VOLUME 146 ISSUE 32 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL
the
BRIEF this week
CCCC to host National Manufacturing Day event this Friday Central Carolina Community College will be participating in National Manufacturing Day this Friday. The school is inviting the public to attend an open house event, which will be held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center, located at 2101 Nash Street in Sanford. Manufacturing Day has been designed to expand the public’s knowledge about manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the United States economy. Representatives from local industries in Chatham, Harnett and Lee Counties will be on-site to showcase their companies and products, present potential career opportunities and increase manufacturing awareness. CCCC faculty will be on-site with program information related to careers in manufacturing. Also participating in the event will be several of CCCC’s curriculum programs focused on the skills needed for careers in the fast-developing industry, including industrial systems, welding, bioprocessing technology, engineering technologies, transportation, and laser & photonics. To learn more about CCCC’s National Manufacturing Day or see a full list of confirmed participants, please visit https://tinyurl. com/2023mfgday.
Chatham Community Library to host ‘Tar Heel Horror’ film series this October Chatham Community Library will be holding a “Tar Heel Horror” film series this October, with showings taking place every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. Each film, which will be shown in the Holmes Family Meeting Room, was selected for this series because it is either set in or was filmed in North Carolina. These events are free and open to the public but are best suited for ages 16 and older. The film schedule is as follows: The Conjuring (2013) on October 5, The Descent (2005) on October 12, Brainstorm (1983) on October 19, and Cabin Fever (2002) on October 26. For additional information about this film series and a synopsis of each movie, please visit www. chathamlibraries.org, or contact the library at (919) 545-8084.
PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Battle of Pittsboro Northwood linebacker Ryan Brinker meets Seaforth running back Anthony Vecse at the line of scrimmage during the Chargers’ 54-20 win over the Hawks on Friday.
Siler City’s Mayor Price Social district discusses reelection and Chatham Park hopes, future concerns rezoning greenlighted
by Pittsboro commissioners
By Chuck Thompson For Chatham News & Record SILER CITY – At 67, Siler City Mayor Thomas K. “Chip” Price III shows no signs of slowing down. His busy schedule includes city government, part-time work in retirement and managing his cattle ranch. Price, a Siler City native, wanted to skip town once he was old enough — but life had other plans. After graduating from Jordan-Matthews High School, he attended Western Carolina University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology. “When I graduated college, I was ready to get out of here like every other kid,” Price told The Chatham News & Record. Instead, Price found himself back in Siler City, working for a furniture company and climbing the ranks. Now in his 12th year of service in Siler City government, including two years as mayor, Price has witnessed fundamental changes across Siler City and Chatham County. “When I first went on the board of commissioners, it wasn’t a pretty picture,” Price said. “There weren’t many opportunities for the kids to stay here... I felt it was important to give
Corey Forest and Matthew Hayes appointed as Planning Board alternates FILE PHOTO
Siler City Mayor Thomas “Chip” Price is running for reelection.
back to the community that I love and show the younger generation that we need them.” During his tenure on the board of commissioners, Price and his colleagues worked to improve life for Siler City’s residents. However, the unexpected deaths of several town leaders added to the challenges of city government. “I didn’t want to see the hard work that we had put in being destroyed,” he said, explaining why he ran for mayor two years ago and why he’s running again. “I felt obligated to keep See MAYOR page A10
North State Journal PITTSBORO — The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners approved zoning changes, established a downtown social district, and appointed new Planning Board alternates at their recent meeting, last week. It had no public comments and was presided over by Mayor Cindy Perry. The board voted 4-1 to approve a legislative rezoning request by Chatham Park Investors LLC. The request aims to change the zoning for a property at 264 Rock Springs Church Road from single-family to multi-family residential. Spanning approximately 128.51 acres, the change will accommodate the community’s growing housing needs. “It’s crucial we consider the long-term impact of such zoning changes on our community,” said Commis-
sioner Jay Farrell. The Planning Board had earlier recommended the conditional rezoning, in line with the town’s development objectives. A social district in downtown Pittsboro, where patrons can carry and consume alcohol outdoors within designated areas during set times, received final approval. It had previously received sign off from several other entities, including the Economic Vitality Committee and the Downtown Advisory Board. After discussing the potential effects on local businesses and Sunday sales, the board voted 3-2 to implement the social district. Corey Forest and Matthew Hayes were named as alternate members to the Planning Board, representing in-town and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) interests, respectively. “It’s essential we choose individuals who truly represent the diverse interests of our community,” emphasized CommisSee PITTSBORO page A10
Hispanic Heritage event sets attendance record Event celebrates Latin American culture Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — The 10th Hispanic Heritage Fiesta, held in downtown Siler City in mid-September, drew a record crowd of more than 7,000 attendees. The event aimed to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and share the cultural traditions of Latin America. The fiesta covered four blocks surrounding 200 N. Chatham Street. A total of 85 booths, including food trucks, agencies and arts and crafts stalls, lined the streets. A new attraction this year was a classic car show. The event also included live bands and folk dance groups.
The signature parade featured traditional outfits, birthday celebrations and a giant puppet of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo known as a Mojiganga. The Mojiganga was crafted by local residents Elena Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Gonzalez. Dancers from Danza Guerreros Quetzalcoatl donned traditional Azteca outfits. Miriam Ximil, an artist originally from Mexico and now residing in Cary, was chosen to exhibit her artwork at the N.C. Arts Incubator gallery in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Her exhibition will be on display until mid-October, with a closing reception scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 13. “It was our largest and most successful Fiesta yet! We couldn’t have asked for a
more beautiful day,” said Ilana Dubester, Executive Director of the Hispanic Liaison, the sponsor of the event. She emphasized the importance of the event in connecting younger generations with their cultural heritage. However, the Fiesta was not without some controversy. Hispanos Del Sur filed a complaint of discrimination against the Hispanic Liaison, claiming it was denied entry into the 2023 Fiesta event, despite having participated in the previous year’s event. Gilbert Pagan, director of Hispanos Del Sur, expressed his concerns, stating that the Hispanic Liaison’s decision was based on differences in beliefs about family values and opinions on social and cultural issues. In response, the Hispan-
ic Liaison claimed the work and mission of Hispanos Del Sur was not aligned with their events. According to the Hispanic Liaison’s office, the event was private and participants were at the discretion of the office. Founded in 1995, the Hispanic Liaison offers advocacy, leadership development, youth empowerment and direct services for the Hispanic community in several counties, including Chatham County.