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service, it was advertised in the paper and there was a study, etc. She said that not many <br />people read the paper or will show up to speak about it. She will have to pay her taxes, plus the <br />recycling fee, which she does not need or want. She takes her garbage and recycling to the <br />convenience center. She thinks that she is being forced to pay for something that she did not <br />ask for and it is being made to come out of her escrow with her mortgage. She said that this is <br />wrong. She is going to see if she can be charged this legally, along with her taxes. <br />Nancy Baker is a parent of children at Cedar Ridge High School and Grady Brown <br />Elementary School. She is also a member of the Walkable Hillsborough Coalition. She is <br />concerned about pedestrian and bicycling facilities at these two schools, because there are <br />none at this time and there are students who walk to the schools. She presented a petition from <br />parents and she read it as follows: <br />Petition for Walking and Bicycling Safety at Cedar Ridge High School and Grady A. Brawn <br />Elementary School <br />Safe Routes to School <br />We the parents, friends, and students of these two schools, with the support of the Walkable <br />Hillsborough Coalition, petition the Orange County School Board, Orange County Government, <br />and North Carolina Department of Transportation to make pedestrian and biking routes to our <br />schools safer and more pleasant. <br />We request specifically that <br />1) a pedestrian overpass be constructed over Interstate 40 to allow safe crossing for <br />pedestrians and bicyclists and to ensure the safety of the motorists below. <br />Neighborhood sidewalks leading to the overpass should be constructed. <br />2} Sidewalks be constructed leading safely from the street entrances to the school <br />buildings. <br />3} A crosswalk be installed between Grady Brawn and Cedar Ridge to allow safe <br />passage far the children and adults who cross daily. <br />She said that they have 300 parent signatures on the petition. She thanked Chair <br />Jacobs and Commissioner Halkiotis for their help on this project. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he wants to praise Ms. Baker for all of her work. He <br />said that she was a volunteer with the Orange Grove Road work group with the Town of <br />Hillsborough. She has also presented information to DOT about pedestrian and bicycle <br />additions on existing bridges for less than $1 million. He said that she has gotten NCDOT to <br />reduce the price to $750,000. He said that he has had same discussions with DOT and they <br />are now willing to put in a crosswalk from Grady Brown to Cedar Ridge, if the school system can <br />align a sidewalk with the existing sidewalk near the bus entrance lot at Grady Brown. The <br />school system is in the process of doing this. He thinks this is significant headway, because at <br />one time same officials from DOT told him and Chair Jacobs that they were opposed to <br />crosswalks between those two schools because it would encourage people to cross. <br />Carl Raba spoke about an experience he has had with child support enforcement. He <br />went through a divorce and job layoffs, and in the process of unemployment, he petitioned the <br />courts far a modification to his child support and was denied. The response was that he should <br />actually be paying more child support. He liquidated assets, including IRAs and personal <br />possessions, and created debt to meet the obligation and stay out of jail so that he could look <br />for work. He did get a slight modification. He works full time, and after child support is taken <br />out, his net income is $12,000 a year. His ex-wife travels all over the place with his children. <br />He said that the attorney for child support represents the plaintiff and no one represents the <br />children. He said that two and a half years ago, in the Orange County courtroom, the judge <br />