Chris Fitzsimon

The news is always full of heartwarming stories this time of year, somebody helping a stranger, going the extra mile to help people less fortunate.

Then there’s the North Carolina “Education” Lottery, which teaches us all a much different lesson, even in this holiday season. Lottery revenues continue to fall short of initial projections and nobody still believes the claims by lottery proponents that revenue from state-induced gambling will dramatically improve the funding for public schools.

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Occasionally I make a mistake that’s just breathtaking. I knew the chances were good that someone would get left out of the advertiser appreciation ad we ran last week, but through the magic of cut and (not) paste I managed to leave out one of our oldest and best advertisers.

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Coal. It’s dirty and unsustainable: the first and foremost air polluter in the U.S. Why, then, are there plans to build an 800-megawatt coal generator in Rutherford County’s Cliffside Coal Plant? The new Duke Energy  generator would use conventional, pulverized coal technology.

Such technology does not allow for capture of carbon dioxide and emits a variety of other dangerous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and mercury.

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Special Events

SHAC Benefit Show – Music fundraiser event with Mary Johnson, Miriam Chicurel, & Shannon O’Connor. Fri, Nov 30 at 7:45pm. The ArtsCenter, 300 E Main St, Carrboro. Tickets: $14 at the door or $12 in advance at CD Alley or Jennifer_lee@med.unc.edu. Proceeds go to UNC Student Health Action Coalition. www.med.unc.edu/shac/.

Holiday Shoppe Craft Show – Annual event presented by St. Thomas More School. 70+ local artisans offer handmade gifts, free gift wrapping, craft activities for kids, plus a raffle, bake sale, and hot lunch. Free! Sat, Dec 1, 9am-3pm, 920 Carmichael St, Chapel Hill. For more info, call 490-8493.

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Thursday Nov 29

• Blue Horn Lounge: Randy Whitt & Anthony Lener. 10pm
• Cat’s Cradle: Will Hoge, Hoots & Hellmouth, The War. 9:30pm. $10
• The Cave: Early: Blake Tedder. Late: Blue Moon Revue, TBA
• General Store Café: Bo Lankenau. 8pm
• Local 506: Dry Heathens, Bull City, The Pneurotics. 9pm.
• Nightlight: Lylas, Kellie Shae Hicks. 9:30pm

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Carrboro
Elementals of the Carolina Seasons - Paintings by Karen Sorensen from The Gallery of Maya. Through Dec 9. Main Street Gallery, 405 E Main St, Carrboro, 967-7005.

Works by the Chatham County Arts Guild - Through Dec 12. The ArtsCenter, 300-G E Main St, Carrboro. 929-2787, www.artscenterlive.org

Works by Paul Friedrich - Through Dec 11. Wootini, 200 N Greensboro St, Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun noon-5pm. 933-6061, wootini.com

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