By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The McDougle Elementary PTA is trying a little something different to raise money this year, with the first annual McDougle Fall Festival.

The festival – a fundraiser for the McDougle Elementary PTA – will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and will offer a wide range of activities to cater to the whole family.
“We decided to make it a family-friendly event and a community-building event,” said Paige O’Luanaigh, festival coordinator. In past years, the PTA has held a silent auction, which, said O’Luanaigh, was a good moneymaker but didn’t involve kids or many members of the community outside of the PTA.

This year’s fundraiser includes a silent auction, but that’s only a small piece of the festival, which will feature a cakewalk, face painting, a haunted house, miniature golf, a moon bounce, raffles and more.

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By Robin Hilmantel
Correspondent

When Carrboro High School Principal Jeff Thomas interviewed teachers last year, he made sure to ask them one question that, while seemingly off-handed, played an important role in his decision to hire them.

“What club could you see yourself sponsoring?” he asked each teacher before explaining that all members of his staff would be required to act as adviser for at least one club.
“My vision was pretty clear for this school,” he said. “I wanted school spirit to be high, and the expectation was clear that all faculty members would sponsor a club.”

But teachers aren’t the only ones required to get involved at Carrboro. By incorporating about a half-hour for club meetings into the school day once a month, starting Oct. 31, Thomas has made it possible for every student to be part of at least one club.

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“Scare-o-lina Skies” – Madness and Mayhem in the Night Sky. A special, extra-scary version of Morehead Planetarium’s popular star show “Carolina Skies.” Fri, Oct 26, and Sat, Oct 27 at 8pm. Standard planetarium admissions apply. Suitable for ages 12 & up. A tamer version for younger children will be presented Sunday, Oct 28 at 4:30pm. For more info, visit www.moreheadplanetarium.org.

“Spirits of Hillsborough” Guided Tour - Discover more about Hillsborough’s ghostly sightings. Sponsored by the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. Oct 26-28, 7, 7:30, 8 & 8:30pm. Info: 732-7741, www.historichillsborough.org.

Pumpkin Fest - Elaborately carved jack-o-lanterns on display throughout the Village; carved by Pumpkin Specialist Steve Mann & the Fearrington gardeners & culinary staff. Mon, Oct 29-Wed, Oct 31. Fearrington Village, 2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro, 919-542-4000, www.fearringtonvillage.com.

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Elect Burroughs

I am supporting Mia Burroughs in her candidacy for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board. I have worked with her on school budget advocacy for the last three years and I think she would be a natural as a school board member. She is dedicated, level-headed and works well with a wide variety of people. She takes the time to do her homework and fully understand the issues she is working on.

One of the things I have always admired about Mia is the enormous energy she brings to school issues. [Schools are] a topic she is truly passionate about. School officials at Lincoln Center have gotten used to seeing her turn up regularly in various volunteer capacities. Her excellent documentation of the history of our school district is one of many examples.

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Elect Coleman

During the 18 years that I have been privileged to serve as a Carrboro Alderman, I have shared the board table with many dedicated members of our community. Of all of the aldermen I have worked with Dan Coleman, stands out as among the best.

As an alderman I judge my colleagues with a different set of standards than I do as a voting citizen. As a citizen my main concern is that those I vote for to represent me share my values and my goals for our town. The standards I use to judge my fellow aldermen include: coming prepared to board meetings, being actively involved with and attending the meetings of assigned committees and work groups, treating staff and fellow board members with respect, being mindful that in a democracy, public officials are servants not aristocrats and being true to their word. During my time on the board I served with some fine people with whom I had strong policy disagreements but respected and appreciated as co-workers.

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Chapel Hill High
Field Hockey

(via Lew Borman)
October 22
It was a night to salute the nine seniors at Chapel Hill HS and the Tigers won 4-0 over the Riverside Pirates. The Tigers dominated as senior Grace Krafte scored three goals for the night. Junior Barbara Parks added one goal to the scorecard. Senior Hannah Martin had two assists in the game.

The undefeated Tiger junior varsity field hockey team blew out the JV Pirates  9-0 in the earlier game.

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The Board of County Commissioners meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center on Homestead Road. Here’s the agenda:

1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda

2. Public Comments

3. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations

a. Orange County Arts Grant Recipients

The Board will present checks to local artists and arts organizations receiving Orange County Arts Grants.

b. Consideration of the DRAFT Social Justice Goal

The Board will receive the Orange County Human Relations Commissioner’s recommendations regarding a proposed Orange County Social Justice Goal.

4. Consent Agenda More »

The Board of County Commissioners on Friday declared a stage two water shortage for OWASA customers.

Because of exceptional drought conditions, the county and OWASA have enacted stage two water restrictions, which include the following:

• Water use by individually metered residential customer accounts and by individually metered single-family residential irrigation-only accounts shall be limited to no more than an average of 800 gallons per day during any monthly billing cycle beginning after the declaration of a Water Supply Shortage or Water Supply Emergency and ending while such restrictions are still in effect;

• Spray irrigation with OWASA-supplied potable water shall not be permitted, except by persons regularly engaged in the sale of plants, who shall be allowed to irrigate their commercial stock in trade;

• Irrigation by underground, drip irrigation, micro spray, low precipitation bubblers, soaker hose systems with automatic shutoffs, or by hand held hoses or watering cans shall be limited to a maximum of one-half inch of water applied to plant material in any given week; More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The Orange Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors are scheduled to hold a special meeting today (Thursday) to consider tighter water restrictions.

On the heels of a call from Governor Mike Easley for North Carolinians to step up their conservation efforts, OWASA officials are requesting that the board approve stage two restrictions, which will further tighten outdoor watering rules and reduce the amount of daily water use allowed by each household.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the OWASA boardroom on Jones Ferry Road. (See list of stage two restrictions on Page 12)

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Minority student achievement and budget issues were recurring topics of discussion among Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education candidates at a forum Tuesday night. The forum was co-sponsored by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro PTA Council and the League of Women Voters.

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.

Candidates were asked about the budget process, gifted education, school safety, the minority achievement gap and more. They agreed on several issues — all five were opposed to a merger with the Orange County Schools district, for example.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Move over Emeril and Rachael Ray, the Carrboro Civic Club is the new inspiration for local chefs, courtesy of its newly released cookbook.

The book is available from any Civic Club member or at Tyler’s Taproom, the OCSC and Curves at Carrboro Plaza. It features hundreds of recipes road tested in Carrboro kitchens and ready for fall cooking season.

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By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

After a campaign by residents of Oak Avenue to try to get a handle on out-of-control traffic and speeding on this quiet, narrow mill village street, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen agreed unanimously to build a speed table and step up traffic enforcement.

Residents of Oak Avenue gathered at Town Hall Tuesday night where the board considered a staff proposal that did not include the speed table, but relied on heavier enforcement, possibly narrowing the intersection at North Greensboro and a neighborhood education program about the traffic problems.
A traffic analysis done by the town put it on the cusp for traffic-calming measures such as a speed table.
But resident Chris Frank told the board the town’s analysis was flawed because it considered Oak Avenue a collector street, even though is far narrower than the town’s official description of a collector. Frank said he also doubted that the town would park a police cruiser on the street on a regular basis and that it’s those using the street as a cut-through who need to be educated. He and his neighbors, he said, already are well aware of the problem.

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By Ken Moore

Referring to my annual enthusiastic descriptions of most common flowering weeds, gardening friend Sally recently stated that she was waiting for Ken Moore’s “love letter” to the Frost Aster. Aptly named, Frost Aster, Aster pilosus (Symphyotrichum pilosum), does flower during the frosty days of mid-October.

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By Valarie Schwartz

Sometimes life requires us to move.

After almost three decades, Family Preschool has learned that after this school year it will have to move from the sweet haven it has enjoyed at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. The 40 families of the non-sectarian, parent-run cooperative were told this spring that the church will be renovating the space they occupy on weekday mornings, changing it into a fellowship hall.

The little girl in the fairy costume and pink shoes, the boy in the Cornell T-shirt or the one in flashy-light shoes, like the little girl in a purple velvet dress, come dressed, like their peers, as they please, for three hours of socialization, playing and learning about wonders of life. Parents are always around, visiting or helping.

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Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro
Oct. 18 - Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 - Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 - Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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