Smith Middle School’s ninth annual Cultural Performance Night will be Thursday, Jan. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chapel Hill High’s Hanes Auditorium. A $1 donation (children under 5 get in free) will guarantee a seat and a chance to see children celebrate cultural diversity and compassion through dance, poetry, skits and more from…
BRMA volunteers rewarded with Disney incentive
Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate is joining the HandsOn Network to encourage volunteerism through the “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.†program. New BRMA mentors and tutors are eligible to receive a free one-day, one-theme park ticket to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Volunteers must make a full commitment to their BRMA role and meet all…
Remembering King
If you’ve recently made your way across the square in front of Chapel Hill’s downtown post office, you may have noticed an inscription near the flagpole that says “Peace & Justice Plaza.†Below those words are the names of eight individuals — men and women, black and white — who were at the forefront of…
“A Day On Not a Day Off†Orange County locations for National Day of Service
• Orange County Signature Project — Volunteers will create Valentine’s Day care packages for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. People will also make blankets and scarves for clients of local United Way of the Greater Triangle partner agencies. Children, families and volunteers of all ages can include their dreams on the “Road to a…
Shock and sadness over devastation in Haiti
By Beth Mechum and Kirk Ross Staff Writers It was on the eve of Lori Easterlin’s final Haiti immersion class at Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill that a devastating earthquake hit the impoverished Caribbean country. “Everybody is just overwhelmed and sad and devastated,†Easterlin said. “We have students who in the last week…
Board talks sidewalks
By Beth Mechum Staff Writer CARRBORO – With project costs now exceeding bond funding for the Carrboro sidewalk program, some projects along Estes Drive will be cut. At its Tuesday night meeting at Town Hall, the board of aldermen discussed which projects to pursue. Public Works Director George Seiz suggested building a sidewalk from Hillcrest…
Council OKs new process for shelters
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council approved a change in the town’s land-use management ordinance that would require any new homeless shelters to first obtain a special-use permit — a lengthier, more-public process than the current ordinance requires.
MLK by the numbers
Chris Fitzsimon 81 – years since Dr. Martin Luther King was born on Jan. 15, 1929 47 – years since King wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail†on April 16, 1963 47 – years since King led the March on Washington on Aug. 8, 1963 42 – years since King was assassinated in Memphis on…
New library opens
The Orange County Main Library, located at 137 W. Margaret Lane in Hillsborough, opened last Friday. The 23,500-square-foot, two-story building will feature more than 16 public-access computers, a teen center, a 90-person meeting room and a local history area. The first floor of the library is devoted to children, with an expanded collection, comfortable furniture…
Making the commitment to college-readiness for all
Steve Peha When it comes to “college-readiness,†few people agree on what it is, but everyone seems to agree our high schoolers don’t have it. New work by the Common Core State Standards Initiative is supposed to bring us together on this. But standards have to be implemented by states, which have to develop benchmarks,…
Out of the deep freeze
The great thing about conspiracy theories is that they knit everything nicely together. Facts, fallacies and fantasy are all rolled together and any challenge from the reality-based world is rebuffed with a simple reminder of the sinister nature of those making the challenge and the evil overlords that control them.
UNC NOTES
Frank Heath The North Carolina men’s basketball team regained a measure of its confidence Sunday, with a sure-footed 78-64 win over Virginia Tech, in which the Tar Heels pulled away with a strong overall second-half performance. Carolina was led by forward Ed Davis and point guard Larry Drew, a pair of sophomores whose contributions will…
Board talks sidewalks
By Beth Mechum Staff Writer CARRBORO – With project costs now exceeding bond funding for the Carrboro sidewalk program, some projects along Estes Drive will be cut. At its Tuesday night meeting at Town Hall, the board of aldermen discussed which projects to pursue. Public Works Director George Seiz suggested building a sidewalk from Hillcrest…
Reduced CHT schedule for MLK
Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) will operate on a Reduced Saturday service schedule next Monday, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The following Saturday routes will operate: CM, CW, DM, FG and JN. The Saturday U and NU routes will not operate. The Regional Call Center will be open to provide schedule information from…
TTA to run on MLK
Triangle Transit will operate next Monday using Saturday route schedules. Full service will resume on Tuesday. For more information, call the GoTriangle Regional Transit Information Center at 485-7433 or check routes and schedules online at triangletransit.org