Following is a statement issued by Dan Coleman after an agreement reach today between he and Amanda Kotecki regarding the incident at Hank Anderson Park:

I apologize to Ms. Kotecki for hitting her with my car. I acknowledge the importance of the volunteer work she was doing in the park that day. And I recognize that when she put her hands on my car it was out of concern for the safety of the runners.
I thank Ms. Kotecki for her willingness to talk this through and I thank the Dispute Settlement Center and the courts for making mediation available.

By Ken Moore

“My poke’s bigger than your poke!”

Believe it or not, that challenging brag has passed between more than two energetic gardeners in this area. While folks may consider the common American Pokeberry, Phytolacca americana, merely a weed, more and more really sophisticated gardeners admire and grow this giant native perennial.

Poke is a striking plant for all seasons.

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Photo By Maciek Krzysztoforski

The Carrboro High School band prepares to lead thousands of walkers down Franklin Street at Saturday’s Walk for Education fundraiser. It is the first time they have participated in the walk.  The annual event is a fundraiser for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation. This was the walk’s 11th year. More pictures of the event are available online at www.carrborocitizen.com.

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

At an election forum at Carol Woods Retirement Community on Tuesday, school board candidates grappled with issues slightly different from the usual fodder.

Candidates heard questions about military recruitment in schools, Junior ROTC programs, dropout rates and No Child Left Behind mandates.

Incumbents Jamezetta Bedford, Mike Kelley and Annetta Streater are running for re-election, challenged by newcomers Mia Burroughs and Gary Wallach. Four seats on the board are available.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

State Senator Ellie Kinnaird announced Tuesday that she will seek re-election. The six-term incumbent and former Carrboro mayor said she made the decision to seek another term because she wants to continue working on juvenile justice and environmental issues and plans to fight for a bill to prevent executions of the mentally ill.

Kinnaird had talked openly about retiring this year, but said she wanted to leave knowing a woman would run for her seat. She was unsuccessful in recruiting a woman candidate and began contemplating a re-election run this summer.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

A new anti-lingering ordinance aimed to prevent the corner of Davie and Jones Ferry roads from continuing as a hangout moved a little farther toward passage Tuesday night after a public hearing at Town Hall.

The area has been a longtime gathering place in the morning for day laborers and contractors seeking workers, but in recent years has also attracted groups of men who use the site for drinking and hanging out. At the board’s last discussion on the matter, aldermen said they had heard a steady stream of complaints about loitering, drinking, public urination and crude and offensive comments to female passers-by.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

An ugly incident at a Chapel Hill High-East Chapel Hill High men’s soccer game early this month resulted in the school district banning a referee from working at district games.

According to the Faith Action International House newsletter, fans heckled one of the soccer players – an immigrant from El Salvador – by shouting “Give him a green card” every time he had possession of the ball. In addition, according to the newsletter, the referee called the player out of bounds several times when he was not.

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(Note: the print version of this story indicating that the board of aldermen amended sidewalk rules for the fire station was incorrect. The online version of the story has been updated. )

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Tweaks to the town’s requirements for developments may improve the chances for a 200-year-old holly tree on Homestead Road.

The tree is near a proposed entrance for Carrboro’s new northern fire station and architects originally had planned to remove the tree.

But after objections were raised at town board meetings and two design charrettes, town planners looked at a new configuration for the site. The new layout focused on shifting parking and made it more likely that the tree could be saved.

On Tuesday, the board adopted a change to the town’s Land Use Ordinance that exempts the fire station from protective buffer requirements along Homestead Road.

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By Valarie Schwartz

After over 10 years of writing the Neighbors column in the Chapel Hill News, it’s been fun experimenting with different ways to write about our vibrant and eclectic community in The Carrboro Citizen. As some of you know, I continue writing real estate stories for the Chapel Hill News, and the one I’ve written this week is so timely and important it compels me to scoop my Sunday story with this column.

A group in Carrboro started something in January, while local lakes were full, that has turned them into water conservation trailblazers.

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Carrboro

Water: Our Most Precious Resource – Numerous works on display by a variety of artists, all with the theme of the beauty of water. Through Jan 15 at the Carrboro Branch Library, 900 Old Fayetteville Rd, Chapel Hill (McDougle Schools Media Center). Mon-Thu 3:30-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 1-5pm. Artists’ reception: Sunday, Oct 28, 2-4:30pm. 932-1533

4 More Years, 1.20.05-1.20.09, A Chronicle in Cranes – Installation by Hunter Levinsohn. East End Gallery at The ArtsCenter, 300-G E Main St, Carrboro. On display through the end of Oct. Gallery open Saturdays 3-6pm or by appt. 929-6728

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Thursday Oct 25

• Blue Horn Lounge: Blue Diablo. 10pm
• Cat’s Cradle: Chatham County Line, Luego. 8pm. $10
• The Cave: The Adult Film Makers, Coffin Bound, Stone Figs. 9pm
• General Store Café: Jazz with The Second Third. 8:30pm
• Local 506: The Broken West, The Whigs, Wild Sweet Orange. 9pm. $10
• Nightlight: Suffering Bastard, Boyzone, USA Baby, The Ghost of Saturday Nite. 9:30pm. $6
• Reservoir: SNMNMNM, Juan Prophet Organization.

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By Kate Newnam
Carrboro Commons, Editor

Week after week, the Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department takes the time to go out into the community and stress the importance of fire safety and prevention. And week after week, the information goes in one ear and out the other of many of the people they are trying to educate.

“We go out there, and most [people] don’t take it serious because they think it won’t happen to them,” said Carrboro Fire Chief Travis Crabtree.

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UNC will play host to the national conference of the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE) this Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27.

The conference is titled “Read. Write. Act.”  It will bring together attendees from campuses around the country for a weekend of workshops and networking on social justice and civic engagement toward creating more participatory literacy programs.

Workshop topics will include literacy and diversity, literacy policy and advocacy, developing effective writing programs and using technology to enhance literacy.

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The Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to pursue a passenger rail service stop in Hillsborough.

The Hillsborough Train Stop Citizen’s Group had requested that the board formally seek passenger rail service for Hillsborough. The group presented a petition with 366 signatures asking AMTRAK, the Special Transit Advisory Committee, the NC Department of Transportation, North Carolina Railroad, Orange County Government, Hillsborough Town Government, Triangle Transit Authority and other agencies to work together toward establishing a train stop in Hillsborough.

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A raccoon and a skunk found in Orange County last week tested positive for rabies at the State Laboratory of Public Health.

The raccoon was found dead in a yard near Mill Creek Road and High Rock Road in Mebane after the resident discovered that one of his two dogs’ ears was bleeding. Although the dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations, they had to receive rabies booster shots, which is required within 72 hours of suspected rabies exposure.

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