Union County
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Volume 10, Number 14 • April 2 to 8, 2015
Wesley Chapel mayor holds public forum on de-annexation Residents concerned with lack of awareness from neighbors
o be t t n on't wa i was, d i , ie n "if i d sad perso e as th
red "i don't want to be remembered e b m e as the girl with p rem ro b le m s " " ok ? Excerpts from Ash Haffner’s suicide note and photos courtesy of Do It For Ash
Windows into the
Soul
Ash Haffner’s parting message and the community’s response by Crystal O’Gorman crystal@unioncountyweekly.com
Ash Haffner felt pulled in every direction. It was more than she could bear. When it all became too much, the 16-year-old took her own life by stepping in front of an oncoming vehicle on Poplin Road on Feb. 26. While her mother, April Quick, never expected this would happen, she said Ash was feeling pressure from multiple angles: identity crisis, bullying and physical abuse. “She was already going through a lot of struggles. She was very fragile and had been so for many years,” Quick said. Ash struggled with her sexual identity and gender orientation, Quick said. At the time of her death, Quick said she still hadn’t decided if she identified as a transgender male or lesbian female.
"Do
n't you let wh peop o y ou le te are ll "
by Ryan Pitkin editor@unioncountyweekly.com
WESLEY CHAPEL – Wesley Chapel Mayor Brad Horvath stepped down from his usual spot on the Village Council’s panel to level with residents in the village’s town hall at a special mayoral meeting on Monday, March 30, regarding a de-annexation petition that has recently become a bill in the North Carolina Senate. If passed, the bill would remove 70 parcels of land, consisting of approximately 978 acres, from Wesley Chapel, placing it in unincorporated Union County. The petitioners filed with N.C. Sen. Tommy Tucker in May 2014, after they said they had trouble selling their property due to strict zoning ordinances in the village that prohibit dense zoning and deterred developers. Horvath called the meeting to discuss his view of the petition, explain steps the council is taking to prevent a de-annexation and answer questions from concerned residents. The issue recently came to the forefront when petitioners brought their concerns to council at a special meeting on Jan. 26. Many councilmembers said the January meeting was the first they had heard of the petitioners’ concerns. Since that meeting, the petition has
(see Ash on page 4)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6;
(see De-annexation on page 11)
Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Honor Roll, 14; Faith, 16; Calendar, 22; Sports, 24; Classifieds, 27
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