Sprint Cup points leader Joey Logano stood looking at the two massive breaches along the Columbia Canal caused by the devastating floods in South Carolina earlier this month.
“It’s incredible to see this,” he said quietly.
Logano was on hand Thursday to visit with first responders and workers repairing the waterway that provides clean drinking water to South Carolina’s capital city.
“When you think about how close to home this is, to come out here and see some of the damage, it goes straight to your heart,” said Logano, who sits atop the NASCAR standings with six races left in the season.
Logano, who is heading to the Kansas Speedway on Thursday for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race, wanted a firsthand look at some of the damage that had been done by floodwaters nearly two weeks ago.
There were at least 19 deaths attributed to the floods and the weather in South Carolina. Families, cities and counties will continue cleanup and fixing damaged roadways for months.
Logano said he came to Columbia because he saw the disastrous pictures on TV, heard the stories of people who had lost their homes and wanted to help. The Joey Logano Foundation is donating $50,000 to three disaster-relief agencies for those affected by the flood, he said.
“The least we can do is come down here and keep some awareness on this,” Logano said. “There are still a lot of people trying to clean up, trying to get their homes straight.”
Logano visited with Columbia firefights and members of the Salvation Army working to feed those spending long hours draining and re-damming the canal. Huge dump trucks full of heavy boulders dropped them in place as Logano watched.
He also visited a neighborhood where many houses and townhomes were deemed unlivable, its residents losing everything they had.
“It’s our duty as people, as humans to go help,” Logano said. “That’s what we’re on this earth for.”
The NASCAR driver signed hats for the firefighters and others, then was given a tour of canal area.
Logano won last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, guaranteeing him a spot when the field of 12 championship contenders is cut to eight after races in Kansas and Talladega.
“It was great to win and know what happens the next two weeks won’t affect us,” Logano said.
Also on hand was NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson, who is from Forest Acres, one of hardest hit sections of Columbia. Anderson said his mother’s beauty parlor had water near the roof and some of his father’s rental properties had flood damage.
Anderson, 24, is in his first full season with his truck team and stands 20th in the points standings. He was returning from the Las Vegas race when he saw the flooding in his hometown.
“It really didn’t even sink in at first,” he said. “We want to have opportunities for NASCAR to give back and get South Carolina, get Columbia and get Forest Acres back on its feet.”
Darlington Raceway, in the heart of the flooded areas, largely escaped significant damage, said track president Chip Wile.
The raceway had some of its hillside outside of turn four washed away by the heavy rains. There were no structural problems to the track, Wile said.
The Carolinas remain high on the radar for Deschutes brewery in considering its planned new facility in the eastern U.S., as the company continues to consider possible sites. The company plans to make its pick by year’s end, and 100 to 200 new jobs are expected to be created.
Deschutes, a highly regarded Oregon brewery, does not sell much beer in the eastern half of the country, but that would change with the opening of an expansion brewery. The company has scouted South Carolina, but much of the buzz and speculation has centered on the busy beer city of Asheville, and on Roanoke and Charlottesville, Virginia, which also made the short list.
Deschutes hopes to begin producing beer at a new site in 2019.
Deshutes president Michael LaLonde is traveling to Asheville next week in what’s described as an informal visit to meet the city’s brewers and brewery owners and learn more about the scene there. There are no announced plans to visit South Carolina on this trip.
Cities with thriving beer cultures where breweries continue to open are attractive in luring new players, said Julia Herz of the Brewers Association craft beer trade group. “There is power in numbers and we are seeing that across the country,” she said. Nationally, there are 4,011 craft breweries across the country, she said,
Wherever it goes, the Deschutes brewery would bring an economic impact and become a tourist draw. The Sierra Nevada brewery near Asheville has been popular with visitors, who must register online for a guided tour, spokesman Bill Manley. The brewery has 369 employees, most of them working in the Sierra Nevada restaurant.
The tourism bump is being felt by many Western North Carolina breweries whose owners believe Deschutes would also draw visitors who would then patronize other area beer hot spots. “The more breweries you have, the stronger the case” for beer tourism, said Joe Rowland, president of the Asheville Brewers Alliance and owner of Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City, North Carolina.
His brewery depends greatly on tourism, and many visitors seek out regional breweries to visit. “We have 1,600 people in Bryson City, and I didn’t build here because of that population number,” he said.
Other stories to check out:
Preyer Brewing Co. Opens In Downtown Greensboro
New Brewery Opens In Downtown Greensboro
Celebrate 10 Years With Natty Greene’s Brewing Company
Asheboro Brewery Is A Dream Come True
New Tasting Room, New IPA Labels At Foothills Brewery
MillerCoors to Close First Genuine Draft Brewery in Eden
Greensboro’s Pig Pounder Brewery Looking At Eden Expansion
Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:
Question: I went to the fire station this week to get leaf bags, and I was told the city is not providing them anymore. Leaf bags are not provided free of charge anymore? They used to vacuum the leaves, and then they stopped that, and now they don’t even provide bags? They can spend millions on developing the waterfront, but they can’t pick up leaves, or at least provide free bags?
My answer: It would probably be cruel to mention here that city taxes went up again this year.
Real answer: Joey Robison, a communication specialist with the city of Asheville, directed me to a recent city blog posting on the subject. The upshot is the reader is essentially right: No more free leaf bags, although the city will pick up leaves you put out in your own bags.
“For the past four years, the city has supplied citizens with leaf bags, which were available at Asheville Fire stations,” the Asheville City Source blog states. “That has been discontinued for this year. The initiative was an introductory measure used as a transition once leaf vacuum trucks were discontinued in 2011.”
“This year, residents will need to supply their own bags or bins, though they can be used over and over,” it continues. “Paper and plastic bags are available for purchase at most home improvement stores, grocery and department stores. And people can forgo buying bags at all by using clearly labeled bins instead.”
Public Works Director Greg Shuler said on the site that city workers will “do our best to leave bags in a way that minimizes them being blown away by wind or traffic.”
This all comes down to money. In 2011, the city said it would cost some $400,000 to replace its four leaf collection trucks, a figure some residents disputed. In 2011, I wrote that the city ordered 60,000 clear plastic bags at a cost of about $15,000, and that the bagging system saves the city about $100,000 a year.
Robison said the last purchase of 65,000 bags was for $15,437.50 in September of 2013.
So, I supposed this year they’ll save even more.
On a positive note, your plastic and paper bags can also be recycled at the end of the season. “The city accepts paper bags in its recycle bins. Plastic bags can be recycled at many grocery stores and some home improvement stores,” the blog states.
The city blog also helpfully notes that you can turn your leaves in compost, although you’ll have to mulch them up first. Oh, and, “Finally, there are private contractors who will remove leaves for residents.”
That, as you may have surmised, is not free. For a parting shot, the blog offers this nugget: “City residents are reminded that it is illegal to burn brush and leaves within the city limits.”
Enjoy that leaf season, folks!
Question: Yesterday we drove up to Pisgah Inn for lunch and were dismayed to see a huge tour bus and several small buses parked in the lot. The restaurant was overwhelmed with the crowd of people, and the wait for lunch was very lengthy. I was under the impression that commercial vehicles of any type were prohibited from being on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Is there an exception being made?
My answer: On another positive note, the city of Asheville probably would allow you to store your leaves in an old motor coach, as long as they don’t have to pay for it.
Real answer: “Motor coaches, like those used in travel tourism, are permitted on the parkway, and they have been for as long as I know,” said Parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon. “It just provides an opportunity for so many folks who would not get to the Parkway otherwise to experience what we love about the parkway and get to experience what we do from our smaller vehicles.”
The parkway’s website states: “Personal vehicles, motorcycles, tour buses and bicycles are allowed; commercial traffic or activity is not permitted.”
The idea is that the parkway should not be used as a shortcut or alternate route for business vehicles.
This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com
CITIZEN TIMES
Top spots, hikes, drives for fall color near Asheville
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SAN MARCOS, Texasand RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –Stonemont Financial Group, an Atlanta based real estate investment firm and The Preiss Company (TPCO), the nation’s fifth largest private student housing operator, will develop and complete the new Ella Lofts, a 252-bed luxury off-campus student housing community on the north side of the Texas State campus.
–>SAN MARCOS, Texasand RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –Stonemont Financial Group, an Atlanta based real estate investment firm and The Preiss Company (TPCO), the nation’s fifth largest private student housing operator, will develop and complete the new Ella Lofts, a 252-bed luxury off-campus student housing community on the north side of the Texas State campus.
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SAN MARCOS, Texas and RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Stonemont Financial Group, an Atlanta based real estate investment firm and The Preiss Company (TPCO), the nation’s fifth largest private student housing operator, will develop and complete the new Ella Lofts, a 252-bed luxury off-campus student housing community on the north side of the Texas State campus.
Texas State campus at 817 Chestnut St., Ella Lofts will feature best-in-class amenities including 24-hour fitness center, group study areas, outdoor courtyards and an infinity pool. The project will also feature one, two, four and four-bedroom loft floor plans.
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Texas State campus at 817 Chestnut St., Ella Lofts will feature best-in-class amenities including 24-hour fitness center, group study areas, outdoor courtyards and an infinity pool. The project will also feature one, two, four and four-bedroom loft floor plans.
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Located within walking distance to the Texas State campus at 817 Chestnut St., Ella Lofts will feature best-in-class amenities including 24-hour fitness center, group study areas, outdoor courtyards and an infinity pool. The project will also feature one, two, four and four-bedroom loft floor plans.
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Formerly known as 817 Lofts, the project had started construction under a different developer in 2013 and was set to be completed in August 2014. After construction delays and other stalls, the project was never completed and sat dormant until Stonemont Financial purchased it in September.
Texas State,” said Zack Markwell, co-founder of Stonemont Financial. “We believe that this project will transform into the shining star of the off-campus market in San Marcos. This is a win-win for Texas State students who now have a new option within walking distance to campus and for the city of San Marcos, which can finally realize the vision for this piece of property on Chestnut Street.”
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Texas State,” said Zack Markwell, co-founder of Stonemont Financial. “We believe that this project will transform into the shining star of the off-campus market in San Marcos. This is a win-win for Texas State students who now have a new option within walking distance to campus and for the city of San Marcos, which can finally realize the vision for this piece of property on Chestnut Street.”
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“We are extremely excited to be able to launch the new Ella Lofts brand at Texas State,” said Zack Markwell, co-founder of Stonemont Financial. “We believe that this project will transform into the shining star of the off-campus market in San Marcos. This is a win-win for Texas State students who now have a new option within walking distance to campus and for the city of San Marcos, which can finally realize the vision for this piece of property on Chestnut Street.”
Texas State University is the fourth largest institution in the state of Texas. With only approximately 20 percent of students living on-campus, the San Marcos student housing market has a large demand for quality, purpose-built communities. Very few off-campus projects are within walking distance to campus, allowing Ella Lofts to serve as a viable option for students without cars or for those who are looking to avoid San Marcos traffic and parking woes on or around campus. The Preiss Company will serve as developer and manager for the project.
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Texas State University is the fourth largest institution in the state of Texas. With only approximately 20 percent of students living on-campus, the San Marcos student housing market has a large demand for quality, purpose-built communities. Very few off-campus projects are within walking distance to campus, allowing Ella Lofts to serve as a viable option for students without cars or for those who are looking to avoid San Marcos traffic and parking woes on or around campus. The Preiss Company will serve as developer and manager for the project.
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With more than 38,000 students enrolled, Texas State University is the fourth largest institution in the state of Texas. With only approximately 20 percent of students living on-campus, the San Marcos student housing market has a large demand for quality, purpose-built communities. Very few off-campus projects are within walking distance to campus, allowing Ella Lofts to serve as a viable option for students without cars or for those who are looking to avoid San Marcos traffic and parking woes on or around campus. The Preiss Company will serve as developer and manager for the project.
San Marcos community for Ella Lofts to be finally developed and completed,” said Adam Byrley, executive vice president of property management for The Preiss Company. “We believe that the finished product at the new Ella Lofts will be worth the wait.”
–> San Marcos community for Ella Lofts to be finally developed and completed,” said Adam Byrley, executive vice president of property management for The Preiss Company. “We believe that the finished product at the new Ella Lofts will be worth the wait.”
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“We understand how important it is to the TSU and San Marcos community for Ella Lofts to be finally developed and completed,” said Adam Byrley, executive vice president of property management for The Preiss Company. “We believe that the finished product at the new Ella Lofts will be worth the wait.”
October 1st at the Ella Lofts leasing office located at 316-D Edward Gary Drive in San Marcos. Monthly rent will begin at $499 per student, which includes utilities and furniture. Additional information is available at www.ellalofts.com.
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October 1st at the Ella Lofts leasing office located at 316-D Edward Gary Drive in San Marcos. Monthly rent will begin at $499 per student, which includes utilities and furniture. Additional information is available at www.ellalofts.com.
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Leasing will begin October 1st at the Ella Lofts leasing office located at 316-D Edward Gary Drive in San Marcos. Monthly rent will begin at $499 per student, which includes utilities and furniture. Additional information is available at www.ellalofts.com.
About The Preiss Company
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About The Preiss Company
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About The Preiss Company
th year, Raleigh-based The Preiss Company specializes in the development, acquisition, and management of off-campus student housing. The company currently is the nation’s third largest privately held owner-operator of private student housing. The company’s portfolio currently is comprised of 45 managed sites located in 14 states and 23 markets. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.
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th year, Raleigh-based The Preiss Company specializes in the development, acquisition, and management of off-campus student housing. The company currently is the nation’s third largest privately held owner-operator of private student housing. The company’s portfolio currently is comprised of 45 managed sites located in 14 states and 23 markets. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.
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Celebrating its 28th year, Raleigh-based The Preiss Company specializes in the development, acquisition, and management of off-campus student housing. The company currently is the nation’s third largest privately held owner-operator of private student housing. The company’s portfolio currently is comprised of 45 managed sites located in 14 states and 23 markets. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.
About Stonemont Financial Group
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About Stonemont Financial Group
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About Stonemont Financial Group
$500 million in primary and tertiary markets, across the United States and Canada. Stonemont Financial Group’s principals have structured and financed more than $17 billion in transactions over the past two decades. For more information, visit www.stonemontfinancial.com
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$500 million in primary and tertiary markets, across the United States and Canada. Stonemont Financial Group’s principals have structured and financed more than $17 billion in transactions over the past two decades. For more information, visit www.stonemontfinancial.com
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Stonemont Financial Group is a national real estate investment firm specializing in the development and acquisition of both off-campus student housing properties and single-tenant net-leased assets. Stonemont provides capital on projects up to $500 million in primary and tertiary markets, across the United States and Canada. Stonemont Financial Group’s principals have structured and financed more than $17 billion in transactions over the past two decades. For more information, visit www.stonemontfinancial.com
Tune in live tonight on www.APP.com at 7 p.m. for a town hall with citizens, tax experts and reporters, who will discuss ways to fix New Jersey’s property tax crisis. You will be able to send in questions during the QA period.
Fifth in a weeklong series
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA The nickname for Thomas Nangle’s new hometown here says it all: “The Concentrated Area of Relocated Yankees.”
The town’s real name is Cary, population 150,000 and growing. But with the high number of New Jerseyans and other northerners migrating to this municipality just west of Raleigh, a Southern accent is getting harder to come by.
The Jersey Comeback, once touted by Gov. Chris Christie as the start of New Jersey’s rebirth, has become more of a reality in North Carolina than the Garden State. Feeling squeezed by the high cost of living, a stagnant job market and rising taxes, fed up New Jerseyans have discovered an attractive alternative in the Old North State.
Taxes are lower, housing is cheaper and jobs are more abundant, North Carolina transplants say.
“When you talk about the cost of living, people are facing high taxes everywhere in Jersey,” said Nangle, who grew up in Morris County. “That’s why you see the exodus out of New Jersey.”
New Jersey looked similar to North Carolina 40 years ago. There was no income tax, low property taxes and affordable housing. People were clamoring to move in.
Now, those who once found prosperity in New Jersey are taking their education, skills and income elsewhere.
From 2009 through 2013, at least 21,000 New Jerseyans took more than $1.2 billion in income with them to North Carolina, according to IRS migration data, which is based on tax returns.
During that same period, New Jersey saw a net loss of about $8.2 billion in income and 88,000 residents. The majority fled to Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania.
Before the 2008 economic crash, New Jersey had the highest population losses (because of migration to other states) since the 1980s, peaking in 2006 with a net loss of more than 27,000 taxpayers. The recession slowed the exodus, which bottomed out at 13,000 taxpayers in 2009, but was back up to 20,000 by 2013, according to migration data from the IRS.
And it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon.
People are fleeing the climate and congestion, but they’re also leaving because of high property taxes, inheritance taxes, income taxes and business taxes, said James Hughes, economics professor and dean of the Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
“It’s a tough place to live,” Hughes said. “It’s going to be slower growth going forward. We’ll probably be lagging the nation. We’re just going to have a below-average economic growth rate.”
So what’s North Carolina doing differently from New Jersey?
Besides managing state spending and keeping the property tax burden low, cities are rebuilding their downtowns to attract millennials, the generation born between 1980 and 2000. Businesses are flocking to metro areas; Raleigh is becoming the home of one of the largest clusters of bio-tech companies in the country; and Charlotte is becoming a major energy center with nearly 1,800 energy companies.
The state has made a healthy recovery since The Great Recession. North Carolina’s job growth from 2014 to 2015 was ninth in the country at 2.66 percent. Job growth in New Jersey was less than one-half percent, putting the state in the bottom five.
Although North Carolina’s growth has been stagnant in rural areas, there’s economic prosperity in the major metro areas, as well as in the east and west, driven by mountain and beach tourism, said John Connaughton, a professor of financial economics at the University of North Carolina Charlotte.
Government jobs are shrinking in North Carolina, but all other industries are growing quickly, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The construction, energy and tech industries are booming.
But in New Jersey, it’s a different story.
Jobs in the finance, leisure and hospitality and professional service industries are shrinking, the labor data show. The only industries growing at a rate faster than 2 percent are the construction and goods-producing industries. Government is shrinking slightly.
Insert graph on employment growth by industry in NC NJ
‘Never going back’
Fed up with the high-cost, high-stress lifestyle that came with living in Jersey City, 28-year-old Thomas Nangle and his wife Leighann decided to take advantage of an opportunity to leave New Jersey.
The couple decided that Leighann, who works at Fidelity Investments, would take her company’s offer to move to its Raleigh offices. Nangle, an environmental engineer at CDM Smith Inc., was also able to transfer to his company’s Raleigh branch and keep his New Jersey salary.
With the money they save on rent every month since moving to Cary, the couple could rent a second two-bedroom apartment roughly twice the size and half the price of their $2,300-per-month, 600-square-foot apartment in Jersey City.
Thomas, who says he will never move back to New Jersey, is a Parsippany native and Rutgers University graduate. After spending a few years living with multiple roommates, he moved in with Leighann in Jersey City in 2013, where the couple struggled despite earning two professional salaries.
In Jersey City, the couple paid close attention to how much they spent, and how much they put in their joint account for apartment expenses.
“Here, it’s not even a thought,” Nangle said. “It’s very comfortable. We need to start making some better investments because we have excess money from living here 18 months.”
The couple is also saving on car insurance, tolls and commuting time. Their new apartment has a lake view, a pool and new kitchen appliances.
Their apartment is also steps from hiking trails, surroundings more in line with the type of suburban lifestyle the couple wants to have. They like having access to city life and culture in nearby Raleigh.
The couple threw a big wedding in North Carolina last May, meant in part to lure the rest of their Jersey and Maryland family members to the area.
Photo of Nangle pointing to one of the patches the advice quilt their families made
Affordability and quality of life will likely keep the couple there, they say.
In fact, Nangle is convincing his large, Irish family to follow them south. And that’s no easy feat for a family that has been in New Jersey for generations.
Yet with rising property taxes and his parents nearing retirement, the Tar Heel state is looking appealing to them, he said.
“They have the pull of family being there, but I think everyone in the family is experiencing the (tax squeeze),” Nangle said. “I think everyone’s kind of making their plans, in some way, to relocate to different areas.”
The Nangles are looking to buy a starter home with three bedrooms in what they call “desirable” neighborhoods. They’re expecting to pay about $150,000 for their home and less than $2,000 a year in property taxes.
If the Nangles bought a house in Cary valued at $150,000, property taxes would cost them roughly $1,476 per year. In Middletown, New Jersey, a $150,000 house – if that even exists – would cost more than $4,000 in property taxes.
“My family talks about how I made a good move, even though it’s tough to do,” Nangle said. “But they’re envious and want to do it too. Anyone living in New Jersey knows how difficult is to save and raise a family.”
“I loved my childhood. I had a great childhood, great parents, lived in a great town with great friends, great people,” he said. “I wouldn’t change it for anything. But at the same time I’ll say, I definitely won’t go back.”
Why has North Carolina recovered faster than New Jersey?
North Carolina doesn’t have a highly aggressive economic development incentive program wooing companies to the lives of Mecklenburg, Chatham and Wake counties, home to the Charlotte and Raleigh-Cary, Durham-Chapel Hill metro areas.
In fact, in North Carolina, the amount of economic development tax credits available to a county is based on that county’s wealth — meaning there aren’t a lot of resources available for areas already thriving.
The existing economic base, low cost of living, educated workforce and the reputation for growth in these communities, developed over last two decades, are what has fueled the economic activity, Connaughton said.
“In the height of the recession, people that didn’t live in North Carolina still saw Charlotte as an area of economic opportunity. When your (state’s) economy falls apart, people say they’re moving to North Carolina,” Connaughton said. “The legacy of the booming economy outlasts its reality.”
Charlotte, starting the 1980s, began growing into one of the largest financial centers in the country, which is primarily responsible for its explosive growth, Connaughton said. After the economic collapse in 2008, the city was able to retain its work force and grow, as well as diversify its industries.
Since the recession, Charlotte has reinvented itself. The energy sector, anchored by two of the largest energy companies in the country, Duke Energy and Siemens Energy, has grown significantly in the last five or six years. There are now more than 1,800 energy companies in Charlotte, according to the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
“There is talent here, and when you’re looking to expand and you’re one of those (corporate) players, you come here,” Connaughton said. “There’s a labor force you can tap into.”
Consequences of change
That talented, educated workforce may start to dwindle if the state continues on its current trajectory, according to Andrew Broad, an economist at the University of North Carolina Greensboro Center for Business and Economic Research.
Historically, Broad said, North Carolina has been progressive by Southern standards. That’s changed since Republicans took over the General Assembly in 2010. North Carolina has become a more conservative, low-tax, low-service state, Broad said.
And it’s hurting education.
North Carolina’s test scores are among the lowest in the nation, while New Jersey ranks No. 2.
Per pupil spending in North Carolina during the 2008-09 school year was $8,867 — roughly half of what was spent in New Jersey that year, according to data from the National Education Association. In 2014-15, spending was even lower: $8,620, and that doesn’t account for inflation.
“It’s true that how much you spend on education isn’t the perfect measure of quality,” Broad said. “But it’s not a bad measure.”
New Jersey’s per pupil spending went from $16,090 in 2008-09 to $20,923 in 2014-15, according to the NEA data.
Average teacher pay in North Carolina has dropped from $48,603 in 2008-09 to $47,783 in 2014-15.
Funding for the state’s public universities hasn’t been restored to pre-recession levels, which is also concerning, Broad said.
“We know investment matters — and human capital investment are among the most productive investments we can make,” Broad said. “Now, you can’t tell North Carolina apart from Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina.”
Education and a skilled workforce are what fuels what’s known as the Research Triangle area, which includes Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill. It’s anchored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and North Carolina State University. State government, the tech industry, research and education are the economic drivers for the Triangle, Connaughton said.
The state has also simplified and lowered corporate business and income taxes, which has driven growth, Connaughton said.
Broad said these low taxes can have a positive effect, especially if businesses are looking for a cheap place to run a business. He worries, nonetheless, that the shift away from education spending will eventually hurt the state’s economy.
“You can import well-educated people (for jobs), but it’s hard to see how lowering the quality of public education that most students get is in any way a good thing.”
North Carolina’s 2013-14 high school graduation rate is the highest it’s been since the state started recording the data in 2006. In 2006, the rate was 68.3 percent, compared to 83.8 percent in 2014, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. But it’s still ranked 24th in the nation, according to the National Center of Education Statistics.
New Jersey ranks third in the country with an 88 percent graduation rate.
A better life
Two of Derrell Cooper’s four children are named Camden and Jersey.
The 46-year-old former Toms River South football player loves his home state. Last month, while visiting his father in Lakewood, running into a former high school football teammate brought him to tears.
“We love how we grew up and what we saw and how our childhood and teenage years were in Jersey,” he said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
But Cooper can’t give his children the kind of life he wants to in New Jersey.
He wants to put his four children through college. He doesn’t want to be what he calls an “asphalt cowboy,” spending hours every day traveling the Parkway or the Turnpike to keep the property taxes paid.
He wants his kids to have access to a pool, playgrounds and other amenities that are difficult to come by in New Jersey because of the cost and limited space.
INSERT MIGRATION DATA: Latest data from 2013 was released last week.
“I will never be able to raise my kids and give my kids everything my parents gave me in New Jersey,” Cooper said. “It’s just not economically feasible.”
So he left. Cooper moved around the country a while before settling on Cary, where he and his wife both have tech jobs. Their decision to go to Cary was deliberate and research-driven.
“It’s hard to get someone like me to say something negative about New Jersey,” Cooper said. “However, when you’re a parent, you want to provide your children with the best and the greatest opportunities.”
Although the cost of health care, utilities, groceries and transportation in most parts of North Carolina are only slightly lower than in New Jersey, housing is on average about half the cost. And property tax rates are significantly lower.
The Coopers are building a six-bedroom, 4,600-square-foot house in a subdivision with a pool, a playground and tennis courts. The $640,000 house would probably cost him upward of $1.1 million in New Jersey, he said.
Cooper said a nice, three-bedroom home in Cary would range anywhere from $900 to $1,800 to rent. In Middletown, New Jersey, a similar house would start at about $2,000, according to Zillow.com real estate data.
“That might be in a place that’s 30 years old,” he said. “Here, we’re talking brand-new with top-notch school systems and amenities — swimming pools and things you would want if you were a child again.”
NOTE: Also, a potential sidebar or mini story or pullout bullet points on why housing prices are lower in NC. It’s easier/cheaper to build because there’s less bureaucracy.
A ‘strong core’
Hughes, the New Jersey economist at Rutgers, said the state’s chief problems — losing jobs and people — isn’t unique. It’s an issue facing most Northeastern and Midwestern “rust belt” states.
As people make their exodus from New Jersey, the state is losing income tax revenue, and the business and sales taxes it needs to thrive, Hughes said. The tax burden then falls harder on property owners.
About 48 percent of state and local taxes in New Jersey are paid by property owners, which is the second-highest percentage in the country, according to data from the Tax Foundation.
But Hughes said despite the economic woes and slow growth facing New Jersey, the state still has a “strong core” economy.
There are about 4 million jobs in New Jersey, with a high proportion of those in the financial and professional services fields. The state has a strong, educated workforce and plenty of knowledge-based jobs, he said.
Foreign companies find New Jersey attractive for corporate headquarters because of its location, and based on geography alone, New Jersey has a lot of assets for businesses, Hughes said.
Hughes said New Jersey will probably always lag the nation in growth unless some major crisis forces change.
“We’re not about to become an economically depressed area, we just might not be as affluent as we were 25 years ago,” he said.
New Jersey’s household income has dropped significantly over the past decade, according to U.S. Census data. In 2006, the state had the highest median income at $68,059. But by 2014, the state dropped to ninth in the country with a $65,243 median household income.
Part of what will determine the future of New Jersey hinges on what two groups decide to do: retirees who are fed up with high taxes and millennials who mostly have suburban fatigue.
In 2016, baby boomers will be between 52 and 70 years old, and they’re retiring at a rate of 10,000 per day, nationally. Hughes said as they get older, significant numbers of them will probably leave.
“If you’ve rode the inflation cycle, you could sell your New Jersey home for say, $400,000, and go to North Carolina and get a better house for half the price,” Hughes said. “They can leave the state and move to more affordable areas — cash out. Or they can stay because they want to be near their grandchildren. We don’t know what they’re going to do.”
‘Rent-poor’ millennials
Charlotte resident Charlie Frankel had some unexpected roommates when he lived in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
They didn’t pay rent, slept in his bed and lived off him. Well, at least his blood.
For about $900 per month, Frankel lived in a bed bug-ridden apartment in North Jersey. He struggled to make ends meet while working as a paid intern for the New York Jets and as a part-time writer for MLB.com.
The 2013 Wake Forest University graduate and Pennsylvania native spent as little time as possible in his Ridgfield Park apartment.
Doing his laundry in his apartment complex meant checking on it every 20 minutes to make sure the machines didn’t breakdown, as they often did. When it rained more than a few inches, Frankel had to run out and move his car off the parking lot that often flooded.
“Things like that make it so you’re constantly on edge and never able to feel settled,” Frankel said. “You wouldn’t feel like you could go out of town for a week and leave your car at your apartment complex. Things like that were definitely a struggle living in New Jersey.”
Now, Frankel is living quite comfortably on his entry level salary in Charlotte. He’s in a year-old, one-bedroom apartment with more space than he could ever use. And he doesn’t have roommates — human or parasitic.
“It’s rewarding to know that your dollar is going to go a long way down here as far as housing,” Frankel said. “You don’t feel like you’re putting all of your salary into something that’s a step above living in your car.”
Most young people can barely afford to live in New Jersey. One in three New Jersey millennials 18 to 35 still lives with a parent, compared to 1 in 4 nationally, according to U.S. Census data.
LINK TO NJ MILLENNIAL STORY
Raleigh and Charlotte have become havens for millennial activity. They’re affordable and surrounded by culture, economic growth, entrepreneurial environments and major universities.
Steve Patrella, another New Jersey native who moved to Charlotte for a job, said he didn’t lose much of the cultural experience that comes with living so close to New York. The only things he misses are the bagels and pizza.
“There are a ton of transplants from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland,” Patrella said. “It doesn’t seem like a lot of people grew up here, but they come to realize pretty quickly that it’s a fun place, and that it’s affordable.”
Tomorrow: How towns make millions off the misery of homeowners
Contact Kala Kachmar at kkachmar@gannettnj.com
“It just makes you feel like you made the right decision when you see a lot of Yankees here riding around with North Carolina plates,” Cooper said. “Growing up in the 80s, you’d be hard-pressed to find New Jersians in North or South Carolina. But it seems like a lot of people are getting frustrated with the taxes, drug problems, schools and poor quality of life.” –Derrell Cooper
At a glance: The Nangles in Jersey City vs. Cary, North Carolina
Jersey City: one bedroom, about 600 square feet for $2,300 per month, plus $125 for parking and $300 in tolls to get to and from work in a month
Cary, North Carolina: Newer apartment, lake view, 1,200 square feet, two bedrooms, free unlimited parking, no tolls for $1,100 per month.
2012 tax highlights
Total state and local taxes per capita:
New Jersey: $10,364 (15th)
North Carolina: $8,997 (32nd)
U.S. average: $9,665
Property taxes collected per capita
New Jersey: $2,918 (2nd)
North Carolina: $912 (40th)
U.S. average: $1,379
Sales taxes collected per capita
New Jersey: $1,372 (32nd)
North Carolina: $1,238 (43rd)
U.S. average: $1,518
(SOURCE: U.S. Census)
Median value of owner occupied homes (2009-13)
North Carolina: $153,600
New Jersey: $327,100
U.S. average: $176,700
Source: U.S. Census
Median home sale prices 2014 (metro areas)
New Jersey
Newark-Union: $381,500
Trenton-Ewing: $267,100
Edison: $305,100
Atlantic City: $207,600
North Carolina
Charlotte: $193,800
Durham: $199,100
Fayetteville: $125,400
Raleigh/Cary: $208,600
Source: National Association of Realtors
Charlotte is racing to attract millennials
-There are more than 10,000 apartments under construction in Charlotte with another 11,000 proposed
-An extension of Lynx Charlotte, the city’s recently built light rail system, will open in 2017
-The millennial population in Mecklenburg County grew by 32 percent from 2007 to 2013
-Millennials are 27 percent of the county’s population, up from 21.7 percent
Sources: Charlotte Apartment Report by Real Data, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Census
Economic snapshot
Job growth from 2014-15:
North Carolina: 2.7 percent, ninth overall in US
New Jersey: 0.5 percent, 45th overall
Gross state product growth from 2000-14:
North Carolina: 24 percent increase, 19th overall
New Jersey: 10.6 percent, 45th overall
Sources: U.S. Census, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Unemployment rates: I need to get the latest figures, but North Carolina has added a LOT of jobs this year, and the unemployment rate is up because more people are entering the workforce, which explains why it’s almost as high as NJ’s.
The latest on the hospitalization of Lamar Odom, who was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel (all times local):
6:55 p.m.
A Nevada brothel is providing details of Lamar Odom’s days-long visit that ended when he was found unconscious there.
Richard Hunter, a spokesman for Love Ranch owner Dennis Hof, says it was Odom’s first visit to the brothel. He says the former NBA star and reality TV personality scheduled his stay more than a week ago and on Saturday asked for a ride, arriving at about 4:30 p.m.
Hunter says Odom stayed at the “best VIP suite” on an open-ended reservation and was accompanied by two women. He spent an amount beyond five figures, which would have been negotiated privately between him and the prostitutes. The women are contractors who get 50 percent of the negotiated price.
Authorities say Odom took over-the-counter sexual performance enhancers during his stay.
Hunter says Odom reported doing cocaine before his visit and knew the brothel had a strict anti-drug policy. Hunter says the women who work there are trained to “stop the party” if drugs are seen.
—
6:15 p.m.
A spokesman for the owner of the brothel where Lamar Odom was found unconscious told a 911 dispatcher that the former NBA star was breathing regularly and sounded like he was snoring.
Richard Hunter says on the call the Odom was in a “deep sleep.”
He says Odom had taken over-the-counter sexual performance enhancers during his three days at the Love Ranch. Odom bought the supplements, called Reload 72-hour Strong, at the brothel.
Hunter later tells the dispatcher that Odom had “apparently had some cocaine on him” but hadn’t done any since Saturday.
The former NBA star and reality TV personality is hospitalized in Las Vegas after being found unconscious at the Crystal, Nevada, brothel.
—
5:10 p.m.
Nevada authorities have taken a blood sample from Lamar Odom to find out if he overdosed on drugs or alcohol, but the results could take several weeks.
Nye County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Eisenloffel said at a news conference Wednesday that Las Vegas police will be doing the testing.
Sheriff Sharon Wehrly says a Love Ranch employee called 911 on Tuesday to report Odom was found unresponsive at the legal brothel with blood and a “white stuff” coming from his nose and mouth.
The caller reported Odom did cocaine Saturday and had taken up to 10 tabs of an over-the-counter sexual performance enhancer over the past three days.
Eisenloffel described the enhancers as supplements and said Odom bought them at the brothel.
The former NBA star and reality TV personality is on life support at a Las Vegas hospital after being found unconscious at the Crystal, Nevada, brothel.
—
4:15 p.m.
A Nevada sheriff says a person who called 911 to report that Lamar Odom was found unconscious at a brothel said the former NBA star had been doing cocaine and had taken sexual performance enhancers.
Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly says an employee for Love Ranch told 911 dispatchers that Odom was found unresponsive with blood coming from his nose and mouth.
The caller said Odom had been doing cocaine and had taken up to 10 tabs of a sexual performance enhancer over three days.
Odom is on life support at a Las Vegas hospital after being found unconscious Tuesday at the Crystal, Nevada, brothel.
—
2:15 p.m.
Lamar Odom’s grandmother says his father is with him at a Las Vegas hospital, and family members are praying for the former NBA star after he was found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel.
Florence Odom spoke to The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday from her New York City home. She says she’s waiting for an update on her grandson’s condition from his father, Joe Odom.
In tears, the grandmother said her Catholic family is praying for her beloved grandson. She described him as “so kind and sweet and gentle.”
“You could always reach him and talk to him, and I don’t understand what’s going on,” Florence Odom said. “I know he’s in God’s hands.”
Michael Mercer of North Carolina also praised his famous cousin and wished him a healthy recovery.
Lamar Odom is on life support after being found unconscious Tuesday at a Crystal, Nevada, brothel.
—
1:15 p.m.
Friends and former colleagues are showing their support for Lamar Odom, who remains on life support after being found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel.
Television network E! says it’s praying for Odom, a former star of the “Khloé Lamar” series who also appeared on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The network says it’s not filming the Kardashians or Odom during this ordeal.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat team, where Odom played one season, and fellow NBA star Shaquille O’Neal took to Twitter to express their support. O’Neal used the hashtag “MyHeartHurts.”
New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher became close friends with Odom while playing alongside him with the Lakers. He says athletes and entertainers often are judged by choices that aren’t representative of who they are. He also says Odom is “one of the greatest people” he knows.
The former NBA star was found unconscious Tuesday at a Crystal, Nevada, brothel. He is hospitalized in Las Vegas.
—
12:10 p.m.
Lamar Odom lashed out about the media, his anguish over his reputation, and his relationship with estranged wife Khloe Kardashian in remarks videotaped in August by celebrity website TMZ.
The online video shows a visibly irritated Odom saying: “Ya’ll have discredited me, beat me down, took my confidence, took everything away from me. You will not do it again.”
He slams a media report that he ambushed Kardashian outside a California gym, saying he lives in Las Vegas now.
The former NBA star and reality TV personality also railed against reports that he’s a womanizer and drug addict and touted his accomplishments on the basketball court.
“I probably couldn’t even get (expletive) hired by Home Depot right now because of how people look at me,” he says. “It’s over.”
Odom was found unconscious Tuesday at the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, about 70 miles from Las Vegas. Kardashian has been by his side at a Las Vegas hospital.
—
10:50 a.m.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson says Lamar Odom is on life support but that his doctors think he’s improving.
Jackson visited the former NBA star and reality TV personality at a Las Vegas hospital Wednesday morning. He says Odom was unresponsive Tuesday but “has some responsiveness now.”
Jackson added: “Apparently from what the doctor said, he was much better off today than yesterday.”
Jackson was in town for Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate. He stopped and spoke to the media as he was leaving the hospital Wednesday.
He says Khloe Kardashian and some of Odom’s childhood friends were by Odom’s side, and former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant visited him last night.
Jackson says Odom’s loved ones are “just holding hands and hoping he can bounce back.”
Odom was found unconscious Tuesday afternoon at the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, about 70 miles from Las Vegas.
—
9:40 a.m.
Nye County, Nevada, Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said investigators sought a warrant to obtain a blood sample to determine if Lamar Odom suffered a drug or alcohol overdose.
Wehrly said detectives worked until early Wednesday collecting evidence and interviewing employees at the brothel where the former NBA player and reality show star was found unconscious. She said she couldn’t immediately say what they believe caused Odom to become unconscious.
But she acknowledged that medics usually turn someone on their side, as Odom was, to relieve pressure on the chest and help them breathe.
The sheriff didn’t say whether Odom ever regained consciousness while he was stabilized and taken to hospitals.
Brothel owner Dennis Hof said Odom arrived alone, was “polite and reserved,” drank alcohol from the bar and took herbal sexual enhancement capsules.
Hof said Odom didn’t use drugs in the presence of anyone in the house.
—
7 a.m.
Reality TV personality Khloe Kardashian has been by Lamar Odom’s side at a Las Vegas hospital since Tuesday evening.
That’s according to a person close to the Kardashians who spoke anonymously because she wasn’t authorized to speak to the press. Kardashian and Odom were married in 2009, but Kardashian filed for divorce in 2013, citing irreconcilable differences.
Odom was found unconscious Tuesday afternoon at the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, about 70 miles outside of Las Vegas.
Authorities said the 35-year-old was stabilized at the scene before being taken to a hospital. He was then transferred to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Owner Dennis Hof said Odom had been at his brothel since Saturday.
Downtown businessman Gene Rees, standing to the far left, explains to an overflow crowd Wednesday the key role tax credits will play in revitalizing the former Spencer’s Inc. property in Mount Airy, before developers presented plans for specific projects.
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As the former Spencer’s industrial buildings sat dark and empty Wednesday, plans were being presented nearby for turning the old structures into a hotel/convention center, theater, apartments, an arts center, a business incubator and more.
Representatives of four different business groups attended a meeting of the Mount Airy Redevelopment Commission to outline proposals for the site that includes some structures built in the 1890s, where infant apparel manufacturing ceased in 2007 due to foreign competition.
Based on those presentations — which drew a late-afternoon crowd that filled the council chambers of the Municipal Building and spilled out into the lobby — developers are willing to invest more than $40 million to make the various projects a reality.
These would be fueled by the availability of governmental tax credits which are granted to breathe new life into structures with historic value. The city government bought the Spencer’s complex last year, situated in the Willow Street area downtown, and appointed the redevelopment commission to spearhead its revitalization.
Hotel project
One of the more-ambitious plans was presented Wednesday evening by Dana Bryson, a partner in a Winston-Salem development group that owns and operates facilities including Brookstown Inn in Winston-Salem and The Village Inn Event Center in Clemmons.
Bryson’s group is proposing a “historic boutique hotel” and banquet center here which would offer four-star lodging accommodations with 70 to 85 rooms, at an estimated cost of $12 million.
The project also would include meeting and banquet space for 350 to 600 people to host conventions or meetings of statewide groups. There are more than 900 active associations in North Carolina, according to Bryson, who thinks Mount Airy has the amenities to attract those groups.
This would be boosted by designing tourism packages, with the help of local groups such as the chamber of commerce, to utilize the local winery, golf and retail industries.
Bryson’s proposal would require four of the Spencer’s buildings, and provide jobs for 50-plus local residents, she said.
Theater plan
The developers who spoke Wednesday expressed the need to have facilities in place to augment those existing amenities and drive traffic for the hotel — which is where Fred Jones entered the picture.
Jones is the owner of several restaurants in town and a member of an investment group that wants to develop an “entertainment complex” of the type one might encounter in Myrtle Beach or Gatlinburg, based on his description.
It theoretically would include a large auditorium for hosting big-name musical performances or plays.
“I’m talking about a professional level, not a community level,” Jones said of the entertainment offerings envisioned, which he said would not detract from local events such as those of the Surry Arts Council.
The proposed complex also could feature an arts and crafts mall, a small business incubator that would be an educational facility and a visual arts component that could include training in filmmaking and other skills, among other segments.
Yet Jones seemed most excited about the theater component of his concept, representing about $15 million overall, likening it to the highly regarded Flat Rock Playhouse in the Asheville area.
“I think if Flat Rock, North Carolina, can do it, Mount Airy, North Carolina, can do it, too,” he said.
The project proposed by Jones would make use of three of the Spencer’s buildings, including its former dye house and knitting plant.
Housing components
The representatives of the four development groups who made pitches Wednesday evening each expressed the need for the various components to be integrated in a way in which each supplements the others.
In addition to the hotel/convention center and entertainment complex, two other speakers outlined plans for housing complexes that would fill in around the other segments, along with courtyards and additional public areas.
Ken Reiter, owner of the Belmont Sayre real estate development firm in Durham, presented a plan for apartments which would include up to 120 units, of both one and two bedrooms, and parking space to support that.
It would be a $12 million plan involving the use of existing Spencer’s facilities and new construction.
“In general, the mill is in really good condition,” Reiter said of the Spencer’s property.
The apartment rental costs would range from $700 to $1,200 per month, Reiter said, with the housing geared toward young professionals or entrepreneurs. He said this would tap into a segment who wants a nice place to live without facing maintenance tasks such as mowing lawns, and a swimming pool they don’t have to clean.
Reiter’s firm played a key role in developing the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham and similar projects using former industrial structures.
The fourth plan presented is an estimated $3.8 million project eyed by The Landmark Group in Winston-Salem (through an entity known as the Spencer Mill Complex Development Group, LLC), which earlier produced the Globe Tobacco Lofts housing project on South Main Street.
That firm also was involved in a 2008 effort to revitalize the Spencer’s property, which never materialized.
The latest project would include up to 35 apartment units being developed at the Spencer’s site, proposed to be of the two-bedroom variety pending a market study of local housing needs, according to Landmark representative Linwood Davis.
These would be located in an area across Willow Street from the existing Renfro Lofts condominiums.
Decisions regarding the development projects will be made by local officials after further study.
But it was agreed during Wednesday’s meeting that multiple firms will be needed to redevelop the Spencer’s site due to its size — 10 acres now including 22 buildings.
Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.
But like many ferry services in the U.S., the SSA’s workhorse fleet is aging. The nine vessels in the authority’s fleet have an average age of 30 years old. The 60-year-old Governor, which in a previous life served Governors Island in New York Harbor, will be replaced in 2017 by the M/V Woods Hole, a new ferry under construction at Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, LA. Conrad Shipyard won the tender to build the ferry with a $36,448,000 million bid.
The ferry is designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), Seattle, WA, whose name is synonymous with ferry design in the U.S. Besides the SSA ferry project, EBDG naval architects are currently working on the Alaska Class Day Boat, the Fisher Island ferry, and the Staten Island Ferry.
EBDG’s Brian King, Vice President of Engineering, says the construction of the new SSA ferry has now reached a significant construction milestone with the launching of the hull. The hull was launched upside down and then righted while in the water by use cranes. Pre-built superstructure assemblies are now being installed on the deck.
When MARINE LOG visited Conrad Shipyard in August, the Woods Hole had yet to be launched, but its highly shaped bulbous bow was in place.
When designing the Woods Hole, particular attention was focused on ship’s planned powering and seakeeping characteristics, as well as efficiency.
King says the ferry is designed to achieve sprint speeds of 16 knots but will more typically operate at 12 to 14 knots. The ferry’s highly shaped bulbous bow was designed to minimize wake and improve fuel efficiency. EBDG used Computational Fluid Design (CFD) analysis to optimize the hull and bulbous bow design.
The results of the CFD analysis was validated and further optimized in FORCE Technology’s towing tank in Denmark. While there are many fuel efficiency design features, the bulbous bow alone is estimated to provide fuel efficiency improvements of 3% over a conventional bow, according to King. Test results on a custom-made model built by FORCE Technology indicated that the vessel’s hull deign will be very efficient, requiring less than 2,500 hp to operate at a service speed of 14 knots, and that the vessel’s wake is expected to be minimal, even at speeds of 9 knots.
King says the Woods Hole has been specially designed to carry freight, but is also suited for walk-on passenger and car traffic. The freight-vehicle deck is designed to carry ten 100,000 lb tractor-trailers with straight through end-to-end loading. When not carrying a full load of tractor-trailers the freight-vehicle deck can accommodate approximately 55 standard passenger vehicles. Passenger plus crew capacity is 384.
The Woods Hole is 235 ft long, with a beam of 64 ft, and maximum draft is limited to 10 ft 6 in. at full load due to port restrictions. For simplified maintenance and crew oversight, passenger accommodations are all on a single deck above the freight deck with seating indoors and outside. Food service, Wifi, cell service and television will be provided. Crew accommodations are located on the deck above the passenger deck located behind the wheelhouse, which has been elevated for excellent visibility all around.
The main propulsion power is supplied by two EPA Tier 3-compliant, 2,680-hp MTU 16V4000 engines connected to Hundested controllable pitch propellers. Controllable pitch was chosen to allow propeller pitch and shaft RPM combinations that provide excellent low speed maneuvering responsiveness and still provide optimized fuel efficiency at all speeds.
Radiated noise is minimized through use of resiliently mounted main engines and generators and critical grade silencers.
Fuel, oil and waste tanks are all safely isolated from the hull.
Maneuverability and efficiency King says that special attention has been devoted to fuel efficiency, least environmental impact and low speed maneuvering. For maneuvering and steering, the ferry will be fitted with Becker high-lift rudders located in line with the propeller shafts to improve fuel efficiency. A vectorable Tees—White Gill bow thruster in combination with the controllable pitch propeller system and high lift rudders will provide the Woods Hole with extremely good maneuverability in a tight quarters. King says the bow thruster, rudders, and CP system will also allow the ferry to turnaround and accelerate with very little wake wash.
The Woods Hole is expected to be delivered in May 2016 and enter service in 2017.
New ferry for Texas When you are driving on Texas State Highway 361, the only way to get across Corpus Christi Channel from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas, is by the Port Aransas ferry. The ferry service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The quarter-mile route typically takes less than 10 minutes across, although peak summer hours may require drivers to wait longer.
Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles. Combined vehicles, such as a truck towing a boat, may not be longer than 80 feet, wider than 13 feet or taller than 13 feet 6 inches. Single-axle vehicles may weigh no more than 20,000 pounds, tandem axles no more than 34,000 pounds and combination vehicles may not exceed a total of 80,000 pounds.
The ferries are owned by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which recently awarded a contract to Southwest Shipyard, Houston, TX, to construct a 28-car ferry. When delivered in February 2017, the new ferry will be the third of a class designed by EBDG. EBDG, which will act as the owner’s representative for the project when construction begins this fall, signed a deal with TxDOT in 2014 to provide four years of on-call service. This is the first contract under the service agreement.
Unlike the two previous ferries built to this design and delivered in 2011, the new ferry will be a diesel-electric ferry. It will be classed by ABS and will have a length of 161 feet overall, a beam of 52 feet, a depth of approximately 11 feet and a draft of 8 feet.
Design updates to the interior, including the propulsion system, will translate into a vessel that has greater built-in redundancy and requires less maintenance over its lifetime.
North Carolina DOT looks at adding passenger-only ferry Meanwhile, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is conducting a Passenger Feasibility Study that could lead to a new passenger-only ferry service between Hatteras Village and Oracoke’s Silver Harbor by the summer of 2017. The new service would start with either two 80-passenger ferries or one 150-passenger vessel. The passenger-only ferries would be in addition to the Ferry Division’s current car ferry service.
The passenger-only ferry service is seen as a possible way to boost tourism to Oracoke Island, which has seen a 250,000 visitor drop off from its peak of about 1 million in 2007. The passenger-only ferry service will also reduce long lines of autos during the summer for the car ferries. Parking on the island is scarce, too.
The study says the new ferry service would make four round trips per day, carrying 125,000 passengers in the first year at a cost of $15 per round trip. New visitor spending would reach $500,000 in the first year.
By 2020, the construction of permanent docking terminals would be complete and additional passenger-only vessels would be added.
This past summer, the NCDOT Ferry Division held meetings in Oracoke and Hatteras to gather the public’s input. The passenger ferries would drop visitors off directly in Ocracoke Village, where Hyde County would provide tram service around the village and to attractions such as the Ocracoke Lighthouse and the British Cemetery.
“There are a lot of moving parts here, but if they all come together, this could solve a lot of the issues for Ocracoke visitation,” says Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “It would ease the backups we have on the car ferry route, and bring more visitors with fewer cars into the village. On the surface, it seems like a win-win all around.”
Other solutions are included in the study as well, such as year-round dredging of the now-closed “short” car ferry route, putting more car ferries into service on the current route, or loading more walk-on passengers onto the existing departures. But each of those comes with its own expense and logistical issues.
The Passenger Ferry Feasibility Study being conducted by Volkert Inc., Raleigh, NC, for the state began earlier this year and has included test runs of the possible ferry route, passenger surveys, and meetings with the public and stakeholders. It has also identified the kind of infrastructure and parking improvements that would be needed before service begins. The study is due to be completed by the end of this year.
Staten Island Ferry draws interest Any time you board the Staten Island ferry at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan for the five-mile trip across New York Harbor, you are bound to hear at least four different languages spoken by your fellow passengers. The iconic orange ferry fleet is one of the city’s biggest annual tourist attractions, providing a free ride with priceless views of Governors Island, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge. The New York City Department of Transportation, owner and operator of the fleet, is in the process of developing a new class of boats to replace the 1965-built John F. Kennedy and the 1980’s vintage Andrew J. Barberi and Samuel I. Newhouse.
NYCDOT held an industry day on September 16 in New York outlining the project scope, bid process, and development and construction timeline for the 4,500-passenger New Kennedy Class ferries for the Staten Island Ferry. EBDG, lead naval architect on the project was on hand, along with representatives from Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, LA, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, FL, VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, MS, Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, WA, Leevac Shipyards, Jennings, LA, Vigor Industrial, Portland, OR, and General Dynamics NASSCO, San Diego, CA, and some key suppliers.
The city has received funding of $309 million towards the three boats, which will be 320 ft long by 70 ft, with EPA Tier 4 compliant diesel engines and a Voith Schneider propulsion system. The ferries are expected to retain some of the design elements of the beloved Kennedy Class, while incorporating energy and fuel-saving technologies.
Once the construction contract is finalized in the fourth quarter of 2016, all three ferries must be completed within a four-year time frame.
Expanding East River ferry service Some of New York Mayor Bill deBlasio’s policies and initiatives have been downright forehead slapping. His handling of the homeless and push towards removing horse-drawn carriages from city streets have been baffling. His consideration of tearing up pedestrian plazas in Times Square to reopen up them to vehicle traffic as a means of removing painted topless women from the area is just plain dumb.
But the Mayor should be given credit for announcing the launching of expanded citywide ferry services in 2017 and 2018 that would connect neighborhoods that are “starved of adequate mass transit,” in the words of State Senator Michael Gianaris. The expanded ferry services across the East River to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, the Lower East Side and Soundview would run seven days a week and cost $2.75 each way—the same as a city subway or bus. Future service would connect Coney Island and the Stapleton section of Staten Island.
Washington State gets funding for fourth ferry The good news for Washington State Ferries is that this past summer Washington Governor Islee approved $122 million in the state budget for the construction of a badly needed fourth 144-car Olympic Class ferry.
WSF is building new Olympic Class ferries to replace some of the fleet’s oldest vessels. The Olympic Class design is based on the Issaquah class—the same ferries that have been the subject of a proposed midlife conversion to burn Liquefied Natural Gas.
Designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla Associates, Inc., the Olympic Class vessels have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers and are 362 ft 3 in long x 83 ft 2 in wide. Main propulsion is by two Electro-Motive Diesel engines developing a total 6,000 hp and giving the vessels a speed of 17 knots.
Two of the Olympic Class ferries, the Tokitae and Samish, are in service, and a third is under construction at Vigor in Seattle for delivery in 2017. As in the first two ferries, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island, WA, is building the superstructure. The fourth is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2018.
WSF is building new vessels to replace our 1950s-era Evergreen State Class ferries. Nine of 24 vessels in its fleet are between 40 and 60 years old. These older ferries are approaching the end of their service lives and must be replaced with newer ones in the coming years.
New King County ferry starts service King County’s newest vessel, the M/V Doc Maynard, started service on the Vashon route on September 29 sailing from Pier 50. The ferry replaced her sister ship, the M/V Sally Fox, which is being removed from service for scheduled warranty work.
Both the Sally Fox and Doc Maynard will built by All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, WA. The 105 ft x 33 ft aluminum catamaran ferries are the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter “K” inspected passenger vessels built and delivered under new guidelines that make it possible for boat builders to design and implement suitable structural fire protection in very low fire load spaces in the construction of weight-sensitive high speed passenger vessels.
AAM partnered with naval architecture firm, Teknicraft Design Ltd., of Auckland, New Zealand for the hull design. The advanced hull shape was custom designed using digital modeling and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis testing.
The hull design is complemented by Teknicraft’s signature integration of a wave piercer positioned between the catamaran sponsons to break up wave action and ensure reduced drag while enhancing passenger comfort.
All American Marine is the exclusive builder for Teknicraft Design Ltd. catamarans in North America.
Each ferry is powered by two Cummins QSK-50 Tier 3 diesel engines, rated at 1,800 bhp at 1,900 rev/min and driving twin propellers to provide a service speed of 28 knots.
The ferries also burn a 10 percent biodiesel blend and have LED lighting onboard.
The design features interior seating for 250 with 28 additional outdoor seats available on the upper aft deck.
With traffic congestion on roads and bridges continuing to plague area commuters, King County is also exploring a plan to possibly add ferry service on Lake Washington, something that has happened since the 1950s.
MARINE LOG FERRIES 2015 Exclusive: Tour the new boat All American Marine is sponsoring a tour of the Doc Maynard at MARINE LOG’S FERRIES 2015 Conference Expo, set for November 5-6, 2015 at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle. As part of the tour, Joe Hudspeth, Vice President of Business Development, All American Marine and Paul Brodeur, Director of King County Marine Division, will jointly discuss the features and capabilities of the new ferries. Those interested in the tour should sign up early as space is limited. See marinelog.com/ferries for more details.
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and http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110518/MM04455LOGO –>
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) today announced that it will release its fiscal third quarter 2015 results on Monday, October 26, 2015, and the company will hold a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Those interested in participating in the conference call may dial in five minutes prior to the start. The call will be simultaneously webcast via the company’s website at http://investors.lendingtree.com.
–>CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) today announced that it will release its fiscal third quarter 2015 results on Monday, October 26, 2015, and the company will hold a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Those interested in participating in the conference call may dial in five minutes prior to the start. The call will be simultaneously webcast via the company’s website at http://investors.lendingtree.com.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) today announced that it will release its fiscal third quarter 2015 results on Monday, October 26, 2015, and the company will hold a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Those interested in participating in the conference call may dial in five minutes prior to the start. The call will be simultaneously webcast via the company’s website at http://investors.lendingtree.com.
Conference call Toll free #: (877) 606-1416 (707) 287-9313 outside the United States/Canada
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Conference call Toll free #: (877) 606-1416 (707) 287-9313 outside the United States/Canada
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Conference call Toll free #: (877) 606-1416 (707) 287-9313 outside the United States/Canada
To listen to a replay of the call Toll free #: (855) 859-2056 (404) 537-3406 outside the United States/Canada Replay Passcode: 60717703
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To listen to a replay of the call Toll free #: (855) 859-2056 (404) 537-3406 outside the United States/Canada Replay Passcode: 60717703
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To listen to a replay of the call Toll free #: (855) 859-2056 (404) 537-3406 outside the United States/Canada Replay Passcode: 60717703
11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, October 26 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2015.
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11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, October 26 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2015.
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Replay will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, October 26 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2015.
About LendingTree, Inc.
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About LendingTree, Inc.
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About LendingTree, Inc.
TREE) operates the nation’s leading online loan marketplace and provides consumers with an array of online tools and information to help them find the best loan for their needs. LendingTree’s online marketplace connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loans and credit-based offerings. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 55 million loan requests. LendingTree provides consumers with access to lenders offering home loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, personal loans, auto loans, student loans and more.
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TREE) operates the nation’s leading online loan marketplace and provides consumers with an array of online tools and information to help them find the best loan for their needs. LendingTree’s online marketplace connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loans and credit-based offerings. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 55 million loan requests. LendingTree provides consumers with access to lenders offering home loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, personal loans, auto loans, student loans and more.
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LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) operates the nation’s leading online loan marketplace and provides consumers with an array of online tools and information to help them find the best loan for their needs. LendingTree’s online marketplace connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loans and credit-based offerings. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 55 million loan requests. LendingTree provides consumers with access to lenders offering home loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, personal loans, auto loans, student loans and more.
Charlotte, NC and maintains operations solely in the United States. For more information, please visitwww.lendingtree.com.
–> Charlotte, NC and maintains operations solely in the United States. For more information, please visitwww.lendingtree.com.
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LendingTree, Inc. is headquartered in Charlotte, NC and maintains operations solely in the United States. For more information, please visit www.lendingtree.com.
Two more coastal N.C. communities are now on record as being formally opposed to offshore oil and gas drilling.
Members of the environmental group Oceana attend the meeting in Emerald Isle Tuesday. Photo: Oceana N.C.
Town leaders in Emerald Isle and Carolina Beach each passed resolutions opposing offshore drilling in unanimous votes Tuesday during their respective meetings. Another coastal town, Swansboro, is set to consider a similar resolution tonight.
The Carolina Beach council’s action, which came with no discussion, reaffirms the board’s resolution passed in February 2014 in opposition to seismic testing and exploration and adds opposition to the development of oil and gas resources on the continental shelf or elsewhere off the N.C. coast. The resolution urges Gov. Pat McCrory and the General Assembly to oppose offshore petroleum production polices “that risk the health, safety and sound environmental stewardship of North Carolina’s coastline whose natural beauty attracts a proven tourism driven economy.”
In Emerald Isle, the resolution was requested by a group of concerned residents working with the Don’t Drill NC campaign. Members of the group spoke on its behalf at the meeting. The group has worked with national environmental organization Oceana in a campaign to prevent future drilling off the East Coast.
The resolutions passed in both communities contend that the risks associated with offshore oil and gas drilling far outweigh any benefits. Fishing, tourism and recreation support about 51,000 jobs and generate nearly $2.2 billion in economic benefits to the state, according to information presented at the Emerald Isle meeting.
Oceana says more than 80 East Coast communities have approved resolutions opposing offshore testing and drilling.
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