hpe11182009

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WEDNESDAY

WANTED: Police seek suspect in Walgreens robbery. 1B

November 18, 2009 125th year No. 322

POLICE INVESTIGATE: Two injured in local shooting. 2A

www.hpe.com High Point, N.C.

TALL ORDER: HPU takes on bigger Wake Forest. 1D

50 Cents Daily $1 Sundays

SMOKE OUT

Trinity council stalls vote on truck ordinance

Larry D. Young, a pain management specialist, joined Cornerstone Behavioral Medicine, providing psychological assessment and therapy for adults with depression and mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain, stress disorders and chronic health problems.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAK ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

TRINITY – The Trinity City Council on Tuesday night delayed a vote on whether to lift a moratorium it placed on a new ordinance that prohibits truck drivers from parking their tractor-trailers on their own property. After a 50-minute public hearing, Councilman Barry Lambeth made a motion to table the truck ordinance to the City Council’s retreat in January. Lambeth’s motion passed with a 5-2 vote, with City Council members Karen Bridges and Tyler Earnst voting against the issue being tabled. “We could sit up here and beat this one to death,” Lambeth said before making his motion. “We’ve got a lot of questions, and I encourage citizens to call us and get your input ... I think we need to sit down amongst ourselves and talk about what we want to do and what the future is. I’m in favor of tabling this till our retreat, and sit down and hammer it out.” Last month, the City Council decided to table the moratorium on enforcing the ordinance un-

INSIDE

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DON DAVIS JR. | HPE

Workers at Bimini’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Cafe at 2140 N. Main St. say they were nervous about the ban, but they’ve adjusted to the idea.

‘We could sit up here and beat this one to death.’

County distributes smoking ban data to restaurants

Barry Lambeth Councilman til November’s meeting. The ordinance, which was approved in August, prohibited the parking of large trucks, including cab and trailers, cab only and/or trailer, in residential neighborhoods. The ordinance also prohibited the parking of large trucks on any public street unless in the process of loading and unloading. Last week, the City Council agreed to consider Tuesday night text amendments to the new ordinance. The text amendments would have allowed trucks with three or more axles, and overthe-road commercial freight haulers with two or more axles, to be parked in residential zoning districts if parked behind the rear plane of the primary structure or within a permitted accessory structure. Under the proposed text amendments, trailers would have continued to be prohibited in residential neighborhoods. The ordinance also would have allowed large trucks and trailers to be parked in residential agricultural zoning districts if screened from the view of the street or placed 300 feet from the center line of the street. More than a dozen Trinity residents spoke during the public hearing Tuesday night. Some of the residents said trucks were a nuisance, claiming they would take legal action against truck drivers no matter what decision the City Council made because their neighborhood’s covenant prohibits the parking of tractor trailers.

BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

GUILFORD COUNTY – Guilford County will ask smokers to kick their habit for a day on Thursday, less than two months before bar and restaurant owners are required to ban it. The Great American Smoke Out, sponsored by the American Cancer Society and in its 33rd year, urges smokers to go a day without smoking on the third Thursday in November. The county is recognizing the day to encourage individuals to stop smoking as well as reaching out to bar and restaurant owners by mailing out packets of information regarding the smoking ban, effective Jan 2. “I think this is a very significant issue this year in terms of the new law,” said Mary Gillett, coordinator of the Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition of Guilford County. “It’s an important issue for everyone.” As the new year approaches, bars and restaurants will be required to ban smoking from their establishments, except for outdoor patios. The rules and regulations have been misunderstood by many, Gillett said, and the Department of Public Health wants owners to understand the rules before the big day arrives.

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“We are primarily concerned that bars fully understand the law,” she said. Gillett said private clubs, which, by definition in the legislation, are nonprofit organizations such as a fraternal club, country clubs and cigar bars, will be exempt from the ban. “You can’t just dump a hookah pipe on the end of your bar and be designated as a cigar bar,” she said. “And it isn’t simple for a private business owner to change their business plan to allow smoking.” Greg Stephens, owner of Harrison’s Restaurant at 1807 N. Main St., said his biggest fear was that the ban would cause his business, which has a full bar, to lose money. “We’re pretty nervous about it,” he said. “In the past, guests had their choice. We went to the extent early on to install smoke eaters to get rid of the smell.” Workers at Bimini’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Cafe at 2140 N. Main St. said they were nervous about the ban, but they’ve adjusted to the idea. “I think a lot of our customers will be happy about this,” said manager Linda Buckner. “I’m sure there will be some that are upset, but it isn’t like we are the only place in town that’s banning smoking.”

GAS PRICE AVERAGES

The following are average prices for a gallon of unleaded gas in the Triad: • Tuesday: $2.56 • Last week: $2.59 • Last month: $2.43 • Last year: $2.04

BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

National average: $2.62 SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE

Sign reflects cost of a gallon of gas at RaceWay on N. Main Street. Brendan Byrnes, public relations manager for the travel organization. “It’s still important to remember that they aren’t being driven by demand anymore.” Byrnes said the price of a barrel of crude oil was being held between $78 and $80 due to the weak American dollar. Other factors, such as low interest rates and the national unemployment rate creeping into double

digits, also should keep the prices low, he said. From the end of the summer travel season to Halloween, area gas prices rose from $2.35 to $2.64. Prices have fallen by fractions of a penny every day this month, dropping 5 cents altogether, he said. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in the Triad was $2.56 on Tuesday.

“Prices should remain pretty stable through the holiday season,” he said. “In terms of whether it goes up or down will largely depend on economic forecasts, the strength of the dollar and the price per barrel.” Mike McCully, associate professor of economics at High Point University, also said he wasn’t expecting a large increase in

prices through Christmas. “Households are still cautious about spending, including travel spending,” he said. The sole factor that may drive gas prices up, he added, is further weakening of the U.S. dollar. “As the U.S. dollar gets weaker, the price of oil tends to go up,” he said. phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617

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CAMPING OUT: Event to raise awareness of homelessness. 1B OBITUARIES

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Sherrill Avery, 82 Eugene Cope, 78 James Crotts, 84 Anita Hunsucker, 74 Jason Lee, 29 Catherine Myers, 94 Jean Payne Robert Spilman, 82 Marvin Stancil, 72 Obituaries, 2-3B

WEATHER

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Rain likely High 56, Low 51 8D

INDEX phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617

AAA: Holiday gas prices stable HIGH POINT – Drivers who are tired of fluctuating gas prices may get a present this holiday season in the form of stabilized fuel costs. Despite the recent spike in prices, officials at AAA of the Carolinas say the holiday season shouldn’t drive up costs like it has in recent years. “Thanksgiving is the nation’s busiest travel holiday, so we expect a slight increase in prices,” said

WHO’S NEWS

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