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Serving James Madison University Since 1922 BreezeJMU.org
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Vol. 93, No. 4
INSIDE TODAY
good to be home Men’s basketball schedule features plenty of the Dukes in the ‘Burg SPORTS | 11
keep it down Find out what’s illegal under the new Harrisonburg noise ordinance opinion | 7
breezejmu.org
Stopped in its tracks
Tenants yet to move in The Harrison apartments send some students packing amid renovation delays By Elizabeth cecchett and william mason The Breeze
A project that promised superior living conditions, upgraded rooms and appliances has ultimately led to, according to some residents, delayed move-ins, unsanitary conditions, rundown appliances and angry tenants. The Harrison, renamed before the fall semester, has already gone through several name changes, from Ashby Crossing to University Fields. JMU students have also jokingly nicknamed the complex “Trashby”
Railroad safety gates on campus malfunction danielle epifanio / the breeze
The Harrison, formerly known as University Fields and Ashby, is working to ensure students are compensated for inconveniences.
in past years. The University Fields complex went into foreclosure last year, a result of the complex having less than 50 percent occupancy. After the complex was auctioned off, it was taken under new management, prompting the name change. This summer, The Harrison underwent some significant renovations to upgrade the apartment complex; however, these renovations are still going on, leaving students like senior hospitality management major Javhana Hungerford temporarily without her already-paid-for Harrison apartment.
According to Hungerford, The Harrison initially gave her permission to move in on Aug. 20 because she was a First YeaR Orientation Guide and needed to arrive earlier than other students. However, less than 24 hours before the agreed move-in time, she was notified that renovations were not complete and that she would be staying in a nearby hotel. Hu n g e r f o r d h a d i n i t i a l ly made storage arrangements for her stuff that expired on Aug. 23, however, when she see living, page 4
The Wolfe pack JMU alumni open new food truck park to add to Harrisonburg’s collection
stopping ‘traffick’ Vehicles aren’t the only danger on the I-81 corridor life | 9
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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It’s time to face the truth: we are all a little bit racist, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change that. opinion | 7
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A life saver Have the peace of mind of a Bluelight in your pocket news | 3
INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY
photo by @jmulove
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TODAY WILL BE
mark owen / the breeze
The new food truck park on West Wolfe Street offers food from Thrill of the Grill, Grilled Cheese Mania and Wing It. By natalie miller The Breeze
It’s no secret that food trucks are a popular industry; but, like restaurants, they require customers to travel a distance to reach them. Now food truck lovers can satisfy their craving without having to go far: behold — the Rock’N Wolfe Food Truck Park. JMU alumni Leo Cook (’81) and Casey Stemper (’84) have joined forces with local Harrisonburg food trucks to create a central location for the vendors to share their dishes. Cook and Stemper own the property on which the food truck park is being built.
Rock’N Wolfe Food Truck Park, situated next to the train tracks at 120 West Wolfe St., will have six permanent food trucks alongside Virginia Beach’s Back Bay Brewery (still under construction). The owner of the brewery, which will be opening its new location at the park, is also a 2005 JMU graduate. “We were asking for possible brewers to move to the park,” Cook said. “We were excited to hear back from a JMU alum.” JMU was the connection that bonded Cook and Stemper as well. They met during their freshman year and have remained in contact ever since.
“We were at JMU when the mall was built, before the downtown renaissance,” Stemper said. “Downtown was just dead. We want to give back.” The park was inspired by food truck parks in Austin, Texas and Portland, Ore. “It’s just a different community. We asked them [the food truck owners in Austin and Portland] questions about the trucks and [the food truck owners] were so helpful with explaining things,” Cook said. The trucks will be located on a hill behind the brewery, which used to be an old garage. “We want to put lights in the trees
james chung / the breeze
This past week, the gates around the train tracks through campus have malfunctioned due to a sensor error, causing delays for buses and pedestrians. By william mason The Breeze
Transportation to and from campus is something JMU student have to deal with; however, many students have found their commutes very difficult over the last week. Safety gates that drop to block traffic from crossing the railroad tracks have been malfunctioning. The gates are normally lowered when an oncoming train triggers a sensing unit. However, at the railroad crossing between the bookstore and Mr. Chips the sensing unit was wrongly activated, causing the gates to be lowered several times this week when there were no trains passing. These false lowerings resulted in significant bus delays of up to several hour, and also caused buses to be rerouted, according to Mary-Hope Vass, Harrisonburg’s public information officer. According to Robin Chapman, Virginia director of public relations for Norfolk Southern, the problem is rare, and has since been fixed by a crew from the communication signal department, who replaced the faulty sensing unit. Chapman added that every railroad gate has a sign for motorists that lists what phone number to alert Norfolk Southern of the problem. Vass also added that any students waiting for a late bus can check the status of Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation on both the HPDT’s Facebook and Twitter site. and seating on the [garage] roof,” Cook said. “We’re going to have murals painted on the back of the garage, too.” The park will have indoor and outdoor seating, indoor plumbing and music. The Rock’N Wolfe park has been open for three weeks, but currently has only two trucks open as the park is still being completed. Kathleen Mania-Casey’s Grilled Cheese Mania and Belen Martinez’s Thrill of the Grill have gained a following around Harrisonburg and see park, page 10
FRESH START JMU moves on from last weekend’s loss and prepares for Saturday’s game against Lehigh.
Scattered storms
85° / 67° chance of rain: 50%
SPORTS | 11 holly warfield / the breeze