program for Education during the tough economy we are all experiencing.

I have a son in college at NC A&T and I am thankful I don’t have two kids in college at the same time as do many parents in this area. I am counting the semesters til graduation in May 2012 and you will probably be able to hear my shouts of joy all the way from Greensboro to Chapel Hill! To have $500-$2,000 reduced from your budget for education and student loans as a student and parent is note worthy and I look forward to my one year of service in order to apply also.

Retired seniors in Chatham County are making sure the multigenerational workforce is able to achieve the American dream with post secondary education. By donating $15,700 Chatham County residents supported a local scholarship and education program offering thirteen scholarships to deserving applicants. What an amazing way to “pay it forward” in today’s economy and continue your philanthropic efforts by giving to such a great cause. Education is critical in making the difference in providing for our families and we applaud those who believe in making a difference.

Beatrice Runyan, Director of Human Resource at a local nonprofit stated, “The Employee Scholarship Program is just one additional way organizations can recognize and reward good employees and help encourage their continued education.

Those are my thoughts. What do you think of the budget cuts?

http://chapelboro.com/columns/enjoy-life/scholarship-programs-for-education-what-do-they-mean-to-a-community-in-today/