Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 22:44:54 -0500
From: Jeff Lane
Subject: Re: body shop?

On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 20:05, Chatham Chatlist wrote:

> —————————————-

> Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 11:49:28 -0500
> From: Bronwyn Watson
> Subject: body shop?
>
> I know this question has been asked before, but can anyone recommend a good
> bodyshop in the area?
>
> Thanks,
> Bronwyn
Pittsboro Paint and Body at the corner of 15-501 and 87, south of the Court House…

My wife has … dinged… a couple cars up and they expertly repaired them both times, and were friendly, easy to work with, took the time to listen to our concerns and answer our questions, and the owner even let me wife borrow his personal vehicle when she had to take her car in because she had a couple appointments to keep while the fitted the new bumpers on.

They do outstanding work and provide outstanding service in my experience…and when I get the money saved to have my car repainted and coated, I am definitely taking it to them to do the work.

Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:48:52 -0500
From: Martha  Lisk
Subject: Gas

Gas at the Exxon jumped from 2.67 to 2.77 overnight. I filled up at BP, before they too jump it up. Good grief, the low over the weekend is to be 15 degrees.

Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:49:59 +0000
From: Stephanie Peterson
Subject: Pittsboro Bus

I would like to thank Randy Voller, Chatham County Commissioners, Chapel Hill Transit, and everyone else responsible for the Pittsboro bus to Chapel Hill.  I ride this bus every day and am happy to say that the 7:15 bus is about half full every morning (a far cry from the 4 riders during the route’s first week in August).

A new bus route needs time to get the kinks out, so please be patient while the schedule and the number of buses is organized.  If you would like to ride the bus but the current schedule doesn’t fit your own, let Chapel Hill Transit know at:

chtransit@townofchapelhill.org.
And please, let’s stay positive and get the word out about this great new bus!

Thanks,
Stephanie

Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:38:49 -0400
From: Robert Britson
Subject: Roundabout

A roundabout is an efficient way to route traffic at this particular part of Hwy 87.  Folks should already be driving slowly, but often do not.  I would not be surprised if fewer trees were removed with the roundabout than would have occurred with widening and creating new turns.

People just need to learn how to drive within the roundabout.  One advantage pointed out to me recently by a father whose son had a serious accident at an intersection, is that with a roundabout you have to look for traffic in one direction only.  He was leaving his school, watching impatiently from both directions to enter the main road.  The father felt his son would have been helped if he had watched from only one direction.

Perhaps Hwy 87 will be rerouted, anyway — my dream — since it is too narrow for its traffic, anyway, has inadequate shoulders, and carries speeding trucks and cars as they enter Pittsboro from the north.  Janice Britson

Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:13:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Linda Allred Cooper
Subject: The Bus

I am lovin all the bus comments – pro and con.  Stimulating, entertaining, and constructive conversation is my goal.

Randy (not Voller), thanks for asking about my son’s racing career (although, you sly thing, you claimed you are not interested in how we spend our time).  Yes, my son races “round track” for a living.  Yes, that requires gas, oil, etc., and I suppose some folks (non-fans, I’m sure) consider it an “antiquated quaint Southern tradition” although it is a multi-billion $$ industry growing in popularity every year.  Cooking with fat back could be considered “antiquated quaint Southern tradition” too – but I have pintos on the stove as I’m writing this.  Just call me old fashioned.

BTW:  there are bus races at some tracks and yes – they are exciting to watch.  If you like, I’ll be glad to send you a schedule and maybe we can carpool and watch the race together – being “green” by carpooling and all that.

Did you know the racing world is constantly looking at ways of improving and becoming “green”?  I’ll be glad to send you information about this if you are really interested and not just attacking for the sake of attacking.  And for you fans out there, go to www.MichaelCooperRacing.com to learn more about Michael and his career.

But, all that takes us away from the bus topic.

The bus and any form of public transportation will take time to become a success or fail.  Randy Voller and others (he wasn’t by himself in this decision) are making this effort in hopes that it will succeed.  Your decision to “wave to you as my passengers and I drive by in my car” is your choice.  But, who nominated you to be “the decider” about how the rest of the world feels about riding the bus?  Why can’t you drive your car and others ride the bus in peace without attacks and constant complaints.  Do you have a constructive alternative to the bus?  We’re talking Public Transportation here – not water, sewer, or any other topic.  Just Public Transportation.  And please – be constructive.

I visit the Arlington, VA / DC area quite often.  When there, I use the METRO.  Why?  Parking in DC is horrendous!!!  The stuff of nightmares.  And that’s after you fight the traffic!!  The Metro is so much easier – but it does require some effort.  I walk to the nearest METRO station.  I walk from the METRO to whereever I am going – usually the National Archives and/or DAR Library, both of which are 5-7 blocks from the nearest METRO station.

Why bring that up?  Because once upon a time Arlington, VA and even DC were very small towns with little traffic.  Pittsboro and the surrounding area is growing – and so are the traffic problems.  I think Mayor Voller is being pro-active in trying the bus now.  Why should he (and we) wait until the traffic problem is out of control.  Why not try to get out in front of the problem and find a solution now if we can.  Maybe the bus is not the answer – but at least he is trying – not just sitting around and complaining and attacking.

And yes, the bus and/or a METRO requires a change in habit.  It may not be as convenient.  It may require driving part of the way, parking and changing vehicles.  It may require walking a distance.  Growing up required me to start wearing a bra, and trust me, I didn’t like it and still don’t like it – but that’s part of my price of growing up.  Pittsboro is growing – some changes we may not like are coming.  Why not work now to find the more favorable options for transportation?

Now, you asked when I would be seen on the bus.  I am a professional genealogist (www.NCProGenealogist.com) who works from home (online) most of the time although I do go to the NC Archives quite a bit.  The Archives is located in downtown Raleigh.  A bus from Pittsboro to Chapel Hill does not get me where I’m going.  Hopefully there will be a bus from Pittsboro to Raleigh soon.  When that time comes, you’ll more than likely see me on it.  The combo of gas and parking gets really expensive – a bus ticket will, no doubt, be more economical for me.  Until then, I am forced to drive but try to carpool with other genealogists whenever possible.

Linda Allred Cooper
shamless plugger of my son and my own businesses

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:57:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Machai St. Rain
Subject: Pittsboro – Chapel Hill bus

I would like to know where/how to get info about this bus and who can ride?  I might ride if I’m allowed to – can anyone catch it along its route on 15-501?  I find it absurd that the general public can’t ride from the park and ride lot north of Cole Park Plaza.  I live very close to it and would even be glad to pay to ride – wouldn’t allowing paying riders be a boon?  …but no -they don’t want me to ride – even for money!  Is there anyone out there with info on this new bus?
Machai St. Rain

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:29:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: tim keim
Subject: Bussing Dollars?

Whenever opponents of the Chapel Hill bus route air their grievances, they invariably neglect to include this information: the federal government paid for half. The feds gave Chatham County $176,000 for an 18 month pilot transit program to encourage people to use the bus. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is generally good advice in a situation like this. The self-appointed guardians of the public purse have no other plans for the future transportation needs of Chatham than to nit pick and criticize the prudent actions of public servants willing to make investments in our future.

Tim Keim

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:45:33 -0400
From: randyjoke
Subject: Bus Transportation: Do as I say, not as I do

Response to Linda Cooper -

I am sure some people will hail you as a hero, but let me ask you this Linda -

Have you ridden the Pittsboro Express? If you have, how often?

Not much I would guess. Am I right?

Another likely case of “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Randy Voller boasted about over 200 people signing the on-line petition when the idea was floated. (Loved the anonymous signees)

Where are those people now? We know that they are not on the bus, because there are less than two dozen people riding the bus on a daily basis.

If these 200 propoents put their money where their mouths were, you would not hear a peep out of me and others. Let them fork over the $60 per month for a transit pass and I’ll quiet down. I don’t care if they feel it is unfair for them to pay for a bus they don’t ride. They like the idea and claim they support it. If they support it let them pay for it.

Linda, can we expect to see you buying your Pittsboro Express pass? Take a picture of it and post it on the web for us all to see. Don’t forget you have to do this every month for the next 16 months.

Note also that the monthly bill for the bus is actually about $20,000 a month so that you really need to have over 300 people forking over $60 a month each .

Now, because you chose to chastise me and others that oppose the unwarranted waste of money, let me ask you another question.

What has your family done to impact “Global warming, gas emmissions, cost of gas, traffic, etc.”?

I notice that your son is still racing around in circles in a polluting race car ( http://www.michaelcooperracing.com/index.htm ). How is this helping global warning and gas emmissions?

I know you are a  NASCAR fan. Isn’t this a antiquated quaint Southern tradition that has outlived it’s time. For the sake of the world and the children.

Maybe we can have NASBUS, where drivers pick lots to see who gets to ride one of two city buses and we get to watch these two vehicles race around the racetrack. A bus’s higher center of gravity would make going into the turns really interesting.

Personally, I don’t care how you plan to use your free time and that’s the point – you should be free to spend your money how you would like.

So please, just spare us the lecturing about how WE should be behaving.

Looking forward to seeing you riding on the Pittsboro Express. I’ll wave to you as my passengers and I drive by in my car.

BTW, except for the ceremonial first ride, how many times has anyone saw Randy Voller riding the Pittsboro Express?

Randy

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:29:30 -0400
From: Ann H. Deupree
Subject: Public Transportation

Thank you to Linda Cooper for her message about the new bus service.  This is a huge break-through for Chatham County, at a very reasonable cost.

As Linda says, “Global warming, gas emmissions, cost of gas, traffic, etc.  That is what the bus is for.”

Try it next time you need to go out, especially if you commute to work.  You’ll save money and you’ll be helping the environment.

Ann Deupree

Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:49:26 -0400
From: James P O’Keefe
Subject: RE:  $360,000 to bus people

The cost for this money pit is $360,000 and it’s taxpayer money!

It’s money that probably could have been better spent on improving Pittsboro’s water system instead of footing the bill to benefit a couple dozen people. Don’t forget that the BIG Pittsboro Express advocate is our mayor Randy Voller.”

I work for a water/waste water engineering firm in Raleigh and let me tell you something; $360,000 may sound like a lot of money but it does not get you very much in the municipal water industry. Now If someone would please just offer a daily bus from Pittsboro to Raleigh, I’ll be the first happy customer. -Jim