Pittsboro Place got us by the Mardi Gras balls

By Ollie Waddell
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - My name is Ollie Waddell and I moved here from Alabama, with my wife Texie. Yes, I wrote about the Mardi Gras Ball here on the Chatlist and how much I enjoyed it. However, it was only later that I discovered that it was in part sponsored by Pittsboro Place Partners. In case you don't know or haven't heard, they are the mega-corp that plans to build a shopping center on Highway 64 East that will be larger than the town.

When I paid my $30 for a ticket, it stated that the ball was being sponsored by Chatham Arts and The Abundance Foundation- with a portion of the money going to Katrina disaster. I saw nothing to indicate that Pittsboro Partners were involved - only later in a chatlist posted by Tami Schwerin (The Abundance Foundation) thanking them and others for "helping"? Exactly what was and how many dollars was that help? I also thought that the Abundance Foundation was for helping people - but not allowing themselves to be 'bought'- et al.

It would be very interesting to see in detail just how The Abundance Foundation was set up and how it operates. Could it possibly have been done with soft money goverment grants? And if so, just who do they answer to? What kind of a grant are we talking about? Dollar-wise? Do the founders get a salary?

Last fall, a big rally protesting the Pittsboro Town Board approving Pittsboro Place included the newly formed Pittsboro Together. Pittsboro Together was seemingly very much against Pittsboro Place being approved. Yet, I now remember seeing most of those same Pittsboro Together rally attendees at the Mardi Gras Ball. Did they or did they not know Pittsboro Place was one of the sponsors? Or did they not care?

Even asking or accepting funds from Pittsboro Place seems repugnant to me. A menace in sheep's clothing is still a menace and a danger to our town.

P.S. Could the Sponsors of the Mardi Gras Ball please post on the Chatlist the exact dollar amount that is being given for Katrina? Or is that a secret?