WUNC News
| Listen to the Latest WUNC Newscast Get the Flash Player to see this player. | News On Demand: WUNC Podcast  |
Latest News From North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC
Raleigh's Plan for 2030
Thursday, December 04 2008
by Dave DeWitt
| 
Send to a friend
The first draft of the Raleigh Comprehensive plan was unveiled last night at the Convention Center. It’s a 400 page document that plots the city’s course for the next 20 years. Dave DeWitt reports.
So what will Raleigh look like in 2030? Well, a lot more people will live in the city. And more of them will be single. They will also make up a more diverse population. It’s Mitchell Silver’s responsibility to prepare for that day. He’s Raleigh’s director of city planning. He says the plan creates more green space and offers affordable housing to those who won’t get around by car…
"We looked at our transportation system and land use and tried to tie them together. So that we can start to offer affordable housing not just downtown but housing that’s transit accessible."
The Raleigh Comprehensive plan lays out seven locations around the city for urban development. As many as 200,000 people are expected to move to Raleigh by 2030.
Furniture Lay Offs
Wednesday, December 03 2008
by Leoneda Inge
| Send to a friend
A furniture company that was a national leader in the fight against low-cost wooden imports from China is now fighting a bad economy. Leoneda Inge reports:
Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Company had about 1600 employees five years ago. This week, owners announced they would close the Elkin, North Carolina plant - laying off 400 workers. John Bassett is Chairman of the Board. He says it was a tough decision for his family to make:
"We didn't send some personnel guy down there to make this decision. This decision was announced by me, my son Wyatt who is our CEO and Doug who is our executive VP. We went down and looked everybody in the eye and told them the truth."
Bassett says they will moth-ball the Elkin plant in hopes of re-opening in better times. All of their furniture will be manufactured in the Galax, Virginia plant.
President Bush Visits Triad
Tuesday, December 02 2008
by Leoneda Inge
| Send to a friend
President Bush is visiting the Triad today. He's honoring a High Point woman for her years of volunteerism. In 1983, Donna Turner was one of the first volunteers at Hospice of the Piedmont in High Point. Turner has been there for 25 years:
"So when my husband suggested I didn't have to work anymore, I got up the next morning and went out and volunteered. And I've been volunteering ever since, because I guess, it's just in my genes, my DNA (laugh)."
Kim Kaufman, volunteer coordinator at the hospice center, says even after Turner had a stroke in 2003, and was partially paralyzed, she started re-hab and continued volunteering:
"It may have slowed her down but it certainly has not beaten her, and that's what's so great about her."
Turner is receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Durham Performing Arts Center
Monday, December 01 2008
by Leoneda Inge
| Send to a friend
The long-awaited Durham Performing Arts Center is open for business - even in a tight economy. It sits in eye shot of several major economic development projects in downtown - like American Tobacco. Zoe Voigt of Durham is impressed:
"I think it's beautiful, I love all the glass and how from a distance as we were driving up, it was lit up, and it just looked bright and beautiful especially on this gray dreary night."
The facility cost 44-million dollars and took two years to build - opening in one of the tightest economies in years. But that didn't stop people from pouring in last night to see the inaugural performance - BB King.
