Members of the Ragin’  Grannies perform some of their anti-war hits at a Memorial Day event at the Carrboro Town Commons Monday. Speakers called for an end to the Iraq War and greater understanding between the Israeli and Palestinian people. About 100 residents attended the afternoon event. Photo by Kirk Ross

A group of local folks stopped in their tracks on the edge of one of Mason Farm’s Penstemon fields. Photo by Ken Moore

By Ken Moore

Summer has not officially arrived, but the summer heat made its dramatic entry this past Memorial Day weekend. And we are well along into the predicted drought; without ample rainfall soon, that anticipated bumper crop of “4th of July blackberries” will be sparse indeed.

While we’re having to provide supplemental water to maintain the health of our cultivated gardens, the native plants along our roadsides and woodland borders are continuing to put on a show without the additional help from our watering hoses.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Local Latino leaders say an immigration reform bill under consideration in Congress is unlikely to benefit a majority of the local immigrant population.

Under the bill, illegal immigrants who entered the United States before January 1 of this year would receive probationary legal status. To qualify for permanent residency, illegal immigrants would have to pay a $5,000 fine and a $1,500 application fee.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Counties and towns look at raising rates

This isn’t likely to come as a shock, but it’s safe to assume your property taxes are going up.

Even though county and town managers have crafted no-tax alternatives, elected officials throughout the region have not shown an inclination toward the idea and are focusing instead on the size of increases rather than whether to have them or not.

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 By Matthew Fiorentino
Correspondent

For six weeks now, two outreach workers have been hitting the streets of Orange County getting to know the homeless and the panhandlers. They talk to these people of the streets, earning their trust, learning about their situation and, most importantly, coming up with ideas about how to help them.

At a meeting earlier this month of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leadership Collaboration, this survey of people on the street was touted as an important method for developing ways to deal with panhandling downtown.

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Slater

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Ever since Weaver Street Market announced plans to open a store in Hillsborough and move administrative offices and food preparation out of Carrboro, concerns have been raised about the impact on the Carrboro economy and the workers whose jobs are heading to the county seat.

In a recent interview, Ruffin Slater, general manager of Weaver Street Market, said the decision to move offices and food preparation out of Carrboro and into new facilities in Hillsborough was neither easy nor quick.

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UNC News Services 

Skin cancers often contain different gene mutations, but just how these mutations contribute to the cause of melanomas has been a mystery.

A new clue comes from scientists at UNC’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Their research indicates that early-life sun exposure, from birth to 20 years old, may specifically increase the risk of melanomas with BRAF gene mutations. A different mutation, on the NRAS gene, was found in patients who had sun exposure later in life (between ages 50 to 60 years old). The results indicate that different subtypes of melanoma are associated with different risk factors.

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Easy Rider
State Senator Ellie Kinnaird guides her bike toward the ribbon as part of last Friday’s opening ceremonies for the Roberson Place bike path. The new path runs from Wesley and Eugene Street to Purple Leaf Place.

Got some thoughts you’d like to share on the shape of Carolina North? Here’s your opportunity.

This Monday, June 4, at 7 p.m., the grassroots citizens group Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth will be hosting a community forum at the Chapel Hill Town Hall.

This will be an opportunity for citizens to learn of the most recent developments in the planning for UNC’s proposed research campus to be sited on the Horace Williams tract and to discuss its potential impacts.

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UNC News Services

Treatment for head and neck cancer is particularly aggressive, affecting speech, swallowing, breathing and communication. A grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation to UNC will fund research on the experiences of head and neck cancer survivors, so that health professionals can effectively manage the impact of treatment

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UNC News Services 

Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care from infancy to age 5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than their peers who were not in this type of care, according to a new report. The early educational intervention also appears to have protected the children to some extent against the negative effects of their home environments.
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Teens charged with rape
Five local teenagers were arraigned on Tuesday after being charged with first-degree rape over an incident that allegedly took place in September near Southern Village.

Those charged are Sean Lee Crawford-Brown, 17, of 140 BPW Club Road; Mark Anthony Holland, 17, of 2201 Homestead Road; Brian Gregory Minton, 16, of 118 Marin Drive; Mario Chanquez Neville, 17, of 512 Craig St.; and Colton Sanders, 17, of 27 South Circle Drive.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Orange County Board of Commissioners will likely hear pleas for more funding for the schools at public hearings tonight (Thursday) and Monday on the county manager’s proposed 2007-08 budget.

Last week, County Manager Laura Blackmon presented her recommended budget, which would increase the property tax rate by 3.7 cents, bringing the countywide tax rate to 94 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For a $200,000 home, the tax would increase $74. The special district tax for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district would remain at 18.85 cents.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Swim for Smiles Foundation will host the area’s first-ever youth-only triathlon on Saturday to raise money for the N.C. Children’s Hospital.

Swim for Smiles is a Chapel Hill-based nonprofit organization that raises money for children’s hospitals through youth swim-related sporting events. Gary Kayye, founder of the organization, said they hope to raise $20,000 through the triathlon.

The two-year-old foundation has already raised more than $14,000 for local children’s hospitals with charity swim meets and relay events.

To register for the area’s first-ever youth-only triathlon or for more information about the event, visit www.swimforsmiles.org. To make a donation, send a check to the Swim for Smiles Foundation, 400 Meadowmont Village Cr., Suite 425, Chapel Hill, N.C., 27517.

Students honored for achievement on national exams
Smith Middle School students have received honors for their performance on the National French and Spanish Exams.

On the French I exam, Violette Zhu earned first place. Other students who performed well include Emer O’Reilly, Abby Muller, Herman Bhupal and Stefan Garval.
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