Special Events
- Join members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Iraq Veterans Against the War and VVAW National Coordinator Barry Romo as he talks about the upcoming historic event— Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan. Fri, Jan 25, 6pm. Carrboro Century Center, 100 N Greensboro St. Free. Visit www.vvaw.org/events for more info.
- Conservation of Freshwater Habitats of the Southeast — Robert Sutter, regional scientist for The Nature Conservancy’s Southern U.S. Conservation Region, will lead a presentation and discussion about threats to aquatic habitats in the Southeast. Sat, Jan 26, 2-4pm. $10. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Call 962-0522 to pre-register.
- Focus the Nation: Climate Change Awareness Days will be hosted by UNC in the Great Hall of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. Activities will include dinner, a political panel on global warming and showing of “The 2% Solution†on Wed, Jan 30, beginning at 6pm; and a carnival with environmental speakers, info booths and entertainment on Thu, Jan 31, 8am-5pm. Call 252-916-2794 or visit
- focusthenation.org for more info.
- First Annual Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball to Benefit Chatham and New Orleans, complete with Big Easy-style fun. Guests are invited to collaborate and participate in an auction for a group service trip to New Orleans to benefit the Musicians’ Village, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity. Sat, Feb 2, 7pm. Chatham Mills, 280 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro. $25 in advance, $30 at the door; $2 discount for ChathamArts members. Proceeds go to the Abundance Foundation, ChathamArts and Katrina relief efforts. Call 542-0394 or visit www.chathamarts.org for more info.
- Ethical Sex, a presentation led by Kate Lovelady, leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, will be held on Sun, Feb 3 at 11am. The discussion will cover topics such as who should have sex, when, how, with whom and under what circumstances. The ArtsCenter. 300 E Main St. Free & open to the public. Hosted by the North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture.
- “A Chocolate Affaire†2008, a live auction benefiting Cornucopia House Cancer Support Center, will be held Sun, Feb 10 from 2-5pm. Tickets are $40 and include wine, coffee, cheeses, fruit and chocolate desserts. The Carolina Club, George Watts Hill Alumni Center, UNC Campus. Call 401-9333 for tickets.
- Fieldwork on Mexican Migration in Tijuana and North Carolina, a presentation by UNC-Chapel Hill post-doctoral scholar Sergio Chavez, will be given Sun, Feb 10 at 5pm. The presentation will include photographs and findings from Chavez’s research in Mexico and North Carolina and an overview of day laborers in North Carolina. At the Chapel Hill Institute for Cultural and Language Education. 101 E Weaver St, 3rd Floor. Visit www.chi-cle.com for more info.
- Celebration of Earth and Sky, with keynote speaker Aaron Nelson. Sun, Feb 10, 2-6pm. Sponsored by Chapel Hill High School S.U.R.G.E. and The Foundation for a Sustainable Community. $2 donation. Century Center, 100 N Greensboro St.
- The Vagina Monologues, presented by V-Day Chapel Hill/Carrboro 2008. Fri, Feb 8, 8pm. $12 general public, $10 ArtsCenter friends, $7 students. The ArtsCenter, 300-G E Main St. Call 929-2787 or visit www.artscenterlive.org for tickets. Proceeds benefit the Orange County Rape Crisis Center and the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County.
Kids
- Toddler Time – At the Carrboro Branch Library. Every Thursday at 4pm. For more info, call 969-3006.
- Preschool Story Time – At the Carrboro Branch Library. Every Saturday at 10:30am. All preschoolers are invited to this free program. For more info, call 969-3006.
- ComedySportz 4 Kidz — Games & improv for the 12 & under crowd. Saturdays, 5pm. $10, students $8, kids under 5 $5. DSI Comedy Theater, 200 N Greensboro St, Ste B-11, Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro, 338-8150, www.dsicomedytheater.com.
- Express Yourself! — Art program for ages 3-8 & their caregivers. Weekly art projects for children & adults to explore their own creative paths; registration requested. Saturdays, 10:45-11:15 & 11:30am-noon. $2. Kidzu Children’s Museum, 105 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill. 933-1455, www.kidzuchildrensmuseum.org.
Volunteers
- Meals on Wheels – Seeks volunteers to deliver meals and/or bake simple desserts for recipients in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. For more info, call 942-2948.
- Goathouse Cat Refuge – Seeks volunteers to help with rescued cats & kittens. For more info, call Bonny at 545-2825 or email her at brooze@embarqmail.com.
- Orange County Literacy Council is looking for Adult Basic Education/GED tutors. To become a tutor, volunteers must attend one orientation and one training session. Orientations: Fri, Jan 25, 10am to noon; Mon, Jan 28, 6-8pm; or Wed, Jan 30, 1-3pm. Training sessions: Fri, Feb 8, 9:30am-1pm; Mon, Feb 11, 5:30-9pm. Call 933-2151 or 732-0868 for more details.
- English as a Second Language Conversation Club seeks volunteers to talk with groups of international students on Fridays (beginning Jan 25). 11:30am to 1:30pm. University Methodist Church on Franklin Street. Call 967-1448 or email harwellja@bellsouth.net.
Health & Wellness
- Community Grief Support Group, offered by UNC Hospitals’ Bereavement Support Services. Group will focus on sharing and moving toward healing in a safe, supportive setting. Mondays, Jan 28-Mar 10, 6:30-8pm. United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Free and open to anyone, regardless of faith background. To enroll, contact Heidi Gessner at 966-0716 or hgessner@unch.unc.edu.
- Living with Advanced/Metastatic Cancer – A bi-weekly support group. Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month, 3:30-5pm. Drop-in, no charge. Cornucopia House Cancer Support Center, Chapel Hill. 401-9333, www.cornucopiahouse.org.
- NAMI Family-To-Family Education Program will host a series of 12 weekly classes for people who have family members with a serious mental illness. Classes offered in Chapel Hill & Hillsborough. In Chapel Hill, contact Gove Elder, 967-5403. Classes begin Mar 4. In Hillsborough, contact Bill or Sandy Moyer, 382-7408. Classes begin Feb 2. Registration required. Email confidential inquiries to gbelder@bellsouth.net.
- The Compassionate Friends: Self-help support after the death of a child. Free and open to any adult grieving the loss of a child or sibling. 3rd Mondays, 7-8:30pm. Evergreen United Methodist Church. 11098 Highway 15-501.
- Feelings: What’s Appropriate and When to Say It, hosted by Charlie Bernacchio, professor of counseling and psychology. Thu, Jan 31, 5:30-7pm. Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W Main St. Call 942-5602 or email peerconnections@yahoo.com. This meeting is part of the Peer Connections Be Well! Be Fit! program.
Museums
- Planetarium & Digital Theater Shows — Science LIVE Demos. Ongoing. Morehead Planetarium, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill. Info hotline 549-6863, office 962-1236, tickets 843-7997. Thu-Sat 10am-5pm, 6:30-9:15pm. Tickets $5.25; $4.25 seniors, students & children. For more info, visit www.moreheadplanetarium.org.
- A Nursery of Patriotism: The University at War, 1861-1945. Exhibit on war’s historic impact on UNC-Chapel Hill. In the Manuscripts Dept (4th floor), Wilson Library, UNC Campus, through Feb. www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/universityatwar.html.
Dance
- Havana Nights — Cuban Salsa. 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 10pm. Mansion 462, 462 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, 967-7913, www.mansion462.net.
- Salsa/Mambo — 3rd Saturdays, lesson 8pm, dance 8:30-11pm. $7, 358-4201, salsa_4u2@yahoo.com. Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 4702 Garrett Rd, Durham (Hillsborough).
- Ballroom — Dancing. 4th & 5th Thursdays, 7-9:30pm, $2. 933-8982. Seymour Senior Center, 2551 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill, 968-2070.
Literary Discussion/Open Mic
- Open Mic — For poetry, music & short fiction. Tuesdays at 7pm, Market Street Books & Maps, Southern Village, 610 Market St, Chapel Hill. 933-5111, www.marketstreetbooks.com.
- Pulitzer Prize winner Edwin Yoder will read from his new book Lions at Lamb House. Thu, Jan 24, 3:30pm. Bull’s Head Bookshop. Student Stores, UNC Campus.
- Warren Rochelle will read from his novel Harvest of Changelings. Thu, Feb 7, 3:30pm. Donovan Lounge, Greenlaw Hall, UNC Campus.
Films
- Film Screening: “Durham: A Self-Portraitâ€, a film about the city’s dynamics following the Duke Lacrosse incident. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Steve Channing. Mon, Jan 28, 6:30pm. Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. 150 South Road. UNC Campus. Free and open to the public.
- Century Center Cinema presents “The Gold Rush,†Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 silent classic about life on the Alaskan frontier. With live piano accompaniment by Erich Lieth. Sat, Jan 26, 7pm. Century Hall, Century Center, 100 N Greensboro St. $4, free popcorn and soft drinks. www.centurycentercinema.com.
Other
- VITA, a free tax assistance program for low- to middle-income clients, begins Feb 1. For enrollement requirements and more info visit www.co.orange.nc.us/aging/VITA.asp.