VOLUME 147 ISSUE 4 | THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
Local realtor receives recognition Eric Andrews, with Realty World Carolina Properties in Pittsboro, was recognized as one of the country’s top land brokers for the fifth year in a row. Land brokers recognized as part of the RLI APEX Producers Club must meet a qualifying dollar volume in closed sales, with Andrews recording more than $20 million in 2023 alone. Andrews is one of 53 Accredited Land Consultants in North Carolina.
PJ WARD-BROWN /CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Sacking out Kids gave it their all in the sack race at the EGGstreme Spring Fling on Saturday. The annual event, put on by Chatham County Parks and Recreation at CCCC’s campus in Pittsboro, saw kids participate in an epic Easter Egg Hunt, water balloon toss and much more. COURTESY PHOTO
Andrews with Aubrie Kobernus, CEO of Realtors Land Institute
Revolutionary rhetoric reigns
State won’t set new workplace guidance around masking NC’s labor commissioner has declined to adopt rules sought by worker and civil rights groups that would have set safety and masking directives in workplaces for future infectious disease outbreaks like with COVID-19. Commissioner Josh Dobson announced his decision last week, following a public hearing in January. One rule focused on controlling the spread of infectious diseases among migrant workers. The other covered workers more broadly in various fields. The North Carolina State AFLCIO was one of the petitioners, and its president urged Dobson to reconsider.
Local high schoolers invoke Spirit of ‘76 in oratory competition By Dan Reeves For Chatham News & Record
COURTESY DENNY COLVIN / SAR
Lowell Hoffman is chairman of the North CarolinaRumbaugh Oration Contest, acting as the event’s organizer, showrunner and historian.
CHAPEL HILL – Two years shy of the 250th anniversary of 1776, nine high school students from around North Carolina gathered over the weekend at Chatham County’s Governor’s Club to honor the founding fathers with short oratories of their own creation. The Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest, named
after its benefactor and put on by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, asks students to write, memorize, and deliver a five-minute speech about an event, personality, or document related to the Revolutionary War. Judged on composition, delivery, significance, and history, the competitors spoke articulately and passionately, invoking the essence of America’s national identity, indomitable spirit, and enduring legacy of liberty and independence. Subjects varied widely, including the tale of revolutionary war See ORATORY, page A3
Trial on voter ID set for May A federal trial over North Carolina’s photo voter identification law remains set for May, after a judge refused to end efforts by civil rights groups that sued over the requirement on allegations that its provisions are marred by racial bias. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs denied a “summary judgment” motion filed in 2021 for members of the State Board of Elections, which is implementing the law. Photo ID was required starting with last fall’s municipal elections and the primary election earlier this month. Biggs wrote that disputes remained over the case’s facts or inferences from undisputed facts. Republican legislative leaders also are defending the mandate.
Pittsboro skate park moves forward, water utility gets new name “I hung out with skaters in high school and a little bit at college and I view skating as a different form of mobility. It’s a way to get around.” Commissioner John Bonitz
Combined Pittsboro and Sanford utility will be TriRiver Water By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record Pittsboro could be getting a new skate park and the local utility company is being rebranded to TriRiver Water, and both were the main topics of discussion at the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners’ March 11th meeting. With Sanford and Pittsboro combining water systems, a new name was needed. According to a city memo, Carrboro Creative was hired to “create an inclusionary brand for the new utility.” The result is TriRiver Water. Named after the location where the Haw, Deep and Cape Rivers converge in the Cape Fear Basin, the branding aims to evoke a “Good Neighbor” archetype, characterized by relatability, commonality, and desire for connection. The new branding will be rolled out in the near future. Then discussion moved to the skate park. “We are talking with a nonprofit right now about budgeting, site design, and site location,” Parks & Recreation Director Katy Keller told the board. The proposed new skate park would be near McClenahan Street Park. “I think you’ll find this board is behind you 100 percent,” said Commissioner Jay Farrell. Other board members were equally supportive. “I didn’t grow up skating, but I hung out with skaters in high school and a little bit at college. I view skating as a different form of mobility. It’s a See COMMISSIONERS, page A2
Chatham Schools examine ways to boost teacher pay Though the state controls teacher salaries, counties can have additional reward and recognition programs
“This year my student has felt seen, loved, and challenged by Mrs. Laurin. This year as a parent I have felt supported, By Robert Owens informed, and appreciated For Chatham News & Record by Mrs. Laurin. She cares A POTENTIAL supplemental income plan to support the about her work and her students’ success and county’s teachers was a major focus of the March 11 meeting growth.” of Chatham County Schools Board of Education. The recognition of teachers in the county for exceptional service to students and the awards won by both teachers and students framed the discussion, along with public comments voicing support for higher wages. Superintendent Anthony Jackson spoke to the possibilities of supplemental compensation presented his “Recruit, Retain, Recognize and Reward” plan to the board. “All of this ties to our strategic priorities of ensuring that we put the absolute best people in front of our kids” Jackson stated. The plan seeks to provide incentives to teachers and See SCHOOLS, page A2
Nomination of Laurin Deaton or the Power of One Award
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