I am very concerned, troubled, worried, and shocked at the amount of parking proposed for Carolina North. As an outstanding university supposedly creating a sustainable, transit-oriented development, UNC is failing to demonstrate the capabilities and imagination necessary for that vision to be a success. Concrete plans should emphasize transit before laying the first brick. Creating a Carolina North culture of auto use that tries to make the switch over to transit later will not work.

It is important to reschedule the approval of the Development Agreement until after the summer. Even the Planning Board did not review the final version, much less the citizens who will be most affected. For a project of this magnitude, this is hardly asking too much. The new Sustainable Community Visioning Task Force will be presented with Carolina North as a done deal before they start their process. The unseen benefit of the present day economic environment would not make a delay result in any negative outcomes. However, it would give everyone an opportunity to consider the results of years of work before it is cast in stone.

I appreciate the weight of all decisions regarding Carolina North. It truly is an awesome responsibility. Unless all doubts and questions are settled in the Town Council's minds, I would urge them to not be pressured into a vote.

Del Snow

Chapel Hill

Stewart defines quality education

I am extremely disappointed by the decision not to rehire Mr. Charles Stewart at East Chapel Hill High School for the new school year. It disgusts me that the thought of taking this man away from our school even crossed anyone's mind.

I was one out of 40 lucky freshman students to get Mr. Stewart for Algebra I and extremely lucky to get him again for Honors Algebra II. I always knew I wouldn't have him for my senior year, because he only teaches algebra classes. That being said, this isn't about me, it's about all the other students who won't get the opportunity to learn from him. It's about all the other students who will never get the best math education they can get at East.

I always thought if there are teachers like Mr. Stewart, then the "people in charge" must know something. So, now what should I think? If the district wants teachers of quality, I'd suggest it rethink its decision, because Mr. Stewart defines quality. The district will never find a teacher like him again.

Allie Stamler

East Chapel Hill High School

Editor's note: Legislation allowing retired educators like former McDougle Middle School Principal Charles Stewart to return to the classroom expires in September, school system spokeswoman Stephanie Knott said. The district is waiting to see whether the provision will be extended and what its final state funding will be before deciding who it can bring back.

Student will miss two fine teachers

I have recently found out that Mr. John Capps and Ms. Lauren Bricker from A.L. Stanback Middle School are going to be laid off. I believe the school should reconsider for many reasons.

Mr. Capps has been my social studies teacher this year and I have learned so much from him. He not only teaches us, he makes us interested in the topics. I have learned so much from Mr. Capps, such as that Dec. 7, 1941, was "a date which will live in infamy" or that North Carolina gave more troops to the Confederate army during the Civil War than any other southern state. I did not just learn things for a test and then forget them; I learned them and understood them so that I would know these things for the rest of my life. Mr. Capps is the best teacher I have ever had.

Ms. Bricker was my science teacher this year. Every day she came up with a way to make learning more fun. We did labs and experiments that actually showed what we had learned. Ms. Bricker loves her job and is always ready to teach us. She loves being with her class and teaching us new things every day. She loves being at school and she loves her job. She even stays after school to coach girl's track. She is a great teacher overall and with her help I got a four on my science EOG this year. She loves her job and is great at it too. I strongly believe you should reconsider and give Ms. Bricker her job back.

Emily Belding

A.L. Stanback Middle School

Tuesday cut-off date for appeals

Illegal and arbitrary are terms from the N.C. General Statues and court cases in similar situations as Orange County, where 5,000 property values have been appealed. That is to say what the Tax Assessor did was at least arbitrary. And it may get worse; the cut-off date for appealing is Tuesday, June 23.

There appears to be chaos in the tax office. Some that appealed in December still have not heard. The tax staff in some cases have called brokers and Realtors that tried to help taxpayers and chewed them out, but in other cases the same brokers assistance has been accepted. This gives the appearance of disarray in the tax office. Some taxpayers have been given very small reductions in value; some given $150,000 reductions in the same neighborhood.

There are a few things people ought to know:

1. You cannot successfully appeal value based on just the amount of the increase alone.

2. But if the True Value is exceeded by about 20 percent you have a good chance for success.

3. Remember the presumption is that the Tax Assessor is correct; and it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to to overcome that.

4. The taxpayer has the responsibility to show any defects, faults, detrimental problems such as soil unsuitable for septic.

But more importantly if you appeal to the Board of Equalization, then the N.C. Tax Commission, then the tax office must get a "real appraisal." And that appraisal may not support the tax office's value; it may support your value.

Subsequent closings and real estate activity has provided a clear downward trend in many values, not an increase. Meanwhile the Tax Assessor is stonewalling, delaying and answering with chaos.

P H Craig

Chapel Hill

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The Chapel Hill News welcomes letters and columns from readers. Letters are limited to 300 words, columns to 550. Writers are limited to one letter a month and one column every three months. All submissions become property of The Chapel Hill News and McClatchy Newspapers.

Mail: Letters should be e-mailed to editor@nando.com or typed and sent to Editor, The Chapel Hill News, 505 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516 . Letters may be edited for space and clarity.