Gallagher honored
James Gallagher, Ph.D., was honored as a leader in gifted education by the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. Gallagher is a former director and current senior scientist emeritus of the FPG Child Development Institute.

He received the 2007 Harry Passow Leadership Award at the Council’s 23rd world conference. The international award recognizes a person whose life and work have significantly influenced policy and practices in gifted education and who has made an outstanding contribution in promoting the cause of gifted education worldwide.

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Farmers’ Markets
Carrboro Farmers’ Market - Sat 7am-12pm through Dec 22; Wed 3:30-6:30pm through Oct 17. Carrboro Town Commons. 932-1641, www.carrborofarmersmarket.com

Southern Village Farmers’ Market - Thu 4-7 pm through Aug 30 at Market Street on the Village Green.

Hillsborough Farmers’ Market - Wed 3-6pm; Sat 7:30am-noon. Apr-Nov. 732-8315.

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Let it rain
Suddenly, on Tuesday, the wind kicked up and in swirls along Main Street, rippling the awnings, signs and potted flora. Dead leaves from parched trees and bushes and all kinds of other debris got kicked up. A crape myrtle in front of the Bank of America building lost a good-sized branch. Then there cut loose a downpour of what old-timers around here used to call “rain.”

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Thursday August 23

• Blue Horn Lounge: Mark Wells & Jil Christensen. 9pm
• Cat’s Cradle: The Wailers, The Movement. 8:30pm. $26
• The Cave: Early: Schnitzel. Late: $5. Mad Tea Party.
• Local 506: Amy Cook, Mary Johnson. 9pm. $5
• Reservoir: Colossus, Worn In Red, Constrictor. 10pm
• Weaver Street Market: Dom Casual. 6pm

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Carrboro
Artist’s Reception - The Mirror of the Noonday Sun. Come celebrate this new collection of paintings by Eduardo Lapetina. Mon, Aug 27, 5:30-7:30pm. Works on display through Oct 1. Panzanella, 200 N Greensboro St, Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. 929-6626, panzanella.com

Ceramics by John Svara – Local potter’s works on display through Aug 31. NC Crafts Gallery, 212 W Main St, Carrboro. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1-4pm. 942-4048, nccraftsgallery.com

Paintings by Debbie Harris – Whimsical works incorporating the artist’s love for jazz & animals. Through Aug 31. Open Eye Café, 101 S Greensboro St, Carrboro. Mon-Sat 7am-11pm (Fri & Sat til midnight), Sun 8am-11pm. 968-9410, openeyecafe.com

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Editor’s note: Following is the official summary of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority’s year-round water conservation rules. An in-depth look at the rules and the reason for them are available on the OWASA website at owasa.org/pages/yearroundconserv03.asp

• Conventional spray irrigation is limited to three days per week between 8:00 pm and 9:00 am and to one inch of watering per week. Spray irrigation is permitted at odd-numbered addresses on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and at even-numbered addresses on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.  More »

By Ken Moore

Observations made from around town and the region during this summer-long drought have made me believe that our society is really insane.

Last week, while helping hand-water a native plant garden in Raleigh, making certain all the water went into the ground and not off onto the pavement, an awful noise from the Legislative grounds across the street made me turn to observe grounds staff mowing turf that was so short that it was difficult to distinguish between mown and un-mown areas. Accompanying the mowers were other grounds staff with leaf blowers, methodically walking along the curb blowing dust back and forth. This activity is a weekly routine.

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By Damon Circosta

Most North Carolina schoolchildren are heading back to the classroom as their summer break comes to an end. Seeing all of those overstuffed backpacks and yellow school buses reminds me of the fear and uncertainty that comes with starting something new.

I had many of the same feelings earlier this year when the legislative session opened. As a first-time lobbyist and newcomer to the capital, I felt like a freshman in high school.

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By Kirk Ross 

There’s nothing quite like cracking a freshly printed budget. Just look at all those finely crafted numbers and . . . ahh, smell those special provisions.

This is the time of year when it becomes clearer what kind of last-minute “language” found its way into the budget and various other bills passed in the last few days of the session.

Among the Easter Eggs this year was a lil’ bit of legislation that sorta, kinda takes authority over part of Raleigh from Raleigh and puts it back in the hands of the legislature. Specifically, Senate Bill 1313 — sponsored by Wake’s own Sen. Janet Cowell — prevents the City of Oaks from imposing its building and zoning regulations over much of the state capital area.

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By John Quinterno

Manufacturing and agricultural firms in North Carolina pay lower tax rates than other businesses on energy purchased for use in production. Nevertheless, several recent legislative proposals have called for eliminating the energy taxes paid by manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. While an economic argument can be made for repealing those taxes, doing so would reduce state revenues, raise questions of tax fairness and discourage energy conservation.

North Carolina currently levies a tax of three percent on sales of electricity.

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By Chris Fitzsimon

As many as nine million children in the United States may not be covered by a health insurance plan and more than 250,000 of them live in North Carolina.

Many of the children are eligible for state and federal programs like Medicaid and Health Choice, North Carolina’s program to insure kids in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, just over $41,000 for a family of four.

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Dr. Joseph Philibert Lorio died Thursday afternoon, August 16th, 2007, at Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk VA, at the age of 65. Dr Lorio was a resident of Carrboro, NC since his retirement in 2001. Previously he had been a resident of Fairfax, VA and a practicing psychiatrist in Falls Church. He was on the faculty of the Georgetown Family Center, in Washington D.C. for many years.

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Robert Finley Gaines, 79, of Chapel Hill, died Friday, August 10, 2007, after a long illness.    Mr. Gaines, a long-time resident of Chapel Hill, is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Cheek Gaines, and by two daughters, Marcia (Gordon) Mercer of Franklin, NC, and Mary Anna (Richard) Lindholm of Charlotte, MI..

Also surviving are a brother, Mark (Carole) Gaines, of Stone Mountain, GA., a sister, Betty (Oscar) Wooten, of Franklin, NC, a granddaughter, Katie (Mickey) Duvall of Franklin, NC, and two great-grandchildren, Mikey and Wyatt Duvall, of Franklin, NC.

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Vennie Neal Best, 94, of Carrboro, passed away Wednesday, August 8, 2007.
She was the daughter of the late John Yancey Neal and the late Alice Burke Neal.

She was also preceded in death by her husband, Thurman E. Best, and her son, Danny M. Best, Sr.

Mrs. Best retired from UNC Hospital and was a member of the former Carrboro Baptist Church.

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