Letters to the Editor

Bicyclists follow rules of the road
[Jun. 28, 2006] While I'm not a cyclists I'm not sure what violations of the law cyclists keep transgressing? Samantha Reichle doesn't give one example of any transgressions, after all driving slowly on our county roads is perfectly legal, as is driving two abreast (although not the best of manners). And wearing that "nauseating array of neon hues", I'm sure is done for a very good reason, especially with drivers on the road who are as clueless about the rules as Ms. Reichle. By John McGinn

Chatham's Project Graduation 2006 is a success
[Jun. 25, 2006] My heartfelt thanks to the 75 volunteers and 186 businesses, houses of worship and clubs and organizations that worked to make the 17th annual Project Graduation 2006 a huge success. The community collectively sent a clear message that we care about our young people and want them to be safe. By George Greger-Holt

Demonstrations address plight of illegal residents
[May 14, 2006] Most or all of the comparisons and questions I posed about recent and past newcomers can be answered and elaborated by a little research. Perhaps the more difficult question to quantify is how many present newcomers from other countries are illegal, but contrary to Pete's assumption that I have "no idea" I do have an idea based on some experience. We have no reason to assume the proportion in Chatham's unskilled workers is different than in other areas. By Wallace Kaufman

Monday, May 1st - Buy, Buy, Buy!
[Apr. 30, 2006] Monday, May 1 is being called “A Day Without Immigrants,” but let’s be truthful here. Americans don’t have a problem with immigrants. We have a problem with illegal immigrants. By Nathan Tabor

Horizon Cellars needs local community help
[Apr. 15, 2006] My wife and I have planned and constructed Horizon Cellars winery and vineyard in Chatham County. Recently, we have has been thrown into a battle for its very existence. It has recently come to our attention that an out-of-state company wishes to create an extremely large, heavy industrial, open-pit, 24 hour/7 day-a-week gravel mining operation right behind our small farm winery. By Guy Loeffler
Also: Horizon Cellars Winery

Are DREs a waste of Chatham taxpayer money?
[Apr. 4, 2006] The county has many needs, and I'm sure we all agree that taxpayer money should be carefully managed. I question the oversight the Board of Commissioners has over the budgets and spending of county offices. I have reviewed the cost analyses of the Board of Elections and have found them to be in error and biased towards the purchase of DRES (touch-screen computers), resulting in a waste of taxpayer money. By Bonnie Bechard

Fair judgement
[Apr. 3, 2006] I had to mention a little about one of our candidates for Judge. Allen Baddour was my ex wife's attorney several years ago. With that in mind consider what I'm going to tell you. By Mark Stinson

What's wrong with new conditional use hearing rules
[Mar. 20, 2006] I read the posted new hearing rules and foresee a number of problems. By Liz Cullington

Chatham Voters Legal Defense Fund accepting donations
[Mar. 2, 2006] I am asking you to pledge funds for a Chatham Voters Legal Defense Fund. We believe that laws were broken in the process of selecting new voting machines, and we are planning legal action. By John Bonitz

Cary votes NO to annexation into Chatham County
[Feb. 25, 2006] Grassroots Wins! A satellite annexation petition to include 45 acres on New Hope Church Road was denied by the Town of Cary last Thursday night. By Sally Kost

This election is not about "us" versus "them"
[Nov. 3, 2005] An eleventh hour attack ad full of slanderous allegations was published in this week's Chatham/News Record. The ad was paid for by the Committee to Re-elect Chris Walker to the Town Board of Commissioners. The ad steals the platform of the grassroots citizen action group, Pittsboro Together, as his own and then makes up a series of obvious lies about that group's positions. Mr. Walker's ad calls the citizens' group a "special interest." By Jim Hinkley - Pittsboro Together Co-Chair

Public needs clarity on 10/70, zoning, and commercial planning
[Sep. 12, 2005] We still are treating every new commercial development individually as it comes along. When Chatham Downs was approved, Commissioner Morgan said that the County had not done the planning job for our commercial corridors that it should have, but that we should not penalize the developer because of this failure. By Robert Eby

Wal-Mart is appreciated by those on a tight budget
[Aug. 19, 2005] I am sure that both Jesus and MLK would have enjoyed a good bargain. Perhaps Jeffrey Starkweather is a millionaire Republican and can afford over priced items in a store. I am a person who lives on Social Security and a small pension who has to watch every penny I spend. By Ed Higgins

Haw River Assembly comments on NC strategy to protect Jordan Lake
[Jul. 7, 2005] The Haw River Assembly, and the co-signers to this letter (NC PIRG, the Southern Environmental Law Center, Environmental Defense, and NC Conservation Network) support the "B. Everett Jordan Reservoir, North Carolina Nutrient Management Strategy and Total Maximum Daily Load" Public Review Draft (April 2005), developed by the NC Division of Water Quality. We believe that the state must act now to protect Jordan Lake from excess nitrogen and phosphorus loading from wastewater treatment plants and run-off. By Elaine Chiosso
Also: Haw River Assembly