Chapel Hill Herald, Jan. 27, 1995
By SUSAN BROILI and RAY GRONBERG
CHAPEL HILL -- Two people are dead and three wounded after a man opened fire on passers-by, vehicles and police at Thursday afternoon on Henderson Street.
The shootings appeared to be random, according to police officials.
...
The gunman allegedly began at Cobb Terrace, an extension of Henderson Street, and walked towards Franklin Street carrying a WWII-type, M-1 30-06 high-powered, semi-automatic rifle.
"I just happened to look out my window. There was nobody else on the street," said Cobb Terrace resident Joe Herzenberg, one of the first to call 911.
"He was carrying this rifle, and I was thinking, 'Is it illegal to carry a rifle on the street?' " Herzenberg said.
"And while I was thinking, he turned to the house next door and started firing on it. ... He was actually killing somebody."
The gunman shot and killed two people -- first Ralph Walker, who was standing on the front porch of a rooming house at 2 Cobb Terrace, and then, a man on a bicycle, who died in front of Phi Mu Sorority on Henderson Street, police officials and eyewitnesses said.
Friday, January 27, 1995
Gunman kills 2 at UNC
Two are killed and two injured as a gunman sprays bullets over two blocks near the UNC-Chapel Hill campus
Greensboro News & Record, Jan. 27, 1995, Page A1
Joe Herzenberg looked out from his second-floor window and was astonished to see a man walking along Henderson Street casually clutching a semi-automatic rifle.
"I really wondered whether he was violating the law," Herzenberg says.
That question became academic seconds later.
"He started firing at the house next door," says 53-year-old Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill town council member. And the man kept on firing for the next 10 minutes, aiming at people and autos ...
Greensboro News & Record, Jan. 27, 1995, Page A1
Joe Herzenberg looked out from his second-floor window and was astonished to see a man walking along Henderson Street casually clutching a semi-automatic rifle.
"I really wondered whether he was violating the law," Herzenberg says.
That question became academic seconds later.
"He started firing at the house next door," says 53-year-old Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill town council member. And the man kept on firing for the next 10 minutes, aiming at people and autos ...
Monday, January 23, 1995
Neighbors, community gather for AIDS home's open house
Chapel Hill Herald, Jan. 23, 1995
By SUSAN BROILI
CARRBORO -- Throngs of people literally created a warm reception on a cold Sunday afternoon for the AIDS Service Agency of Orange County's open house.
Cars lined both sides of North Greensboro Street for several blocks as neighbors, agency members and supporters came to see what had taken three years to realize: a home for people who have AIDS.
"There was such a need. I never really lost hope that it would be built some day," Agency President Joe Herzenberg said.
In about two weeks, the first residents are expected to move into the one-story brick house at 1700 N. Greensboro St., according to Herzenberg.
...
"They've done a wonderful job. They've managed to make what could have been a clinical environment very homey," Mike Nelson said. He helped during the fall fundraiser at Crooks Corner which raised $25,000, according to Nelson.
For many of the residents, it will mean a roof over their heads rather than sleeping on the streets and in cars.
"If you're too sick to work and you don't have the support of family, it's awfully hard to pay rent and buy food," Nelson said.
"We probably need 10 homes," he added.
By SUSAN BROILI
CARRBORO -- Throngs of people literally created a warm reception on a cold Sunday afternoon for the AIDS Service Agency of Orange County's open house.
Cars lined both sides of North Greensboro Street for several blocks as neighbors, agency members and supporters came to see what had taken three years to realize: a home for people who have AIDS.
"There was such a need. I never really lost hope that it would be built some day," Agency President Joe Herzenberg said.
In about two weeks, the first residents are expected to move into the one-story brick house at 1700 N. Greensboro St., according to Herzenberg.
...
"They've done a wonderful job. They've managed to make what could have been a clinical environment very homey," Mike Nelson said. He helped during the fall fundraiser at Crooks Corner which raised $25,000, according to Nelson.
For many of the residents, it will mean a roof over their heads rather than sleeping on the streets and in cars.
"If you're too sick to work and you don't have the support of family, it's awfully hard to pay rent and buy food," Nelson said.
"We probably need 10 homes," he added.
Neighbors tour group home for people with AIDS
The News & Observer, Jan. 23, 1995
CARRBORO -- A new group home for people with AIDS welcomed friends, politicians, supporters and neighbors, some of whom once opposed its construction, during an open house Sunday afternoon. Well-wishers as well as the curious toured the six-bedroom house at North Greensboro Street and Robert Hunt Drive. The house is intended to provide a less expensive alternative to a hospital forpeople with AIDS who desire a homelike place to live while receiving treatment.
...
The road to opening the house has been filled with roadblocks, said Joe Herzenberg, a member of the board of directors. "This has been a long and very frustrating experience, but we're happy," he said.
After being turned down repeatedly for grants and facing opposition from the neighbors, the board was excited when construction actually began, Herzenberg said. "When they were building it, I came out here almost every day to see every brick added," he said.
CARRBORO -- A new group home for people with AIDS welcomed friends, politicians, supporters and neighbors, some of whom once opposed its construction, during an open house Sunday afternoon. Well-wishers as well as the curious toured the six-bedroom house at North Greensboro Street and Robert Hunt Drive. The house is intended to provide a less expensive alternative to a hospital forpeople with AIDS who desire a homelike place to live while receiving treatment.
...
The road to opening the house has been filled with roadblocks, said Joe Herzenberg, a member of the board of directors. "This has been a long and very frustrating experience, but we're happy," he said.
After being turned down repeatedly for grants and facing opposition from the neighbors, the board was excited when construction actually began, Herzenberg said. "When they were building it, I came out here almost every day to see every brick added," he said.
Thursday, November 10, 1994
Republicans gear up to take over: Chapel Hill ponders loss of Lee, Price
The News & Observer, page A1, Nov. 10, 1994
CHAPEL HILL -- Most people just didn't want to believe it. In one incredible day, Chapel Hill lost two of its longtime influential and popular politicians -- state Sen. Howard Lee and U.S. Rep. David Price.
Come the first of the year, Moore County residents Teena Little and Fred Hobbs will speak for Orange County in the state Senate while Raleigh Republican Fred Heineman will represent the county in Congress. On Wednesday, residents were trying to sort out what the changes would mean to them, while leaders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill worried about the defeat of two of its staunch Democratic supporters.
...
Townspeople are also skeptical about whether the new leaders will be responsive to Chapel Hill interests, although its state representatives, Anne Barnes and Joe Hackney, will return to office.
"The relationship at best will be considerably more distant," said former Town Council member Joe Herzenberg. "Across the board, whether it's education, or social service programs, various civil rights issues -- almost everything we hold in high esteem -- the people who represent us in the next two years will be considerably less sympathetic than David and Howard have been."
...
To some extent, some Chapel Hill residents may feel some responsibility for the losses. In most Orange County precincts, voters picked Price 2-to-1. Lee and Hobbs both ran well in Orange, with Lee the top vote getter.
But Little and Heineman rode heavy Republican support outside Orange County to claim victory. Some said if turnout in Orange had been higher, perhaps Price and Lee could have squeaked out victories.
"We may have not been working hard enough for our candidates," Herzenberg said. "We may have been sitting back and taking it too easy."
CHAPEL HILL -- Most people just didn't want to believe it. In one incredible day, Chapel Hill lost two of its longtime influential and popular politicians -- state Sen. Howard Lee and U.S. Rep. David Price.
Come the first of the year, Moore County residents Teena Little and Fred Hobbs will speak for Orange County in the state Senate while Raleigh Republican Fred Heineman will represent the county in Congress. On Wednesday, residents were trying to sort out what the changes would mean to them, while leaders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill worried about the defeat of two of its staunch Democratic supporters.
...
Townspeople are also skeptical about whether the new leaders will be responsive to Chapel Hill interests, although its state representatives, Anne Barnes and Joe Hackney, will return to office.
"The relationship at best will be considerably more distant," said former Town Council member Joe Herzenberg. "Across the board, whether it's education, or social service programs, various civil rights issues -- almost everything we hold in high esteem -- the people who represent us in the next two years will be considerably less sympathetic than David and Howard have been."
...
To some extent, some Chapel Hill residents may feel some responsibility for the losses. In most Orange County precincts, voters picked Price 2-to-1. Lee and Hobbs both ran well in Orange, with Lee the top vote getter.
But Little and Heineman rode heavy Republican support outside Orange County to claim victory. Some said if turnout in Orange had been higher, perhaps Price and Lee could have squeaked out victories.
"We may have not been working hard enough for our candidates," Herzenberg said. "We may have been sitting back and taking it too easy."
Sunday, October 16, 1994
Post-Bag: Faulkner
Washington Post, Oct. 16, 1994
READINGS
By Michael Dirda
LAST month a desperate Dorothy Stokeley cried out for help, plaintively requesting advice on how to appreciate the work of William Faulkner, especially Absalom, Absalom! Loyal Faulknerians have ridden, or rather written, to the rescue. Several, including William C. Slattery (Washington) and Joseph Herzenberg (Chapel Hill, N.C.), recommend Edmond Volpe's A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner.
READINGS
By Michael Dirda
LAST month a desperate Dorothy Stokeley cried out for help, plaintively requesting advice on how to appreciate the work of William Faulkner, especially Absalom, Absalom! Loyal Faulknerians have ridden, or rather written, to the rescue. Several, including William C. Slattery (Washington) and Joseph Herzenberg (Chapel Hill, N.C.), recommend Edmond Volpe's A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner.
Monday, October 10, 1994
Lecturer to argue against gay rights
The News & Observer, Oct. 10, 1994, Page B6
CHAPEL HILL -- Just last weekend, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance sponsored a conference at Chapel Hill High to promote greater sensitivity of the hardships and pressures faced by gay students.
Tonight, it's equal time for the conservatives. Bill Horn, who travels the country's Christian speaker circuit, will lecture on "The Gay Agenda in America and the Public Schools" at 7 p.m. at Phillips Middle School on Estes Drive. He wants to push gays back into the closet.
The Christian Coalition of Orange County invited Horn, a sportscaster who is more famous for his anti-gay videos than his baseball coverage.
...
"I think in this political climate in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and even the whole county, that sort of opposition is likely to backfire," said Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay elected official in the state. "It offends people so much I don't think it's effective."
Horn's organization, The Report, produced "The Gay Agenda" last year.
The video consists of interviews with former homosexuals, medical experts and clips from gay pride parades showing men strutting half-naked down city streets or dressed up as women, gesturing obscenely.
The video drew national attention when conservative activists used it to build opposition to gay rights ballot measures and to President Clinton's proposal to drop the ban on gays in the military. Since then, Horn and his small production company, have produced several other anti-gay videos, including one
on the public schools.
"When you talk about homosexuals, you don't just get the attorneys and school teachers," he said. "You get the transvestites, the people from ACT-Up, the QUEERs, SLUTs. Unfortunately, the other ones are not in leadership positions. If you have such good decent people, why aren't they stopping the people going in those parades?"
...
CHAPEL HILL -- Just last weekend, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance sponsored a conference at Chapel Hill High to promote greater sensitivity of the hardships and pressures faced by gay students.
Tonight, it's equal time for the conservatives. Bill Horn, who travels the country's Christian speaker circuit, will lecture on "The Gay Agenda in America and the Public Schools" at 7 p.m. at Phillips Middle School on Estes Drive. He wants to push gays back into the closet.
The Christian Coalition of Orange County invited Horn, a sportscaster who is more famous for his anti-gay videos than his baseball coverage.
...
"I think in this political climate in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and even the whole county, that sort of opposition is likely to backfire," said Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay elected official in the state. "It offends people so much I don't think it's effective."
Horn's organization, The Report, produced "The Gay Agenda" last year.
The video consists of interviews with former homosexuals, medical experts and clips from gay pride parades showing men strutting half-naked down city streets or dressed up as women, gesturing obscenely.
The video drew national attention when conservative activists used it to build opposition to gay rights ballot measures and to President Clinton's proposal to drop the ban on gays in the military. Since then, Horn and his small production company, have produced several other anti-gay videos, including one
on the public schools.
"When you talk about homosexuals, you don't just get the attorneys and school teachers," he said. "You get the transvestites, the people from ACT-Up, the QUEERs, SLUTs. Unfortunately, the other ones are not in leadership positions. If you have such good decent people, why aren't they stopping the people going in those parades?"
...
Friday, September 23, 1994
Thursday, May 5, 1994
Despite victory, Lee feels betrayed by voters
The News & Observer, May 5, 1994
By TODD NELSON & SUSAN KAUFFMAN, STAFF WRITERS
CHAPEL HILL -- Fresh from a down-to-the-wire primary victory, a bitter and angry Howard Lee focused Wednesday on the votes he didn't get.
Recapturing the Democratic nomination hardly seemed to satisfy the incumbent District 16 state senator. Instead, Lee made a point of skewering some longtime liberal supporters who publicly deserted him for allegedly becoming too conservative.
"The people who know me know that I expect people to express their thoughts," Lee said. "I'm disappointed in all those people who did express them in that they did it openly, never allowing me the opportunity to talk with them one-on-one to explain whatever differences they felt they had. I felt that was disrespectful. I would have done that for them."
Lee, 59, a former Chapel Hill mayor and state senator since 1990, finished first in Tuesday's three-way Democratic primary. He and the second-place finisher, Southern Pines civil engineer Fred Hobbs, will meet Southern Pines Republican Teena Little in the November election for two District 16 Senate seats.
Although he dismissed the criticism as coming from a small group, Lee bristled at the liberal backlash.
"It's hard to believe people would want to dump in such a callous fashion someone who's lived the American dream," Lee said Tuesday night. He wondered why the critics hadn't aired their complaints to him.
"I don't feel I've ever had a chance to defend myself with these people," he said. "I'm very accessible. I have an answering machine, I'm listed in the phone book, I play tennis. If people seriously wanted to see if we'd drifted, there were many ways to work through it."
...
Lee said some of his critics focused on single issues such as workers' comp, gay rights or gun control.
"Each one has his or her own particular issue; if I was not right on that, I was not right on anything," Lee said.
Joe Herzenberg, a gay former Chapel Hill Town Council member who supported Margaret Pollard, said he thought Lee had dismissed his concerns, which he said went beyond gay rights. "When he called me, I rattled off 12 issues. I didn't even mention gay rights. He has heard from us."
Lawyer Adam Stein, who took Lee to task over workers' comp, said Lee didn't respond to his letters; he found other candidates more accessible.
...
Despite his anger, Lee said he is willing to overlook the split as he campaigns for another term.
By TODD NELSON & SUSAN KAUFFMAN, STAFF WRITERS
CHAPEL HILL -- Fresh from a down-to-the-wire primary victory, a bitter and angry Howard Lee focused Wednesday on the votes he didn't get.
Recapturing the Democratic nomination hardly seemed to satisfy the incumbent District 16 state senator. Instead, Lee made a point of skewering some longtime liberal supporters who publicly deserted him for allegedly becoming too conservative.
"The people who know me know that I expect people to express their thoughts," Lee said. "I'm disappointed in all those people who did express them in that they did it openly, never allowing me the opportunity to talk with them one-on-one to explain whatever differences they felt they had. I felt that was disrespectful. I would have done that for them."
Lee, 59, a former Chapel Hill mayor and state senator since 1990, finished first in Tuesday's three-way Democratic primary. He and the second-place finisher, Southern Pines civil engineer Fred Hobbs, will meet Southern Pines Republican Teena Little in the November election for two District 16 Senate seats.
Although he dismissed the criticism as coming from a small group, Lee bristled at the liberal backlash.
"It's hard to believe people would want to dump in such a callous fashion someone who's lived the American dream," Lee said Tuesday night. He wondered why the critics hadn't aired their complaints to him.
"I don't feel I've ever had a chance to defend myself with these people," he said. "I'm very accessible. I have an answering machine, I'm listed in the phone book, I play tennis. If people seriously wanted to see if we'd drifted, there were many ways to work through it."
...
Lee said some of his critics focused on single issues such as workers' comp, gay rights or gun control.
"Each one has his or her own particular issue; if I was not right on that, I was not right on anything," Lee said.
Joe Herzenberg, a gay former Chapel Hill Town Council member who supported Margaret Pollard, said he thought Lee had dismissed his concerns, which he said went beyond gay rights. "When he called me, I rattled off 12 issues. I didn't even mention gay rights. He has heard from us."
Lawyer Adam Stein, who took Lee to task over workers' comp, said Lee didn't respond to his letters; he found other candidates more accessible.
...
Despite his anger, Lee said he is willing to overlook the split as he campaigns for another term.
Thursday, April 21, 1994
Howard Lee hears new sound: voters grumbling
The News & Observer, April 21, 1994
By TODD NELSON, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Win or lose, state Sen. Howard Lee has carried Orange County every time he has run for office in a long, ground-breaking political career.
This year, however, he is hearing some rumblings of discontent from his home county as he campaigns for renomination in a three-way Democratic primary in the 16th Senate District.
"I don't think it adds up to any serious trouble," Lee said Wednesday. "I've never lost this county in any election I've run. I have a lot of friends in Orange County, and I have a lot of friends in Chapel Hill -- a lot of people who are not going to judge me on one issue."
While Lee continues to enjoy broad support, some longtime supporters nonetheless are finding themselves in a new, perhaps unexpected position -- splitting with him on issues ranging from a state lottery to gun control.
Feeling taken for granted and having grown increasingly disenchanted with Lee's record, the one-time supporters are now backing others in the May 3 primary.
"With the case of someone like Howard, people remember him as a liberal icon here, the first black mayor of a town in the South in the late 1960s," said Joe Herzenberg, a former member of the Chapel Hill Town Council. "I wouldn't be surprised if most people still do vote for him, but I think there's an increasing erosion in his support."
Herzenberg said he thought he might have been isolated in his misgivings until he started hearing more dissatisfaction in recent months.
"When I started realizing I wasn't alone was when I started hearing people say, 'I have to confess that Howard does not represent me any more,'" said Herzenberg, who is supporting Margaret Pollard in the Senate race.
Lee, 59, was appointed to the Senate in 1990 from the 16th District, which covers all of Orange, Chatham and Moore counties and parts of Lee and Randolph counties. Lee narrowly won re-election two years ago along with Sen. Russell Walker of Asheboro, who will retire at the end of this term.
Also running in the Democratic primary are Pollard, a former Wake County health educator from Moncure, and Fred Hobbs, a civil engineer from Southern Pines.
The two top Democratic voter-getters will face Republican Teena Little of Southern Pines in the November general election.
...
"I represent the majority of the people in the best fashion I can," Lee said. "Many people realize that it would be a disservice to vote out one of the strongest members of the Senate over some very narrow views held by some people."
Breaking points:
For some former Lee backers, disagreements on issues such as gun control, a local equal rights provision and a state lottery have been the breaking points.
Beverly Kawalec, who campaigned for Lee when he was first running for mayor in the 1960s, said she is working for Hobbs this year. A strong advocate of gun control, Kawalec said Hobbs understands her point of view on the issue better than Lee.
"It seems to me such an important issue that it has been a major factor in my decision," Kawalec said. "I'm not voting against Howard, I'm voting for Fred Hobbs. I believe he is right on the issues. He can represent me well."
Lee said the misunderstanding over his position arose when he introduced a strict gun control measure that included a provision legalizing the carrying of concealed weapons under limited circumstances.
...
Most baffling of all, Lee said, is the criticism he took for his handling of a bill to allow the town of Chapel Hill to add an equal rights statement to its charter -- a statement that included a gay rights provision.
Lee said he and the other members of the local legislative delegation agreed to remove the statement to save other local bills that otherwise would have died in committee.
"It's unfortunate that some people will make a decision based on a narrow span of issues," he said.
By TODD NELSON, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Win or lose, state Sen. Howard Lee has carried Orange County every time he has run for office in a long, ground-breaking political career.
This year, however, he is hearing some rumblings of discontent from his home county as he campaigns for renomination in a three-way Democratic primary in the 16th Senate District.
"I don't think it adds up to any serious trouble," Lee said Wednesday. "I've never lost this county in any election I've run. I have a lot of friends in Orange County, and I have a lot of friends in Chapel Hill -- a lot of people who are not going to judge me on one issue."
While Lee continues to enjoy broad support, some longtime supporters nonetheless are finding themselves in a new, perhaps unexpected position -- splitting with him on issues ranging from a state lottery to gun control.
Feeling taken for granted and having grown increasingly disenchanted with Lee's record, the one-time supporters are now backing others in the May 3 primary.
"With the case of someone like Howard, people remember him as a liberal icon here, the first black mayor of a town in the South in the late 1960s," said Joe Herzenberg, a former member of the Chapel Hill Town Council. "I wouldn't be surprised if most people still do vote for him, but I think there's an increasing erosion in his support."
Herzenberg said he thought he might have been isolated in his misgivings until he started hearing more dissatisfaction in recent months.
"When I started realizing I wasn't alone was when I started hearing people say, 'I have to confess that Howard does not represent me any more,'" said Herzenberg, who is supporting Margaret Pollard in the Senate race.
Lee, 59, was appointed to the Senate in 1990 from the 16th District, which covers all of Orange, Chatham and Moore counties and parts of Lee and Randolph counties. Lee narrowly won re-election two years ago along with Sen. Russell Walker of Asheboro, who will retire at the end of this term.
Also running in the Democratic primary are Pollard, a former Wake County health educator from Moncure, and Fred Hobbs, a civil engineer from Southern Pines.
The two top Democratic voter-getters will face Republican Teena Little of Southern Pines in the November general election.
...
"I represent the majority of the people in the best fashion I can," Lee said. "Many people realize that it would be a disservice to vote out one of the strongest members of the Senate over some very narrow views held by some people."
Breaking points:
For some former Lee backers, disagreements on issues such as gun control, a local equal rights provision and a state lottery have been the breaking points.
Beverly Kawalec, who campaigned for Lee when he was first running for mayor in the 1960s, said she is working for Hobbs this year. A strong advocate of gun control, Kawalec said Hobbs understands her point of view on the issue better than Lee.
"It seems to me such an important issue that it has been a major factor in my decision," Kawalec said. "I'm not voting against Howard, I'm voting for Fred Hobbs. I believe he is right on the issues. He can represent me well."
Lee said the misunderstanding over his position arose when he introduced a strict gun control measure that included a provision legalizing the carrying of concealed weapons under limited circumstances.
...
Most baffling of all, Lee said, is the criticism he took for his handling of a bill to allow the town of Chapel Hill to add an equal rights statement to its charter -- a statement that included a gay rights provision.
Lee said he and the other members of the local legislative delegation agreed to remove the statement to save other local bills that otherwise would have died in committee.
"It's unfortunate that some people will make a decision based on a narrow span of issues," he said.
Thursday, January 20, 1994
Gays believe film overdue
The News & Observer, Jan. 20, 1994
It has taken far longer than many in the Triangle's gay community had hoped, but they say they're glad they can now see a realistic version of themselves in their neighborhood movie theater.
For that, they thank "Philadelphia," the movie starring Tom Hanks as a gay lawyer fired for having AIDS, and Denzel Washington as the attorney who takes the case against Hanks' bosses. The film, says Lucy Harris of the Durham-based Lesbian and Gay Health Project, is wonderful.
"Everyone needs to see this movie," says Harris. "It shows real life -- real, live gay folks living with AIDS and with everything that means, not with a lot of glamour or trying to be gross, but in a way that celebrates our reality."
...
Chapel Hill's Mark Donahue rates the film high for its realistic portrayal of how AIDS can ravage not only a person's body, but his mind as well. "A lot of these scenes show people as they really are, and how they change over time," he says.
Former Chapel Hill Town Council member and gay political activist Joe Herzenberg is happy with the movie for the way it portrays gay characters. Instead of relying on stereotypes that reinforce negative images of gays, "Philadelphia" allows Tom Hanks' gay lawyer to be an ordinary homosexual facing extraordinary circumstances.
"It was clearly a Hollywood movie in the grand tradition of the underdog triumphing over evil," Herzenberg says. "It's excellent company to be in."
While Herzenberg says he can't find much fault with the movie, he says he can understand why others might. "It's often said about gay public officials that they're not 'gay enough' to suit their gay constituents, and too gay to suit their straight constituents," he says. "I could see how people would say that of this movie."
Donahue agrees, saying the studio definitely played it safe with the advertising: the posters and the early trailers downplay the movie's gay angle. "From what you saw before going to the movie, all you knew is that it was a courtroom drama," he says. "The ads don't mention AIDS, they don't mention homosexuality. They were banking on the star power of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, which I guess is shrewd on their part."
Tuesday, November 30, 1993
Lowenstein biography raises a flap
The News & Observer, Nov. 30, 1993
By SUSAN KAUFFMAN, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Allard Lowenstein has been dead 13 years -- murdered by a former protege at 51 -- but that hasn't stopped people from talking about the man who earned a national reputation as a liberal hero.
A controversial new book based on the intensely personal letters and diaries of Lowenstein is reviving interest in the political activist who got his start in Chapel Hill.
In some cases, "Never Stop Running: Allard Lowenstein and the Struggle to Save American Liberalism," by Dr. William Chafe, is generating silence.
Some of Lowenstein's closest local friends, including those who feature prominently in the book, say they don't want to discuss it. Others say the tormented man the book describes is not the Lowenstein they knew.
One reason for the uneasiness greeting the book is that Chafe probes aspects of Lowenstein's character that some colleagues find troubling. He contends Lowenstein was unhappy with his looks, terribly uneasy about being Jewish -- and attracted to men.
...
Lowenstein, a New Yorker, served only one term in Congress but earned a national reputation for organizing students for liberal causes. He created a liberal legacy that influenced major political figures, starting with Eleanor Roosevelt in the '40s and continuing today.
"Five United States senators can directly trace their political roots to Lowenstein," Chafe said. "The Clinton administration is full of his children -- his political children."
Townspeople in Chapel Hill vividly recall Lowenstein's presence on the UNC campus, beginning in 1945. His charisma, frenetic energy and championing of the underdog quickly made him a major figure on campus and a favorite of the president of the university, Frank Porter Graham.
...
Lowenstein tried to integrate the campus and, despite his ambivalence about his heritage, challenged anti-Semitism at UNC. By the 1950s, he was fighting apartheid in South Africa. In the 1960s, he mobilized young people to fight segregation and join the "Mississippi Freedom Train." He orchestrated the "Dump Johnson" campaign on college campuses to protest the Vietnam War.
Chafe's book reinforces much of the local image of Lowenstein, but contends that an unhappy personal life fueled Lowenstein's commitment to political causes.
Lowenstein proposed to more than one woman before he married a wealthy Protestant and fathered three children. But Chafe asserts that Lowenstein was, among other things, bisexual, in an era when same-sex relationships were even less accepted than they are today.
"The connection between the personal and the political is compelling," said Chafe, the chairman of the history department at Duke University. "Lowenstein's political activism is a way of identifying with causes that are so pure that by virtue of identification with them all doubts are erased about his own character or stature."
Chafe drew heavily on interviews, as well as Lowenstein's extensive diaries and personal letters now cataloged in the Southern Historical Collection in UNC-CH's Wilson Library.
One friend quoted in his book recalls in a letter: "In a crowd he laughs and clowns as if he never had a care or a heartache, but alone, or with some one person, he reveals a strange and sad strain of melancholy." In other letters, both men and women expressed their fondness for Lowenstein.
"He attracted intense feelings of hatred and adoration," Chafe said.
Lowenstein was murdered in 1980 by Dennis Sweeney, a former disciple from Stanford University whose delusions and involvement with drugs are explored in the book.
Joe Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill Town Council member who is gay, praised the book and Chafe.
"I think he handles the sex part with great sensitivity and does Al Lowenstein justice," said Herzenberg, who met Lowenstein in the 1970s when the activist spoke on campus and attracted great crowds.
"I really regret that when I mentioned his name to two students now, they really had no idea who he was."
...
Although Lowenstein graduated from UNC in 1949, he maintained close ties to Chapel Hill all his life, and even returned briefly to do graduate work.
It was one of the places -- along with Yale, where he graduated from law school, and Stanford, where he served briefly as an administrator -- from which he recruited students for his various political activities.
Lowenstein named his first son after Graham, the noted Southern liberal who became Lowenstein's mentor. Lowenstein's daughter, Katherine, graduated from UNC-CH in May.
"I always thought of him as a family man," said Dr. John Lambert Jr., an emeritus social studies professor who taught with Lowenstein during Lowenstein's brief tenure as a lecturer at N.C. State University.
"I will simply say in the years we knew him I never knew the problems he had with his Jewishness or incipient homosexuality," said Lambert, who plans to read the book. "He never seemed obsessed by anything except trying to do justice to any number of causes."
By SUSAN KAUFFMAN, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Allard Lowenstein has been dead 13 years -- murdered by a former protege at 51 -- but that hasn't stopped people from talking about the man who earned a national reputation as a liberal hero.
A controversial new book based on the intensely personal letters and diaries of Lowenstein is reviving interest in the political activist who got his start in Chapel Hill.
In some cases, "Never Stop Running: Allard Lowenstein and the Struggle to Save American Liberalism," by Dr. William Chafe, is generating silence.
Some of Lowenstein's closest local friends, including those who feature prominently in the book, say they don't want to discuss it. Others say the tormented man the book describes is not the Lowenstein they knew.
One reason for the uneasiness greeting the book is that Chafe probes aspects of Lowenstein's character that some colleagues find troubling. He contends Lowenstein was unhappy with his looks, terribly uneasy about being Jewish -- and attracted to men.
...
Lowenstein, a New Yorker, served only one term in Congress but earned a national reputation for organizing students for liberal causes. He created a liberal legacy that influenced major political figures, starting with Eleanor Roosevelt in the '40s and continuing today.
"Five United States senators can directly trace their political roots to Lowenstein," Chafe said. "The Clinton administration is full of his children -- his political children."
Townspeople in Chapel Hill vividly recall Lowenstein's presence on the UNC campus, beginning in 1945. His charisma, frenetic energy and championing of the underdog quickly made him a major figure on campus and a favorite of the president of the university, Frank Porter Graham.
...
Lowenstein tried to integrate the campus and, despite his ambivalence about his heritage, challenged anti-Semitism at UNC. By the 1950s, he was fighting apartheid in South Africa. In the 1960s, he mobilized young people to fight segregation and join the "Mississippi Freedom Train." He orchestrated the "Dump Johnson" campaign on college campuses to protest the Vietnam War.
Chafe's book reinforces much of the local image of Lowenstein, but contends that an unhappy personal life fueled Lowenstein's commitment to political causes.
Lowenstein proposed to more than one woman before he married a wealthy Protestant and fathered three children. But Chafe asserts that Lowenstein was, among other things, bisexual, in an era when same-sex relationships were even less accepted than they are today.
"The connection between the personal and the political is compelling," said Chafe, the chairman of the history department at Duke University. "Lowenstein's political activism is a way of identifying with causes that are so pure that by virtue of identification with them all doubts are erased about his own character or stature."
Chafe drew heavily on interviews, as well as Lowenstein's extensive diaries and personal letters now cataloged in the Southern Historical Collection in UNC-CH's Wilson Library.
One friend quoted in his book recalls in a letter: "In a crowd he laughs and clowns as if he never had a care or a heartache, but alone, or with some one person, he reveals a strange and sad strain of melancholy." In other letters, both men and women expressed their fondness for Lowenstein.
"He attracted intense feelings of hatred and adoration," Chafe said.
Lowenstein was murdered in 1980 by Dennis Sweeney, a former disciple from Stanford University whose delusions and involvement with drugs are explored in the book.
Joe Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill Town Council member who is gay, praised the book and Chafe.
"I think he handles the sex part with great sensitivity and does Al Lowenstein justice," said Herzenberg, who met Lowenstein in the 1970s when the activist spoke on campus and attracted great crowds.
"I really regret that when I mentioned his name to two students now, they really had no idea who he was."
...
Although Lowenstein graduated from UNC in 1949, he maintained close ties to Chapel Hill all his life, and even returned briefly to do graduate work.
It was one of the places -- along with Yale, where he graduated from law school, and Stanford, where he served briefly as an administrator -- from which he recruited students for his various political activities.
Lowenstein named his first son after Graham, the noted Southern liberal who became Lowenstein's mentor. Lowenstein's daughter, Katherine, graduated from UNC-CH in May.
"I always thought of him as a family man," said Dr. John Lambert Jr., an emeritus social studies professor who taught with Lowenstein during Lowenstein's brief tenure as a lecturer at N.C. State University.
"I will simply say in the years we knew him I never knew the problems he had with his Jewishness or incipient homosexuality," said Lambert, who plans to read the book. "He never seemed obsessed by anything except trying to do justice to any number of causes."
Friday, November 5, 1993
Not gone, and not forgotten
The News & Observer, page B1, Nov. 5, 1993
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- In the 1991 Town Council race, Joe Herzenberg came in first with 4,803 votes. On Tuesday, he finished last with 202 votes.
But Herzenberg isn't complaining. His name wasn't even on the ballot this time. The former council member even got four votes for mayor.
"I'm delighted. I'm honored," Herzenberg said Thursday. He then chuckled and said: "I didn't want to be mayor."
Herzenberg stepped down from the council in September to avoid a recall election by voters peeved about his failure to pay state taxes. An eight-year council veteran, he remained a popular figure in town despite his tax troubles. Many speculated that his chances were good for winning a write-in campaign.
A few days after his resignation, however, Herzenberg surprised everyone by declaring that he would not wage a write-in campaign.
The former council member said Thursday that he was impressed with the number of votes he got.
"That's a lot of write-in votes for a campaign like this," he said. "I didn't discourage or encourage people."
During election week, signs of Herzenberg's support were popping up all over town -- literally.
At Pepper's Pizza, one of Herzenberg's favorite Franklin Street hangouts, a flier on the wall gave detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote for him.
When he left his home early Tuesday, there were four candidates' signs in his yard. When he returned that night, a fifth sign had appeared -- one for him. He still hasn't figured out who planted it. But he's grateful.
Will it convince him to run again sometime in the future?
"It certainly is inspiring," he said.
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- In the 1991 Town Council race, Joe Herzenberg came in first with 4,803 votes. On Tuesday, he finished last with 202 votes.
But Herzenberg isn't complaining. His name wasn't even on the ballot this time. The former council member even got four votes for mayor.
"I'm delighted. I'm honored," Herzenberg said Thursday. He then chuckled and said: "I didn't want to be mayor."
Herzenberg stepped down from the council in September to avoid a recall election by voters peeved about his failure to pay state taxes. An eight-year council veteran, he remained a popular figure in town despite his tax troubles. Many speculated that his chances were good for winning a write-in campaign.
A few days after his resignation, however, Herzenberg surprised everyone by declaring that he would not wage a write-in campaign.
The former council member said Thursday that he was impressed with the number of votes he got.
"That's a lot of write-in votes for a campaign like this," he said. "I didn't discourage or encourage people."
During election week, signs of Herzenberg's support were popping up all over town -- literally.
At Pepper's Pizza, one of Herzenberg's favorite Franklin Street hangouts, a flier on the wall gave detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote for him.
When he left his home early Tuesday, there were four candidates' signs in his yard. When he returned that night, a fifth sign had appeared -- one for him. He still hasn't figured out who planted it. But he's grateful.
Will it convince him to run again sometime in the future?
"It certainly is inspiring," he said.
Vote Joe Herzenberg yard sign, 1991. Thanks to Mark Donahue and his talented co-workers at Replacements, Ltd. for restoring this yard sign to its original glory!
Friday, October 29, 1993
Vigil held to support gay texts - Multicultural lessons in high schools backed
The News & Observer, Oct. 29, 1993
By GREG EASTERLY
CHAPEL HILL -- About 100 people joined a candlelight vigil in front of the Franklin Street post office Thursday night to support the inclusion of homosexuality as part of a multicultural education plan for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.
The group consisted of gay and lesbian activists, as well as parents and students, who came out to show that not everyone in Chapel Hill opposes the school system's controversial multicultural program, which includes references to sexual orientation.
...
The vigil, called "A Night of Healing," was arranged as a show of support for the school board's decision in May to add homosexuality to the school system's multicultural plan. Since that decision, parents opposed to the new plan have dominated several school board meetings. The debate has raged even hotter since last week's discovery of sexually explicit material in some selections of a reading list from Chapel Hill High School teacher David Bruton's class.
Support for the multicultural plan had been fragmented until the recent formation of groups called Many Voices, One Community and the Orange Lesbian and Gay Alliance. Both groups have criticized Putting Children First, a group that formed in August to combat the gay and lesbian aspects of the multicultural plan.
"There's a lot of misinformation being put out there," said Doug Ferguson of the gay-lesbian alliance. "If people knew who we were, then they would know that we are not the monsters that we are being made out to be."
Hugh Singeline, a board member of Outright, a gay and lesbian youth support group, said he has no problem with parents getting involved in school curricula. "But if forced ignorance is to be the goal, then there is a problem," he said.
Bruton attended the meeting Thursday night and did not address the crowd. But he said afterward, "This is much bigger than just Chapel Hill, and it's going to keep getting bigger until people learn to get along with each other and give up their closely held prejudices."
Carrboro Board of Alderman candidate Mike Nelson and former Chapel Hill Town Council member Joe Herzenberg, both of whom are openly gay, also attended.
By GREG EASTERLY
CHAPEL HILL -- About 100 people joined a candlelight vigil in front of the Franklin Street post office Thursday night to support the inclusion of homosexuality as part of a multicultural education plan for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.
The group consisted of gay and lesbian activists, as well as parents and students, who came out to show that not everyone in Chapel Hill opposes the school system's controversial multicultural program, which includes references to sexual orientation.
...
The vigil, called "A Night of Healing," was arranged as a show of support for the school board's decision in May to add homosexuality to the school system's multicultural plan. Since that decision, parents opposed to the new plan have dominated several school board meetings. The debate has raged even hotter since last week's discovery of sexually explicit material in some selections of a reading list from Chapel Hill High School teacher David Bruton's class.
Support for the multicultural plan had been fragmented until the recent formation of groups called Many Voices, One Community and the Orange Lesbian and Gay Alliance. Both groups have criticized Putting Children First, a group that formed in August to combat the gay and lesbian aspects of the multicultural plan.
"There's a lot of misinformation being put out there," said Doug Ferguson of the gay-lesbian alliance. "If people knew who we were, then they would know that we are not the monsters that we are being made out to be."
Hugh Singeline, a board member of Outright, a gay and lesbian youth support group, said he has no problem with parents getting involved in school curricula. "But if forced ignorance is to be the goal, then there is a problem," he said.
Bruton attended the meeting Thursday night and did not address the crowd. But he said afterward, "This is much bigger than just Chapel Hill, and it's going to keep getting bigger until people learn to get along with each other and give up their closely held prejudices."
Carrboro Board of Alderman candidate Mike Nelson and former Chapel Hill Town Council member Joe Herzenberg, both of whom are openly gay, also attended.
Wednesday, October 20, 1993
Gays, lesbians unite politically in Orange
The News & Observer, Oct. 20, 1993
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- Saying anti-homosexual sentiment is running high in Orange County, a group of gays and lesbians has formed a political action group that will endorse local candidates in the November elections.
The Orange Lesbian and Gay Association, or OLGA, will meet Monday and review questionnaires it sent out to candidates in three local races: the Chapel Hill Town Council, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board.
Doug Ferguson, a founding member and co-chairman, said the group formed quickly in response to the fractious issue of multicultural education, which exploded this week with the suspension of a reading program at Chapel Hill High School that included the works of gay and lesbian writers.
He said parents who have spoken out against the inclusion of sexual orientation in the curriculum have painted gays and lesbians in a stereotypical -- and unfavorable -- light.
"We're not about indoctrinating children, not about pedophilia, not about promiscuity," he said. "A lot of issues are being misrepresented." Ferguson said he hopes the formation of OLGA can defuse the tense situation and present the other side of the argument.
The group will try to counteract arguments of another new group, Putting Children First, whose members say including sexual orientation in the classroom condones behavior they view as immoral.
Parents in Putting Children First, which also endorses candidates, became outraged last week over sexually explicit material on a reading list in one Chapel Hill High School class.
Robert Alexander, president of Putting Children First, said he isn't worried about the gay group.
"If this group is out to get people to vote and to inform them, I think that's wonderful," he said. "Maybe one day this group will want to sit down with us and write a true tolerance policy to make sure no one's rights will be infringed."
OLGA's Ferguson said gays and lesbians may have suffered during the recent emotionally charged debate over material offered in teacher David Bruton's English class. "It was a very unfortunate turn of events," he said. "I read the literature myself and felt it might have been inappropriate for high school age students. But they need to give the same level of scrutiny to other teachers. They zoomed in on David Bruton."
Joe Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill Town Council member who is openly gay, applauded the group's birth. He said he has agreed to help the group assess candidates' answers on questionnaires.
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- Saying anti-homosexual sentiment is running high in Orange County, a group of gays and lesbians has formed a political action group that will endorse local candidates in the November elections.
The Orange Lesbian and Gay Association, or OLGA, will meet Monday and review questionnaires it sent out to candidates in three local races: the Chapel Hill Town Council, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board.
Doug Ferguson, a founding member and co-chairman, said the group formed quickly in response to the fractious issue of multicultural education, which exploded this week with the suspension of a reading program at Chapel Hill High School that included the works of gay and lesbian writers.
He said parents who have spoken out against the inclusion of sexual orientation in the curriculum have painted gays and lesbians in a stereotypical -- and unfavorable -- light.
"We're not about indoctrinating children, not about pedophilia, not about promiscuity," he said. "A lot of issues are being misrepresented." Ferguson said he hopes the formation of OLGA can defuse the tense situation and present the other side of the argument.
The group will try to counteract arguments of another new group, Putting Children First, whose members say including sexual orientation in the classroom condones behavior they view as immoral.
Parents in Putting Children First, which also endorses candidates, became outraged last week over sexually explicit material on a reading list in one Chapel Hill High School class.
Robert Alexander, president of Putting Children First, said he isn't worried about the gay group.
"If this group is out to get people to vote and to inform them, I think that's wonderful," he said. "Maybe one day this group will want to sit down with us and write a true tolerance policy to make sure no one's rights will be infringed."
OLGA's Ferguson said gays and lesbians may have suffered during the recent emotionally charged debate over material offered in teacher David Bruton's English class. "It was a very unfortunate turn of events," he said. "I read the literature myself and felt it might have been inappropriate for high school age students. But they need to give the same level of scrutiny to other teachers. They zoomed in on David Bruton."
Joe Herzenberg, a former Chapel Hill Town Council member who is openly gay, applauded the group's birth. He said he has agreed to help the group assess candidates' answers on questionnaires.
Wednesday, September 29, 1993
Herzenberg won't try to regain seat - Ex-councilman says he'll pay back taxes
The News & Observer, Sept. 29, 1993
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Five days after Joe Herzenberg resigned from the Town Council, he said Tuesday he will not mount a write-in campaign to regain his seat.
Speculation about a write-in campaign had flourished since Herzenberg stepped down Thursday to avoid a recall election. Voters, unhappy about his failure to pay state taxes, filed a recall petition Sept. 16.
Until Tuesday, Herzenberg himself seemed to be fueling the rumors. He called a news conference at Town Hall and showed up wearing a red, white and blue "Joe" button on his shirt. He also joked about whether voters would have to learn how to spell his last name correctly for their votes to count.
Herzenberg said he considered his options for several days and finally decided about noon Tuesday.
"This is a good time for me to end my service on the council," Herzenberg said, despite pledges of support from friends and others.
"I'm going to risk hurting a few friends."
The former council member also vowed to pay his back taxes. He said he was going to write a check for $12,000 later this week -- which would cover the majority of what he owes. He paid $4,000 last year when he was convicted of not paying state taxes for 14 years.
He said his attorney and the state revenue department were working on the details of the repayment.
Herzenberg again apologized for the lapse.
"There is no excuse for what I did. I ask the people of Chapel Hill to judge me by all that I have done."
Herzenberg said he couldn't fully explain his decision not to run. He attributed it partly to the quality of the candidates already in the race.
"I think the voters can easily find six people to vote for," he said. "It would be very different if a there were a bunch of nincompoops out there."
Eleven candidates, including three incumbents, are running for six open council seats Nov. 2.
The announcement not to wage a write-in campaign surprised council members, but most said they were relieved that Herzenberg quit last week.
"It was a good thing for the council because it cleared the air and kind of removed a cloud," said Council Member Julie Andresen. "Now we can concentrate on business and not be distracted."
Others were disappointed.
"It's unfortunate all this happened," said Jerry Salak, who had offered to help Herzenberg organize a write-in campaign. "I think he's a terrific asset to the town. It's sad that his mistake will prevent him from continuing the good work he's done."
Herzenberg, who served eight years on the council, said he watched the meeting Monday on a friend's television. "I've enjoyed the freedom I've had in the last few days," he said. "There is more to life than serving on the Chapel Hill Town Council. It's not that my life will be empty without this. It will be less full."
But the gregarious Herzenberg still wouldn't rule out running for the office sometime.
"Never say never," he said.
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- Five days after Joe Herzenberg resigned from the Town Council, he said Tuesday he will not mount a write-in campaign to regain his seat.
Speculation about a write-in campaign had flourished since Herzenberg stepped down Thursday to avoid a recall election. Voters, unhappy about his failure to pay state taxes, filed a recall petition Sept. 16.
Until Tuesday, Herzenberg himself seemed to be fueling the rumors. He called a news conference at Town Hall and showed up wearing a red, white and blue "Joe" button on his shirt. He also joked about whether voters would have to learn how to spell his last name correctly for their votes to count.
Herzenberg said he considered his options for several days and finally decided about noon Tuesday.
"This is a good time for me to end my service on the council," Herzenberg said, despite pledges of support from friends and others.
"I'm going to risk hurting a few friends."
The former council member also vowed to pay his back taxes. He said he was going to write a check for $12,000 later this week -- which would cover the majority of what he owes. He paid $4,000 last year when he was convicted of not paying state taxes for 14 years.
He said his attorney and the state revenue department were working on the details of the repayment.
Herzenberg again apologized for the lapse.
"There is no excuse for what I did. I ask the people of Chapel Hill to judge me by all that I have done."
Herzenberg said he couldn't fully explain his decision not to run. He attributed it partly to the quality of the candidates already in the race.
"I think the voters can easily find six people to vote for," he said. "It would be very different if a there were a bunch of nincompoops out there."
Eleven candidates, including three incumbents, are running for six open council seats Nov. 2.
The announcement not to wage a write-in campaign surprised council members, but most said they were relieved that Herzenberg quit last week.
"It was a good thing for the council because it cleared the air and kind of removed a cloud," said Council Member Julie Andresen. "Now we can concentrate on business and not be distracted."
Others were disappointed.
"It's unfortunate all this happened," said Jerry Salak, who had offered to help Herzenberg organize a write-in campaign. "I think he's a terrific asset to the town. It's sad that his mistake will prevent him from continuing the good work he's done."
Herzenberg, who served eight years on the council, said he watched the meeting Monday on a friend's television. "I've enjoyed the freedom I've had in the last few days," he said. "There is more to life than serving on the Chapel Hill Town Council. It's not that my life will be empty without this. It will be less full."
But the gregarious Herzenberg still wouldn't rule out running for the office sometime.
"Never say never," he said.
Tuesday, September 28, 1993
A Fixture Resigns From Council: Colorful, quirky tenure ends quietly
News & Observer, Sept. 28, 1993
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- Joe Herzenberg's departure from the Town Council came in stark contrast to the lively manner that characterized his career as the town's most colorful elected official.
Late last week, Herzenberg, 52, left the board quietly, handing in a hand-written resignation letter. In doing so, he did what his colleagues had been trying to persuade him to do for a year, since he was convicted of not paying taxes. The threat of a recall election finally nudged him off the council. "I did have this little bit of freedom walking out of Town Hall," he said over a snack of rye toast and banana pudding a day after he stepped down.
On Friday, he reflected on a political career as a council member from 1979 to 1981 and from 1987 to 1993.
Perhaps the most accessible council member in town history, Herzenberg is popular with Chapel Hill's gay and lesbian community and with the town's black population. He was the top vote-getter in the last election.
Other than the council position, he has not held down a regular job in years. He does not own a car. Instead, he strolls the downtown streets, where he has become a fixture. He can be found almost nightly at funky restaurants like Pepper's Pizza and Crook's Corner.
"I think you see more when you don't drive," he says.
His constituents have noticed his quirky habits. Like accepting messages on his answering machine both for himself and his cat, Harriet Levy. Like running old-fashioned, door-to-door campaigns.
A historian with a degree from Yale University, Herzenberg arrived in Chapel Hill in 1969 for graduate school. He began a biography of Frank Porter Graham while at UNC, but has never completed it.
Herzenberg, a strong civil rights advocate, taught at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, where he worked for black voter registration and made the rounds of restaurants with black friends crusading for desegregation.
"Joe has a history of identifying with those who have been oppressed in our society," said former colleague John Dittmer, a history professor at Depauw University.
Herzenberg grew up in the tiny zinc-mining town of Franklin, N.J., where his Jewish father ran a drug store and his Presbyterian mother instilled in him a keen interest in Democratic politics.
He said his religious background and his homosexuality made him feel different from an early age. Eventually, when he went into politics, he wanted to represent people who were different, too.
"Things like my civil rights activities also served as a surrogate for civil rights for myself," he said. Herzenberg, who was the state's only openly gay elected official, pioneered the way for other homosexual candidates, including two men running this year in local elections in Carrboro and Asheville.
His biggest effect on the town?
"Being open to all kinds of people," he said. "Being willing to listen to all kinds of people even if they're developers and even if they're street people."
Former council colleague Bev Kawalec said Herzenberg's political energy was undeniable.
"He's extremely responsive to the people," she said. "He makes himself accessible, seemingly tirelessly."
Herzenberg says he won't be remembered for any one pet project or big development, but instead for small deeds for citizens who come to him for help.
Now, he says, he'll find other things to keep him busy.
"I have plenty of things to do," he said. "The inside of my house needs painting."
Illustration: photo
Joe Herzenberg was the most accessible member of the Chapel Hill Town Council and the top vote-getter in the last election.
By JANE STANCILL
CHAPEL HILL -- Joe Herzenberg's departure from the Town Council came in stark contrast to the lively manner that characterized his career as the town's most colorful elected official.
Late last week, Herzenberg, 52, left the board quietly, handing in a hand-written resignation letter. In doing so, he did what his colleagues had been trying to persuade him to do for a year, since he was convicted of not paying taxes. The threat of a recall election finally nudged him off the council. "I did have this little bit of freedom walking out of Town Hall," he said over a snack of rye toast and banana pudding a day after he stepped down.
On Friday, he reflected on a political career as a council member from 1979 to 1981 and from 1987 to 1993.
Perhaps the most accessible council member in town history, Herzenberg is popular with Chapel Hill's gay and lesbian community and with the town's black population. He was the top vote-getter in the last election.
Other than the council position, he has not held down a regular job in years. He does not own a car. Instead, he strolls the downtown streets, where he has become a fixture. He can be found almost nightly at funky restaurants like Pepper's Pizza and Crook's Corner.
"I think you see more when you don't drive," he says.
His constituents have noticed his quirky habits. Like accepting messages on his answering machine both for himself and his cat, Harriet Levy. Like running old-fashioned, door-to-door campaigns.
A historian with a degree from Yale University, Herzenberg arrived in Chapel Hill in 1969 for graduate school. He began a biography of Frank Porter Graham while at UNC, but has never completed it.
Herzenberg, a strong civil rights advocate, taught at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, where he worked for black voter registration and made the rounds of restaurants with black friends crusading for desegregation.
"Joe has a history of identifying with those who have been oppressed in our society," said former colleague John Dittmer, a history professor at Depauw University.
Herzenberg grew up in the tiny zinc-mining town of Franklin, N.J., where his Jewish father ran a drug store and his Presbyterian mother instilled in him a keen interest in Democratic politics.
He said his religious background and his homosexuality made him feel different from an early age. Eventually, when he went into politics, he wanted to represent people who were different, too.
"Things like my civil rights activities also served as a surrogate for civil rights for myself," he said. Herzenberg, who was the state's only openly gay elected official, pioneered the way for other homosexual candidates, including two men running this year in local elections in Carrboro and Asheville.
His biggest effect on the town?
"Being open to all kinds of people," he said. "Being willing to listen to all kinds of people even if they're developers and even if they're street people."
Former council colleague Bev Kawalec said Herzenberg's political energy was undeniable.
"He's extremely responsive to the people," she said. "He makes himself accessible, seemingly tirelessly."
Herzenberg says he won't be remembered for any one pet project or big development, but instead for small deeds for citizens who come to him for help.
Now, he says, he'll find other things to keep him busy.
"I have plenty of things to do," he said. "The inside of my house needs painting."
Illustration: photo
Joe Herzenberg was the most accessible member of the Chapel Hill Town Council and the top vote-getter in the last election.
Saturday, September 25, 1993
Town official resigns
The News & Observer, Sept. 25, 1993
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL - Joe Herzenberg has quit the Chapel Hill Town Council after months of resisting voter unrest over his conviction for evading state taxes.
Herzenberg, delivered his resignation Thursday night to town officials, one week after the Orange County elections office received a petition calling for his recall.
On Friday, Herzenberg declined to comment on his reasons for leaving or what he might do next, including the possibility that he might return as a write-in candidate.
"I'm not ready to talk about it," he said. "I don't really have any plans right now."
A colorful, liberal politician who once marched in a Chapel Hill Halloween parade dressed as "The Red Menace," Herzenberg is a hero to Chapel Hill's gay and lesbian community and to many black citizens in town. He was the top vote-getter in the last election.
But that popularity could not ward off the increasing complaints about a convicted tax-evader governing taxpayers.
Herzenberg's foes filed a recall petition Sept. 16 with about 2,700 signatures -- about 500 more than were needed to call a special election.
While all of the signatures had not been officially certified, elections board employees were within 200 names of verifying the petition when they learned of the resignation Friday morning.
James McEnery, the retiree who began the petition drive, said he was relieved to hear Herzenberg had stepped down.
"We don't need any accolades or kudos for this thing," he said. "It worked, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all that was necessary."
McEnery said he bore no ill-will toward Herzenberg.
"Once the drive got started, many people said they voted for him the past and never would again," he said. "In fact, I voted for him the first time."
Last year, Herzenberg pleaded guilty to failing to pay state taxes for 14 years. For the misdemeanors, a judge fined him and put him on unsupervised probation for five years.
The council member publicly apologized, but refused to step down despite pressure from the council. In the end, the council voted to officially censure Herzenberg, and he resigned as mayor pro tem.
Within a few months, the council unanimously approved a plan to add a recall provision to the town's charter.
Herzenberg said Friday he had paid $4,000 of an estimated $12,000 in back taxes. "I plan to pay it off as soon as possible," he said.
Herzenberg's colleagues said they were relieved by his resignation.
"I think it was the right thing to do," said Mayor Ken Broun. "I just wish he'd done it sooner."
Council Member Alan Rimer agreed. "It's good for the town," he said. "It saves the town the expense {of a recall election}, and I think it would have been very painful for Joe."
A special recall election could have cost the town at least $12,000.
Council members said Friday they were not convinced Herzenberg would disappear from the political scene. "Joe still has a lot of support in town," Chilton said. "But there will always be people who refuse to forgive him for the mistakes he's made."
Art Werner said a successful write-in campaign would not surprise him. Herzenberg would need to finish within the top six vote-getters out of 11 candidates to re-gain a council seat.
"You don't need all that many votes to finish sixth," Werner said.
Rimer said he hoped Herzenberg would run as a write-in candidate.
"I sure hope he tries, because it would put to bed once and for all how the people feel."
Broun said he would ask the council on Monday to set a 30-day period to receive applications for the vacant seat. The non-incumbent candidate who receives the most votes in the general election would likely fill the seat until December.
Reaction in downtown Chapel Hill was mixed Friday.
"I think his heart was in the right place with his politics," said Erwin Shatzen, owner of Pepper's Pizza. "The whole thing is real sad. This is a man who enjoyed what he did -- being a public servant."
Jean Smith was glad to hear of the resignation.
"I don't think he should be serving," she said. "I even signed the petition."
###
Staff writers Ruth Sheehan and Chris O'Brien contributed to this story.
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL - Joe Herzenberg has quit the Chapel Hill Town Council after months of resisting voter unrest over his conviction for evading state taxes.
Herzenberg, delivered his resignation Thursday night to town officials, one week after the Orange County elections office received a petition calling for his recall.
On Friday, Herzenberg declined to comment on his reasons for leaving or what he might do next, including the possibility that he might return as a write-in candidate.
"I'm not ready to talk about it," he said. "I don't really have any plans right now."
A colorful, liberal politician who once marched in a Chapel Hill Halloween parade dressed as "The Red Menace," Herzenberg is a hero to Chapel Hill's gay and lesbian community and to many black citizens in town. He was the top vote-getter in the last election.
But that popularity could not ward off the increasing complaints about a convicted tax-evader governing taxpayers.
Herzenberg's foes filed a recall petition Sept. 16 with about 2,700 signatures -- about 500 more than were needed to call a special election.
While all of the signatures had not been officially certified, elections board employees were within 200 names of verifying the petition when they learned of the resignation Friday morning.
James McEnery, the retiree who began the petition drive, said he was relieved to hear Herzenberg had stepped down.
"We don't need any accolades or kudos for this thing," he said. "It worked, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all that was necessary."
McEnery said he bore no ill-will toward Herzenberg.
"Once the drive got started, many people said they voted for him the past and never would again," he said. "In fact, I voted for him the first time."
Last year, Herzenberg pleaded guilty to failing to pay state taxes for 14 years. For the misdemeanors, a judge fined him and put him on unsupervised probation for five years.
The council member publicly apologized, but refused to step down despite pressure from the council. In the end, the council voted to officially censure Herzenberg, and he resigned as mayor pro tem.
Within a few months, the council unanimously approved a plan to add a recall provision to the town's charter.
Herzenberg said Friday he had paid $4,000 of an estimated $12,000 in back taxes. "I plan to pay it off as soon as possible," he said.
Herzenberg's colleagues said they were relieved by his resignation.
"I think it was the right thing to do," said Mayor Ken Broun. "I just wish he'd done it sooner."
Council Member Alan Rimer agreed. "It's good for the town," he said. "It saves the town the expense {of a recall election}, and I think it would have been very painful for Joe."
A special recall election could have cost the town at least $12,000.
Council members said Friday they were not convinced Herzenberg would disappear from the political scene. "Joe still has a lot of support in town," Chilton said. "But there will always be people who refuse to forgive him for the mistakes he's made."
Art Werner said a successful write-in campaign would not surprise him. Herzenberg would need to finish within the top six vote-getters out of 11 candidates to re-gain a council seat.
"You don't need all that many votes to finish sixth," Werner said.
Rimer said he hoped Herzenberg would run as a write-in candidate.
"I sure hope he tries, because it would put to bed once and for all how the people feel."
Broun said he would ask the council on Monday to set a 30-day period to receive applications for the vacant seat. The non-incumbent candidate who receives the most votes in the general election would likely fill the seat until December.
Reaction in downtown Chapel Hill was mixed Friday.
"I think his heart was in the right place with his politics," said Erwin Shatzen, owner of Pepper's Pizza. "The whole thing is real sad. This is a man who enjoyed what he did -- being a public servant."
Jean Smith was glad to hear of the resignation.
"I don't think he should be serving," she said. "I even signed the petition."
###
Staff writers Ruth Sheehan and Chris O'Brien contributed to this story.
Thursday, September 9, 1993
Town still bearish on arms - Chapel Hill unfazed by gun control foes
The News & Observer, Sept. 9, 1993
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- The Town Council appears ready to forge ahead with handgun restrictions despite the well-organized opposition displayed at two rowdy public hearings this week.
Gun control opponents orchestrated a powerful campaign to convince council members that the issue is just too unpopular. At a marathon public hearing attended by 450 people Tuesday and Wednesday nights, they outnumbered gun control advocates by more than 2-to-1.
They wore stickers and buttons, and some sported hats bearing the National Rifle Association insignia. They have begun petition drives and some have even formed a non-profit corporation dubbed the North Carolina Constitution Defense Association.
Some Town Council members were impressed by the turnout -- but added that they weren't convinced gun control is a bad idea.
...
Council member Mark Chilton said that despite the thunderous response at the hearings he's confident that many more Chapel Hill residents support the notion of limited gun control.
"What we saw was primarily a reaction against the idea of a gun ban," he said Wednesday. "An issue like that is bound to motivate a certain segment of the population. My responsibility as a council member is to use a lot of different methods to gauge the public sentiment of the 40,000, rather just listening to the 60-some at the hearing."
Chilton said conversations with townspeople have convinced him that concern about the number of guns on the streets is growing.
Art Werner, the council member who originally proposed the hearing, said he still wants to pursue three possible proposals outlined by the town attorney: banning handguns in public gathering places, such as polling stations and downtown streets; prohibiting possession of guns by people consuming alcohol or drugs; and banning handguns that are small and easily concealed.
"I didn't hear anybody present any evidence why we should not prevent people under the influence from carrying weapons, or why we should not ban weapons on places like Franklin Street," he said.
Council member Joe Herzenberg said the hearings clearly demonstrated the amount of tension in the usually peaceful university town.
"I am appalled, not necessarily by their anger but by their fears," he said.
Council members said they had received a flood of phone calls on gun control -- many from out-of-towners.
Most of the 32 speakers at the hearing Wednesday were from outside Chapel Hill; they came from Durham, Carrboro, Cary, Hillsborough and Raleigh. A vast majority of them defended their constitutional right to bear arms -- some insisting it is a God-given right. Others told horrifying personal stories about being victims of crime -- and pledged that with guns, they would never be victims again.
Still others, in angry tones, threatened to vote council members out of office if they don't back off on gun control.
The issue could become intertwined with the election this fall, when 11 candidates, including three incumbents, vie for five open council seats. Already three candidates have made public statements about gun control.
On Wednesday, the council adjourned without discussing the issue. Members referred the matter back to the town manager, who will present specific recommendations Oct. 25. A public hearing would then be held on the specific proposals.
...
By JANE STANCILL, STAFF WRITER
CHAPEL HILL -- The Town Council appears ready to forge ahead with handgun restrictions despite the well-organized opposition displayed at two rowdy public hearings this week.
Gun control opponents orchestrated a powerful campaign to convince council members that the issue is just too unpopular. At a marathon public hearing attended by 450 people Tuesday and Wednesday nights, they outnumbered gun control advocates by more than 2-to-1.
They wore stickers and buttons, and some sported hats bearing the National Rifle Association insignia. They have begun petition drives and some have even formed a non-profit corporation dubbed the North Carolina Constitution Defense Association.
Some Town Council members were impressed by the turnout -- but added that they weren't convinced gun control is a bad idea.
...
Council member Mark Chilton said that despite the thunderous response at the hearings he's confident that many more Chapel Hill residents support the notion of limited gun control.
"What we saw was primarily a reaction against the idea of a gun ban," he said Wednesday. "An issue like that is bound to motivate a certain segment of the population. My responsibility as a council member is to use a lot of different methods to gauge the public sentiment of the 40,000, rather just listening to the 60-some at the hearing."
Chilton said conversations with townspeople have convinced him that concern about the number of guns on the streets is growing.
Art Werner, the council member who originally proposed the hearing, said he still wants to pursue three possible proposals outlined by the town attorney: banning handguns in public gathering places, such as polling stations and downtown streets; prohibiting possession of guns by people consuming alcohol or drugs; and banning handguns that are small and easily concealed.
"I didn't hear anybody present any evidence why we should not prevent people under the influence from carrying weapons, or why we should not ban weapons on places like Franklin Street," he said.
Council member Joe Herzenberg said the hearings clearly demonstrated the amount of tension in the usually peaceful university town.
"I am appalled, not necessarily by their anger but by their fears," he said.
Council members said they had received a flood of phone calls on gun control -- many from out-of-towners.
Most of the 32 speakers at the hearing Wednesday were from outside Chapel Hill; they came from Durham, Carrboro, Cary, Hillsborough and Raleigh. A vast majority of them defended their constitutional right to bear arms -- some insisting it is a God-given right. Others told horrifying personal stories about being victims of crime -- and pledged that with guns, they would never be victims again.
Still others, in angry tones, threatened to vote council members out of office if they don't back off on gun control.
The issue could become intertwined with the election this fall, when 11 candidates, including three incumbents, vie for five open council seats. Already three candidates have made public statements about gun control.
On Wednesday, the council adjourned without discussing the issue. Members referred the matter back to the town manager, who will present specific recommendations Oct. 25. A public hearing would then be held on the specific proposals.
...
Sunday, August 1, 1993
Gay activist Mike Nelson runs for office
Q-Notes, August 1993
by DARRYL R. WILLIAMS
by DARRYL R. WILLIAMS
CARRBORO, N.C. - Gay activist Mike Nelson announced recently that he will make a second run for one of the three, open, at-large seats on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
...
Nelson's political work has included issues of particular importance to the gay and lesbian community. He managed Joe Herzenberg's successful campaign for a seat on the Chapel Hill Town Council. Herzenberg is currently the only openly gay elected official in North Carolina.
"Working on Joe's campaign was a significant part of my political development," Nelson said. "We put together one of the best campaigns that's ever existed for a seat on the Chapel Hill Town Council, and I carried from that a lot of knowledge and experience that I've been able to put to good use."
...
Herzenberg believes Nelson's interests in public office and diverse issues make him a valuable asset to the gay and lesbian community. He also views Nelson as an unusual entity because so few gay and lesbian activists choose the mainstream political system as a battleground.
"Very few gay activists are interested in running for public office and being scrutinized as public officials are," he said. "You also have to have a perfect balance of general community and gay interests. If you're seen strictly as a 'gay' candidate, you won't get votes outside of the gay and lesbian community. And if you ignore gay issues, you will not get the support of the gay community. It's a very fine line we walk."
...
Herzenberg said the election of openly gay and lesbian officials was one of the keys to empowering the community.
"When we get people elected, we will have the power to change the things that need to be changed," Herzenberg said. "We will not be able to change the world, but we will definitely make small changes and move in the right direction."
In the past eight years, gays and lesbians nationally have definitely been moving in the right direction. In 1985, there were about 14 openly gay and lesbian officials in the United States; currently, there are approximately 80. Herzenberg expects the number to top 100 by the end of 1993. In North Carolina, though, the magic number is two.
"I would be more than happy to give up the honor of being the only openly gay elected official in North Carolina," Herzenberg said.
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