Congratulations to Desaray Rockett, Judith Blau, and Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe–winners of this year’s Pauli Murray Awards.
The Orange County Human Relations Commission gives out the Pauli Murray Awards each year to a youth, an adult, and a business in Orange County “who serve the community with distinction in the pursuit of equality, justice, and human rights for all residents.”
This year’s winners were honored at a ceremony on Sunday, February 23, at 3:00 in the Central Orange Senior Center. Also honored were Judah Kalb and Nathan Bell – both students at Smith Middle School, and both winners of the Orange County Human Relations Commission’s 2013 Student Essay Contest.
As part of a class on African American Studies, Kalb and Bell wrote about the lasting impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kalb won first place in the essay contest; Bell took second.
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UNC has honored Roberto G. Quercia, chair of the City and Regional Planning department, with the university’s 2013 C. Felix Harvey Award.
Awarded by the Provost’s office, the honor recognizes “exemplary faculty scholarship that reflects one of UNC’s top priorities and addresses a real-world challenge.” It includes a $75,000 prize, which Quercia will use to develop the Bridges2Success Scholar Athlete Support Program, an academy that trains middle and high school coaches to promote academic success among male athletes of color.
To learn more about the program, visit Bridges2Success.org.
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You’re invited to the annual meeting of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, Wednesday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carolina Inn.
Speakers will include Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue and Al Bowers, the owner of Al’s Burger Shack.
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Before there were art museums and science museums, there were “Cabinets of Curiosities”: densely packed rooms where scholars and nobles displayed rare and fascinating items from shells to gems to old relics and bizarre devices.
Now, UNC’s Wilson Library is celebrating those old exhibits with an exhibit of its own, “Rooms of Wonder,” on display through April 20. The exhibit features rare books and catalogs from the old rooms–as well as items from the UNC Rare Book Collection’s own “cabinet of curiosities,” including ancient Babylonian tablets, an Egyptian papyrus roll, and an “Incan record-keeping device consisting of intricately knotted threads.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public.
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Wednesday, March 5, you’re invited to campus for a free screening of the documentary “Breaking Through,” chronicling the stories of LGBT elected officials across the country–including Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay U.S. Senator.
The film begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Nelson Mandela Auditorium in UNC’s FedEx Global Education Center. Director/producer Cindy Abel and editor Michael Bruno will be on hand, and the film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring North Carolina’s LGBT elected officials–including Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Town Council member Lee Storrow, Alderman Damon Seils, and State Representative Marcus Brandon.
You can watch the trailer online at BreakingThroughMovie.com.
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Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center just completed a successful canned food drive, collecting nearly 1,000 cans of food for the IFC by offering customers a $10 discount on oil changes if they brought in four cans of food.
IFC officials say those cans will be used to help about 450 different families in the area.
To learn how you can donate, visit IFCWeb.org.
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Chatham Habitat for Humanity is teaming up with the MassMutual Life Insurance Company to give away free $50,000 term life insurance policies to benefit children of working families in Pittsboro.
You are eligible to apply if you’re a permanent legal U.S. resident of good health between the ages of 19 and 42, with a total family income between $10,000 and $40,000, and a parent or legal guardian of a child under 18.
You can apply at a one-day public event on Saturday, March 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Chatham Habitat for Humanity office at 467 West Street in Pittsboro.
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You’re invited to explore the history of Hillsborough on Saturday, March 8, with a one-hour guided walking tour hosted by the Alliance of Historic Hillsborough.
The tour begins at 11:00 a.m. at the Hillsborough Visitors Center and winds through the center of the Piedmont’s oldest town, visiting schoolhouses, old homes and cemeteries along the way.
Tickets are $5 per person; children under 12 are free.
http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-time/honors-tours-curiosities/National Weather Service Senior Forecaster Scott Sharp says once the cold front moves through the Triangle between 7:00 and 7:30 Monday morning, we should expect rain to switch to sleet at about midday.
WCHL’s Ron Stutts spoke with Sharp during the WCHL Monday Morning News.
***Listen to the Interview***
http://chapelboro.com/news/weather/cold-front-bring-frozen-precipitation/Duke Energy Spokesperson Megan Musgrave
Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield
Orange County Public Affairs Director Carla Banks
Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle
Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens
Carrboro Police Chief Walter Horton
http://chapelboro.com/news/weather/checking-community/ORANGE COUNTY – The DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro is gearing up for the annual North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival, the largest comedy festival in the South. This year’s festival runs for 10 straight days from February 6-16, featuring standup, sketch comedy and improv at venues across Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Longtime comedy writer Bruce Vilanch will be among this year’s headliners.
For a complete schedule of shows, visit NCComedyArts.com.
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The next step in Hillsborough’s Riverwalk project has been postponed by a week: two 100-foot steel prefabricated bridges were scheduled to be delivered Thursday, but delivery has been delayed to February 13.
When the bridges are delivered, it will affect traffic on Churton Street downtown. Hillsborough police will direct traffic while the trucks complete their delivery.
When they’re installed, the bridges will cross the Eno River. Construction of Riverwalk’s mile-long Phase II began in October and is slated to be completed by fall, at a cost of $1.86 million.
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Orange County 4-H is holding a Community Forum on Thursday, February 6, from 6-8 p.m. at the Orange County Center on Revere Road in Hillsborough.
The forum is rescheduled from last week; it had to be postponed due to the snow.
http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-time/comics-bridges-community-forums/HILLSBOROUGH - Construction is underway for the second phase of the Riverwalk Greenway Trail, which runs along the Eno River in Hillsborough.
The estimated project cost is $1.86 million, according to Town Planner Stephanie Trueblood. She said construction is expected to take eight to ten months, depending on the weather. The 1-mile trail could be open as early as fall 2014 for public use.
Riverwalk Map
Trueblood explained that it will be a part of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail and is the first segment of that trail to be constructed in Orange County.
“It is also one of the only parts of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that goes directly through a downtown. Our Riverwalk goes directly into Historic Hillsborough. It is going to be very easy and convenient for people to park in Hillsborough and access the trails. If they are walking, they can come through town and stop for lunch. There is a real close marriage there between tourism and downtown businesses,” Trueblood said.
This section of the trail will provide additional public access to Hillsborough’s Gold Park and will connect the park to a trail in River Park in downtown Hillsborough.
The first section of Riverwalk opened in 2009, with nearly 1 mile of paved loop trails in Gold Park, located on Dimmocks Mill Rd. in West Hillsborough.
Trueblood said the second phase of construction will make the trail more easily accessible to visitors who use wheelchairs, bicycles, strollers and other non-motorized wheeled vehicles.
“It is an 8-foot wide primary corridor that will be paved, and two bridges are being installed which will cross the Eno River. We put into a system of loop trails, too, so that runners and bikers who want to up their mileage can loop around and have more of a paved trail.”
There are also plans for a third phase to the Riverwalk Greenway construction project, Trueblood said, adding more trail sections and sidewalk connectors.
“I am actually hoping for Phase III to be open to the public at the same time. However, it is not a part of the same construction contract. We are in a permitting phase for Phase III right now. If all goes well and we get the necessary permits and get construction started this spring, then it is possible that it could open at the same time next fall.”
The second phase of construction is partially funded by a $425,000 grant from the N.C.Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, according to a Town news release.
The town has committed more than $3 million to the project since its inception, which has been leveraged by more than $1 million in grants.
http://chapelboro.com/news/development/construction-underway-1-8-million-phase-riverwalk-project-hillsborough/HILLSBOROUGH – The Town of Hillsborough kicks off its holiday season Friday night with the lighting of the town tree at 7:00 p.m. on the lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse, and the festivities continue through the weekend.
Executive director of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Margaret Cannell says it continues Saturday morning with the Hillsborough Holiday Parade.
“Hillsborough is a beautiful town,” Cannell says. “A parade down Churton Street showcases the beauty of the town and the wonderful businesses and restaurants that we have here. We hope that lots of people will come out and watch out parade and stay for a few hours afterwards to take part in the festivities that are continuing after the parade.”
The parade begins at 10:00 a.m. After the parade, Cannell says there will be things for your eyes, ears, and of course your bellies.
“The Burwell School Historic Site is hosting cocoa and caroling on the lawn afterwards, and there will also be some storytelling and a lot of the shops are open for different events and specials,” Cannell says. “So, it’s a wonderful opportunity to be in Hillsborough.”
Sunday, Cannell says, is your chance to go inside a few of the homes you may have driven by wondering if the inside is just as beautiful. It’s the 27th Annual Hillsborough Holiday Home Tour.
“We have seven private homes and 11 public buildings participating in the tour this year,” Cannell says. “The homes range in age from the late 1700s to the early 2000s, and they’ll all be festively decorated.”
All of these events are part of the annual Holiday Happenings in Hillsborough.
For a complete list of the events, click here.
http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-time/hillsborough-happening-weekend/HILLSBOROUGH – Hillsborough Mayor and candidate for re-election, Tom Stevens says growth is inevitable, and he’s happy with the processes that are in place to help keep the authentic small-town character of Hillsborough going forward.
“We have a strategic plan; we have a good infrastructure in place; we have a sense of the big things that we know that are enduring about Hillsborough,” Mayor Stevens says. “That’s our history; that’s our arts; that’s our diversity; it’s the connectivity; it’s the sense of identification; it’s our neighborhoods.”
WCHL’s Ran Northam spoke with Mayor Stevens about his seeking re-election and how he believes he’ll best serve you.
***Listen to the Interview***
Mayor Stevens is running unopposed.
He says including the town’s voice will continue to be one of his top priorities as mayor.
“I really think that is the mayor’s job as much as it is anybody else,” Mayor Stevens says. “You know, I’m a professional facilitator, and I think probably the thing that I’ve contributed most already to the Town Board, to public hearings, is including many voices.”
Between now and Election Day, we’ll be previewing each of the candidates one-on-one.
For more on Mayor Stevens, click here.
http://chapelboro.com/news/election/2013-mayoral-candidate-profile-tom-stevens/HILLSBOROUGH – Hillsborough Board of Commissioners candidate, Meighan Carmichael says while development is one of the top priorities on which Hillsborough will be focusing, she says, if elected, she will fight for smart growth.
“Hillsborough is a dynamic and great small town,” Carmichael says. “It’s thriving, and it’s a prosperous place. But, it has a very different feel than other areas in the Triangle. I think that everyone in Hillsborough is interested in keeping the charm of Hillsborough while making sure that we’re growing in a smart way.”
WCHL’s Ran Northam spoke with Carmichael about her seeking election to the Board of Commissioners and how she believes she’ll best serve you.
***Listen to the Interview***
Three candidates are contending for two seats on the Board of Commissioners.
Carmichael says she’s not going to use the commissioner seat as a platform to push her own agenda, but as a place to be a voice for the people.
“I want to hear their voices,” Carmichael says. “I want them to be a part of the conversation. I think it’s important for the town for us to actively seek those voices out.”
Between now and Election Day, we’ll be previewing each of the candidates one-on-one.
For more on Carmichael, click here.
http://chapelboro.com/news/election/2013-boc-candidate-profile-meighan-carmichael/HILLSBOROUGH – Hillsborough Board of Commissioners candidate, Kathleen Ferguson says, if elected, she’ll work on balancing growth while working to improve the lives of those living in poverty. However, she says she’s afraid of what the North Carolina legislature might do to municipal abilities.
“All of those together I think will potentially give us opportunity for change, opportunity for creativity and innovation, but on the other hand quite a few challenges,” Ferguson says.
WCHL’s Ron Stutts spoke with Ferguson about her seeking election to the Board of Commissioners and how she believes she’ll best serve you.
***Listen to the Interview***
Three candidates are contending for two seats on the Board of Commissioners.
Ferguson says she sees herself as a change she’s like to see on the board because of her connection to the Hillsborough community.
“I have a great passion for our neighborhoods,” Ferguson says. “I live in Hillsborough Heights; I have been involved in the community at the neighborhood level for over ten years. And, one of the things I think have been missing in Hillsborough Town Board is representation of citizens living in neighborhoods.”
Between now and Election Day, we’ll be previewing each of the candidates one-on-one.
For more on Ferguson, click here.
http://chapelboro.com/news/election/2013-boc-candidate-profile-kathleen-ferguson/HILLSBOROUGH – Hillsborough Board of Commissioners candidate, Jenn Weaver says she’s ready to tackle development issues so that the best interests of the individual and the town are protected.
“Those are the most difficult decisions that the Board has to make, because we have to balance our need to bring more balance to our tax base—bringing more businesses in to balance out our residential weight that’s being born there,” Weaver says.
WCHL’s Ran Northam spoke with Weaver about her seeking election to the Board of Commissioners and how she believes she’ll best serve you.
***Listen to the Interview***
Three candidates are contending for two seats on the Board of Commissioners.
Weaver says she will focus on functionality of the development if elected.
“That idea of connectivity is really important to me, and I see that as something the whole town values,” Weaver says. “People want to be able to get from one place to another in a safe and efficient way.”
Between now and Election Day, we’ll be previewing each of the candidates one-on-one.
For more on Weaver, click here.
http://chapelboro.com/news/election/2013-boc-candidate-profile-jenn-weaver/ 60.3°F |
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