Santa Claus, a nearly universally revered symbol of the spirit of Christmas, will visit UNC Hospitals and a UNC day-care center this month, UNC Health Care officials announced late Wednesday.

Eschewing his usual sleigh and flying reindeer rig, Claus will arrive via UNC Air Care helicopter at University Day Care at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education off N.C. 54 at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19. A statement from health care officials states that at the day-care center, he intends to hand out presents. The statement did not indicate whether Claus would stick to his usual custom and limit the distribution of gifts to children who for the most part have been good this year.

Claus and an entourage of elves are expected at UNC Hospitals at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 where he is scheduled to visit adult patients and hand out to each what UNC officials describe as “a soft plush Christmas penguin.”

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Members of the Women’s Roundtable are in search of 250 blankets needed by Community House, Home Start, Family House, the Family Violence Prevention Center and the Ronald McDonald House. New or very gently used twin or queen size blankets can be dropped off at the collection box in the Chamber lobby. And checks can be mailed to Blanket Orange County c/o Business Class, Inc., PO Box 2037, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Just $6 will buy a blanket.

Orange County elected officials will read and speak abou tthe Bill of Rights at Noon, on December 15, Bill of Rights Day, at the Peace and Justice Plaza at the corner of Henderson and East Franklin Streets. This year, the annual event will be held in honor of the late Joe Herzenberg who often participated in the reading of the rights. Contact: 929-1607.

Orange County and the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill have begun accepting outside agency grant applications for the budget year beginning July 1, 2008.

The local governments have historically provided grant funding to eligible nonprofits that address human services and needs in Orange County. A formal training and orientation session for agencies seeking county and grant funding will be held January 10.

More information and applications are available online at www.co.orange.nc.us/hsa/index.asp. Applications are due to the county and/or the towns by February 11 at 5 p.m.

Chapel Hill Police Officer Jim Orbich has been selected for recognition at this year’s ASIS Law Enforcement Appreciation banquet. ASIS International (ASIS) is the largest organization for security professionals, with more than 35,000 members worldwide.

Officer Orbich has worked for the Chapel Hill Police Department for 15 years. He has served as a defensive tactics instructor, a Taser instructor and as a member of the tactical team. He is currently assigned to the patrol division as a canine handler where he also serves as the department’s K-9 instructor.

Two programs have been announced for drought-stricken livestock producers and horse owners in the state.
The Equine Partners Hay Relief Program will help horse owners with the cost of moving hay purchased outside North Carolina.

For information, call the department’s Hay Alert toll-free hotline at 1-866-506-6222.

Gov. Mike Easley presented a plan to provide up to $3.5 million to get hay for drought-stricken farmers who are running out of feed for their cattle and horses. Contact Karen McAdams at the Cooperative Extension Office at 245-2050 for information.

Commissioners to consider facility for use by individuals, businesses

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

A recently completed feasibility study indicated a strong justification for a shared-use food-processing facility in Orange County, according to a report presented to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.

The three-month study included surveys of potential users, a site evaluation and proposed governance of the center. The center would allow individuals and businesses to produce value-added goods — such as jellies, pickles or tamales — in a licensed facility, and would be used by Orange, Alamance, Chatham and Durham counties.

According to Noah Ranells, county agricultural economic development coordinator, the study’s survey results were stronger in this area than in any other counties that have been surveyed in North Carolina.

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Photo by Robert Dickson

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Over the past year, the doctors from Carrboro Pediatrics and Internal Medicine have patiently waited to move into their new building as state contractors cleaned up potentially harmful chemicals.

But the cleanup is now complete, and the doctors – who have practiced at several locations throughout Carrboro over the past 15 years – will move into their new offices in March or April of next year.

The building at 127 Fidelity Street was home to dry-cleaning businesses – most recently Hangers Cleaners – for a number of years before Carrboro Pediatrics and Internal Medicine bought the building last fall. Because chemicals used in the dry-cleaning process are linked to some cancers, the doctors had the site tested before refurbishing the building and found contamination from perchloroethylene, a dry-cleaning solvent.

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To avaoid parking hassles around the holiday shopping season at University Mall, the Town of Chapel Hill and UNC have selected alternate sites for the park & ride shuttle bus service for the December 22 UC-Santa Barbara basketball game and for the January 12 game against NC State.

Those interested in using the game shuttle are asked to use the park & ride lots at UNC’s Friday Center and Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro or board the game bus departing from the Carolina Coffee Shop on Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill.  There will also be a temporary park & ride location at the Highway 54 lot also at the Friday Center.

Damon Forney, who has over 25 years of experience in the water resources and environmental protection fields, has begun work as OWASA’s new Wastewater Treatment and Biosolids Recycling Manager.

Forney will manage operations and a staff of 14 employees at OWASA’s Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on Old Mason Farm Road in southeast Chapel Hill.

The WWTP can treat about eight million gallons a day of wastewater from the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community. OWASA also recycles about 16 million gallons of biosolids (treated solids separated from wastewater) annually.

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The Fearrington House Country Inn and Restaurant has earned the AAA Five Diamond Award for 2008 for both lodging and dining. This is the 14th consecutive year that the Fearrington House has received AAA Five Diamonds and the only property in North Carolina to receive Five Diamonds for both lodging and dining.
“We are extremely pleased to be honored for both the Inn and the Restaurant once again,” said Theresa Chiettini, general manager. “It is a testament to our devoted staff who are committed to providing our guests with a unique and memorable experience.”

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce monthly networking event, Business After Hours, will be hosted by UNC Executive Development at the Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center at Meadowmont on Thursday, December 13th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Business After Hours is sponsored by UNC Executive Development. The Rizzo Center is located at 130 DuBose Home Lane in Meadowmont. From NC-54/Raleigh Road, turn into Meadowmont on Meadowmont Lane. Travel about half a mile, passing the Cedars. After passing Green Cedar Lane on your right, turn right on DuBose Home Lane. Parking is available in the Rizzo Center’s main parking lot. Business After Hours will take place in Loudermilk Hall.

Greenbridge Developments will make it a little easier for holiday gifters to be a little greener with the opening of a free gift wrap and recycle drop shop at its offices at 405 West Rosemary Street.

The shop offers complimentary gift wrapping using post-consumer and post-industrial materials such as newspaper, old posters, print over-stock and found materials as ribbon. Those stopping by the shop are encouraged to bring along those hard-to-recycle items cluttering up your closets including  mercury laden fluorescent light bulbs, used toner cartridges, old cell phones, batteries, plastic bags,and Styrofoam packaging waste.

The shop is open Wednesdays-Fridays Dec. 12, 13, 14 from 3 to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 15 from 2 to 6 p.m.