By Susan Dickson Staff Writer Orange County Manager Laura Blackmon recommended an 8.8-cent increase on the ad valorem tax rate at the board of county commissioners meeting on Tuesday. The increase would raise the ad valorem tax rate to $1.038 per $100 of property valuation, representing a 9 percent increase over the current 95-cent rate….
Author: Staff
Flora: Snakeroot: Worth a walk in the woods
By Ken Moore It’s just beginning to flower, so you have a week or two to go walking with “a closer look†to find it along wood’s edge, a stream bank, in piney woods or deciduous forests – it doesn’t seem to matter. What does matter is that you keep a keen eye along the…
OWASA plans rate hike
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer The good news coming from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority is not only that the reservoirs are nearing capacity but that conservation practices among the utility’s customers continue even though the more stringent rules have been lifted. The bad news, though, is that less water use has opened up…
Land & Table Brief: Bolin creek meet
Learn what’s happening to repair and protect Bolin Creek tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m. at the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center on Homestead Road. Stream ecologist Trish D’Arconte of the Town of Chapel Hill Stormwater Management Division will discuss plans regarding the creek. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Bolin Creek.
Land & Table Brief: Pasture potluck
Ayrshire Farm will be the site of a party and potluck on Sunday, June 29. “Potluck in a Pasture,†organized by ChathamArts, will bring visitors and their favorite dishes, made with all local ingredients, to the oldest certified organic farm in the state for dining, music and community. Featured performers and speakers are bluegrass musician…
Land & Table Brief: Burrito bash
The Pittsboro General Store Café will host a Burrito Bash from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 9 to benefit ChathamArts and the Chatham Artists Guild. The Shelbys provide live music for dancing. A live auction will include works by local artists. Tickets are $15 at the door or $12 if bought early from…
Hearing set for taco truck rules
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer At its meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen set a public hearing for June 24 on a proposed amendment to the town’s land-use plan as a result of the controversy raised earlier this year over taco trucks downtown. After an anonymous complaint in January, the…
Public hearing on the budget Tuesday night
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen has scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday on the town’s 2008-2009 budget. The hearing begins at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The agenda is available on the town’s website. A copy of Town Manager Steve Stewarts’s proposed $18,476,375 budget is also available on the site at the town government link.
News Brief: Pet fees
Orange County Animal Control is raising the prices on several fees this July. Fees for mistreatment, failure to license a pet and failure to vaccinate against rabies have been increased to $200. Fees for public-nuisance violations have been doubled. The Animal Control Division says the fees only affect pet owners who violate county animal ordinances…
News Brief: Rabid animals
Two rabid raccoons and one rabid bat were found in Orange County. One raccoon was found Friday, May 16 near NC 54 and Dodson’s Crossroads in Chapel Hill. The bat was found Saturday, May 17 on NC 86 north of I-40. The second raccoon was found Sunday, May 18 near Burton Road and NC 86.
News Brief: County plan
The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing regarding the county’s proposed Comprehensive Plan on Monday. County residents are invited to provide feedback regarding the proposed plan to the Orange County Planning Board through mid-June. The plan is available online at www.co.orange.nc.us/planning/DRAFTCOMPPLAN050608.asp.
News Brief: Tethering amendment draws crowd
Both supporters and opponents of a dog-tethering law amendment packed the house at a public hearing before the Orange County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. The commissioners postponed a decision regarding the amendment, saying they needed more time to consider the feedback provided during the public hearing.
Walter Royal Davis
Walter Royall Davis died Monday, May 20, 2008. He was 88 years old and had been in declining health for a number of years. He was a major benefactor the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Davis library is named for him for his great influence in its funding.
School Brief: LoFrese appointed
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education has appointed C. Todd LoFrese as the assistant superintendent for support services. LoFrese will replace Steve Scroggs, who will retire May 30. LoFrese has served as assistant superintendent of schools in Watertown, Conn. since 2003. Previously, he worked as a business manager for the Connecticut Trade Company…
School Brief: New principals
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education has named two new principals. The board appointed Minnie Goins as principal of Glenwood Elementary School. She has served as Glenwood’s interim principal since November, when former principal Amy Rickard was named principal at Morris Grove Elementary School. From 2004 to 2007, Goins served as Glenwood’s assistant principal. She…
