The 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball is happening on Saturday, Feb. 28 at historic Chatham Mills (480 Hillsboro St.) in downtown Pittsboro. There will be Cajun food, Zydeco dance brought to you by the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, blues and funk by Howie DeWitt and many other spectacles. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and are available at www.chathamarts.org until 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight.
Author: webstaff
Collector’s Fair
Carrboro Recreation and Parks is hosting their 2nd annual Collector’s Fair on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center. There will be a variety of collectibles available for purchase including comics, antiques, toys, trading cards, coins, dolls, and many other items. Admission is $1. For more information contact Brendan Moore at (919) 918-7392 or e-mail him at bmoore@townofcarrboro.org.
Freedom Ride Commemoration
One of the most important North Carolina civil rights protests before the sit-ins of 1960 will be commemorated in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Feb. 28 with the unveiling of a historic state highway marker at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets.
The protest of 1947, called the “First Freedom Ride,†consisted of an interracial group committed to testing a Supreme Court decision in 1946 that ruled state Jim Crow laws on interstate buses and trains were unconstitutional. On their trip on April 13 from Chapel Hill to Greensboro, the bus driver demanded that they re-seat themselves according to Jim Crow laws. Upon their refusal, the driver summoned the police and an angry mob of white cabdrivers attacked one of the Freedom Riders. The events precipitated an unprecedented debate on police conduct, Jim Crow laws and mob violence.
The event on Saturday will begin with a gathering at noon at the Hargraves Community Center. A march from the center to the dedication site will then take place. The dedication will occur at 2 p.m. and a reception will be held afterwards at Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
What’s at Market
Check out what’s at the Carrboro Year Round Farmers Market:
Tulips, daffodils, irises, lettuce, hydroponic basil, chard, spring onions, pac choy, flour, onions, garlic, arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, fresh herbs, kale, leeks, mustard greens, salad greens, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, turnip greens, winter squashes, pecans, herb and vegetable starters, NEW chicken-sausage, maple sausage, smoked ham, smoked ham hocks, liverwurst, lamb, bacon, chicken, eggs, cow’s milk cheeses, breads, doughnuts, tortes, pies, cakes, jams, and relishes.
*Our Saturday Market is open from 9am-Noon on the Town Commons next to Carrboro Town Hall. Starting Saturday, March 14th our hours change to 7am-Noon.
Recipe Provided by Kelly Clark, Market Staff and Volunteer
What is Baby Bok Choy and what do I do with it?
Baby bok choy comes from a variety of Chinese cabbage that does not form heads; instead they have smooth, dark green leaf blades forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard or celery, hence the various names you may see; bok shoi, pak choi, pak choy, taisai, celery mustard or Chinese mustard. Baby bok choy has spoon shaped leaves with flat stems. It may be a dwarf variety of this plant or just small, immature bok. Look for firm stalks and leaves that are not yellowing or wilted.
In the recipe that follows, I used little heads of baby bok choy that were about 3-4 inches long, and had not formed much of a stalk yet. Any of the baby bok choy that I’ve seen in our Market will work.
Ingredients
8 clusters baby bok choy,* thoroughly washed and leaving the cluster intact**
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and shaved with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup celery, very thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup onion,* thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Procedure:
In a pan large enough to hold the bok choy in one layer, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the celery and onion and cook for several minutes. Add the ginger and cook until the ginger becomes fragrant. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the baby bok choy clusters in a single layer. Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes, and then turn the clusters over. Simmer for another 5 minutes, and then turn again. Simmer for another 5 minutes, turn and sprinkle soy sauce over the bok choy. Serve hot.
*Ingredients Available at Market. Our Saturday Market runs from 9am-Noon at the Town Commons next to Carrboro Town Hall. Starting March 14th, our hours change to 7am-Noon.
C.H. mental health listening sessions
The Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force will hold public listening sessions to help task force members gather input from community members using mental health services, and those who work in the field. The first session will be on Tuesday, 24 Feb., from 6-7:30p.m; the second on Wednesday, 25 Feb., from 5:30 to 7p.m. Both sessions will be held in the Town Council Chambers at Chapel Hill Town Hall.
Mark Strand Free Public Reading
2009 Morgan Writer-in-Residence, Mark Strand will have a free public reading on Wednesday, February 25, 7:30p.m. The event will take place at Carroll Hall Auditorium, UNC-Chapel Hill Campus. Mark Strand is a Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry, and former Poet Laureate of the United States. Strand’s works include: Man and Camel, Blizzard of One, and Reasons for Moving.
http://www.college.unc.edu
Carrboro Greenspace Film Series
Carrboro Greenspace Film Series will present the film “Who Killed the Electric Car,” at 5:30 p.m. at The Station at Southern Rail, 201-C E. Main St., Carrboro. 951-5200
http://www.carrborogreenspace.org
You can watch the trailer here.
Announcing a new book from The Sun
The Mysterious Life of the Heart
Writing from The Sun about Passion, Longing, and Love
In fifty personal essays, short stories, and poems that originally appeared in The Sun, some of the magazine’s most talented writers explore the enigma of love. With unremitting candor, they take us on a journey through ecstasy and heartbreak, anger and forgiveness, fleeting crushes and lasting relationships. The result is an unforgettable tapestry of love: vibrant, messy, mysterious, and enduring.

Read the introduction.
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/mysterious_life_of_the_heart/
Browse the Table of Contents.
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/mysterious_life_of_the_heart#toc
Order a copy.
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/
CLASS: Writing publishable poetry
Poets of all experience levels are invited to enroll in this class led by Judy Hogan, founding editor of Carolina Wren Press and 2008 winner of the Indy Arts Award. Participants will read published works to find inspiration and will workshop their own writing. Mondays, Mar. 2-Apr. 6, 7:00-9:00pm, Central Carolina Community College’s Pittsboro campus. For more information on the course, contact Hogan at judyhogan@mindspring.com or 545-9932. To enroll, call CCCC at 542-6495, ext. 223.
PlayMakers Repertory Company invites you to join them for the announcement of their exciting new Mainstage and PRC2 seasons. Call the Box Office (919.962.PLAY) or email prcboxoffice@unc.edu to reserve your spot at “the Triangle’s best party of the New Year.”
This is a free event, catered by Mediterranean Deli and Glasshalfull.
March 5th 2009. The party starts at 5:30. Please RSVP.