By Jack Carley
Staff Writer

The Farmers’ Market will come to a close right before Christmas this year, as usual. But the subsequent winter months may now seem less bleak: The “locally grown, nationally known” Carrboro Farmers’ Market will open year-round beginning January 5, the first Saturday of 2008. From January until March, the market will be open from 9 a.m. to noon, then resumes regular hours, 7 a.m. to noon, starting March 15.

At a meeting Tuesday, November 20, the board of aldermen authorized the Farmers’ Market to use the Town Commons for an additional 88 hours a year (up from 520). The board cited reasons for their approval, including name recognition for the town and better health for its citizens.
The move had been under discussion by the market and is favored by farmers who can produce goods for the market all year.

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By Kirk Ross

Seeing Red

George W. Bush may have carried the Southeast by a wide margin in 2004, but the only category he’s outdoing others in these days is in the percentage of southeasterners who say his job performance sucks.

A recent Elon Poll puts it more nicely, of course, but Bush, whose job performance numbers in the region began to plummet in 2003, continues his descent with a new poll taken in the first weeks of November showing his approval rating below that of Congress. In Texas terms, that’s like walking under a rattler’s belly with yer hat on, for the Southeast has never been all that fond of Congress.

The Elon Poll — which surveyed households in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia — revealed a majority — 57 percent — disapproved or strongly disapproved of the way Bush is handling the job. Only 34 percent approved or strongly approved. Drilled down further, the stats are even more revealing. The number who strongly disapprove are up to 39.5 percent and those who strongly approve are down to 10.2 percent, indicating that opinions are getting stronger.

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Odoriferous harbinger?

The Town of Carrboro estimates that roughly 10,000 gallons of sewage leaked into the stormwater system from an iron pipe that runs from Wendy’s to the sanitary sewer that runs down Greensboro Street.

To the company’s credit, the pipe was quickly repaired and by last week another 20,000 gallons were collected by the large green containment unit installed where the downtown stormwater drain emerges on Old Pittsboro Road. The unit remains in place to collect any residual sewage still in the system.

It’s hardly time to breathe a sigh of relief, though, because the incident is one of a few indications of late that parts of the town’s infrastructure are aging and in need of repair or replacement. A report on the proposed Weaver Street reconstruction, for instance, notes the need to replace aging water lines as well as concern about the condition of some sewer laterals.

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Frances Marie Meredith Chambers, 67, of Chapel Hill passed away at UNC-Hospital on Wednesday, November 21st after an extended illness.

She was preceded in death by her father David C. Meredith and parents Mary and Ennis McBroom. She was a housewife and homemaker who was married to her husband Theodore for 48 years. She also was a former member of Grey Stone Baptist Church in Durham.

A funeral will be conducted on Sunday, November 25th, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Merritts Chapel United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill with Rev. Richard Farmer officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

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Rosa Helen Gates, age eighty-two, died November 22nd after a short illness.

Helen “MeMa” was born June 2nd, 1925 in Carrboro, NC. She was preceded in death by her husband Willie A. Gates Sr. and her son, Herald Kent Gates.

She is survived by her childen, sons Ronnie Gates and wife Shirley, Billy Gates and wife Donna, daughter Cindy Hicks and husband David and one sister, Dixie Plummer.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Construction of the new Chapel Hill-Carrboro elementary school could be delayed because a neighboring developer has not yet granted a necessary easement.

The school is under construction on the corner of Dromoland and Eubanks roads.

Orange County officials and M/I Homes, the developer of the neighboring property, have not reached a cost-sharing agreement for the installation of a sewer line and road access, according to county and school officials.

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Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will hold Financial Aid Night for students and their parents tonight (Thursday) at 7:00 in Chapel Hill High School’s Hanes Theater.

The program will provide information on how to apply for financial aid for postsecondary institutions, including four-year colleges, community colleges and technical schools. Representatives from a university financial aid office, the College Foundation of North Carolina and the Equal Opportunity Center will present the program.
For more information, contact the College/Career Information Center at Chapel Hill High at 929-2106, ext. 1281.

The Chapel Hill High School Orchestra Philharmonic Foundation will hold its third annual tea and silent auction on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center.

The Chapel Hill High Orchestra will perform classical and holiday music in addition to featured solos and ensembles. Tea and desserts will be available throughout the afternoon during the silent auction, which will include items such as tickets to the upcoming Yo Yo Ma concert, art, jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, string quartets for receptions or parties, toys, gym memberships and more.

Tickets are $8 and will be available at the door or from an orchestra member. Proceeds support the Chapel Hill High Orchestra.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro high school music groups will perform winter concerts over the next several weeks.

• The Chapel Hill High School orchestra will perform a concert on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanes Auditorium at Chapel Hill High.

The concert will feature the world premiere of “A Singular Continuity” by Michael Kosorok, who earned a master’s degree in music composition from the University of Wisconsin and is the father of Jessica Kosorok, a senior violinist in the orchestra. The orchestra will also present three senior quartets performing Ravel, Dvorak and Mozart led by senior coaches Will Myers, Gina Balamucki and Kate Brynildsen.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students and will be available at the door.

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Emerson Waldorf School will hold its annual Holiday Faire on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The fair, which will be held on the school’s campus on New Jericho Road, will feature crafts, puppet shows, games, food, music and more. In addition, students, led by the Paperhand Puppet Intervention, will present a holiday pageant featuring giant puppets, handmade masks and stilt dancing.

Admission is free and activity cards that can be exchanged for food or crafts will be sold.  For more information, visit www.emersonwaldorf.org.

Men’s  Varsity

Nov 30     at Bartlett Yancey 7:30pm
Dec 4     Graham at Home 7:30pm
Dec 7     at Cummings 7:30pm
Dec 11     Orange High at Home 7:30pm
Dec 14     at Durham School of the Arts
Dec 27-29 Holiday Tournament in Clayton
Jan 4     Raleigh Charter at Home 7:30pm
Jan 8     at Cedar Ridge High 7:30pm
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The long tour of readings in support of his latest book, Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician, is behind him, but author Daniel Wallace is not putting his feet up — not yet anyway.

This weekend, Wallace and a handful of co-conspirators have banded together for “A Feast of the Five Senses,” specifically a show of magic, music and (insert drum roll here) literature.

You heard right. Visit the Fearrington Barn on Friday, plunk down $35 — all of which is guaranteed to be passed on to WUNC radio and the Chatham County Young Authors program — and from 7 to 10 p.m. thrill to the sleight of hand, harmonious song and riveting stories provided by Wallace, fellow author Wesley Stace (who performs musically as John Wesley Harding) and magician extraordinaire Geoff Lloyd. The emcee for the evening, presented by McIntyre’s Fine Books, is the silver-throated Frank Stasio. Recommended dress is “snappy.”

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