Basal leaf rosettes of Cardinal Flower must have winter sunlight. Photo by Ken Moore.

By Ken Moore

Have you checked on your Cardinal Flower lately? You are likely thinking, “Hey, this is the holiday season and Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, blooms in the late summer. This is the season for holly and mistletoe and hoping for snow.”

But think back to the late-summer brilliant red of Cardinal Flowers and the hummingbirds so attracted to them. If you are a gardener and you’ve been challenged in keeping Cardinal Flower through the winter, now is the time to give a little holiday attention to those plants.

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By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Long before she came to work for Margaret Murta and Mary Corcoran, Barbara Clark – the Pittsboro housekeeper accused of fatally beating her former employers – had preyed on elderly people.

Clark, 41, has been accused of attacking Corcoran, Murta and Rebecca Fisher, 77, in a Galloway Ridge apartment on December 5, after the women confronted her about stolen checks. She was charged with two counts of murder after Corcoran, 82, and Murta, 92, died from injuries sustained during the alleged beating.

The elderly population is too often targeted by criminals, and older people must know how to protect themselves, said Art Englebardt, an officer with the community services division at the Chapel Hill Police Department.

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During the holiday season, with more people leaving town, home break-ins become more common. But there are simple things homeowners and renters can do to protect their homes, according to the Carrboro Police Department.

“The main thing that I would stress, if you’re going to be away … is to keep your house looking like it’s lived in,” said Paul Atherton, community services officer with the Carrboro Police. “You don’t want to give the impression that it’s an empty house.”

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Editor’s note: This story is the fifth in a series that examines issues related to environmental justice and to the fight of the Rogers and Eubanks roads community to be relieved of what they allege to be an undue burden. To read the stories in this series and for other resources, go to www.carrborocitizen.com/main/rogers-road 

By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer

Over the past few months, many in Orange County have been engaged in a discussion concerning environmental justice.

Community members have asked: “Is it right to demand that a neighborhood that has borne the unpleasant consequences of our county’s landfill for over 35 years now be the location of yet another solid-waste facility?”

Many have responded, “No.”

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By Valarie Schwartz

A clan of turkey vultures came callin’ Sunday afternoon. Enjoying the cold, gusty, brilliant weather, the white undersides of their wings shone like aluminum with the waning sun glimmering upon them as dozens gathered overhead.

Watched while in flight, the birds, which can have 6-foot wingspreads, glide gracefully and effortlessly among the thermals, whether searching for food or simply enjoying the ride and community.

The air show produced a far different reaction than the repulsion upon seeing a turkey vulture along a roadside rising in wobbly takeoff from a carcass feast, its red bald-like head appearing comical as well as grotesque.
The allure of nature, making even the lowly turkey vulture a gift to behold, delivered the metaphor required for focusing on this time of year. With only a change of perspective, the holiday season, like the turkey vulture, makes hearts rejoice — and cringe.

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Carrboro

Paintings by Stephanie Smith – Family rendering acrylic paintings. Through Dec 23, East End Gallery at The ArtsCenter. Artist’s reception: Fri, Dec 14, 6-9pm. 300-G E Main St, Carrboro. 929-2787, www.artscenterlive.org
Paintings by Peg Bachenheimer and Catherine Carter – Through December at Provence Restaurant, 203 W Weaver St, Carrboro. www.pegbachenheimer.com

Chinese Red Glazed Pottery by Ben Owen III - Through Dec 31. NC Crafts Gallery, 212 W Main St, Carrboro, 942-4048, www.nccraftsgallery.com, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1-4pm.

Super Awesome Holiday Family Show – Bright, starry, and really special! Through 14-Jan 7 at Wootini, 200 N Greensboro St, Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. Opening reception: Fri, Dec 14, 7-11pm.

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Thursday Dec 20

Blue Horn Lounge: Tain Collins. 9pm

The Cave: Jim Watson’s 22nd Annual Christmas Show. 8:30pm. $5

Cat’s Cradle: Slick Rick with Connie Price & The Keystones, Percee P and DJ Haul. 9:30pm. RSVP.

General Store Café: Tony Galiani Band. 8pm.

Nightlight: Calico Haunts, Brandon Herndon, Gambling the Muse. 9:30pm. $5

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UNC News Services

In projects ranging from representing victims of domestic violence to providing income tax filing assistance, students at UNC are continuing a tradition of public service in North Carolina with the help of Seagraves Service Grants.

The Carolina Center for Public Service recently presented the grants to eight student organizations to support public service projects addressing identifiable needs statewide. The projects, detailed below, are in keeping with UNC’s longstanding commitment to public service and engagement.

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The Orange Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors last week awarded nearly $7 million in contracts for construction of a reclaimed water system, the utility announced. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater that meets state standards for certain non-drinking uses.

The new system will enable the use of reclaimed water from OWASA’s Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant instead of drinking water at several chilled water plants on the south side of the main campus. The chiller plants help cool air and equipment in buildings on the main campus. The university is also designing its new genomics building to use reclaimed water to flush toilets.

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Special Events

The Eno River State Park will host several events this holiday season. The first is a Christmas Hike at Occoneechee Mountain scheduled for Saturday, December 22 at 1 p.m. Visitors to the park also will be able to bird watch on Saturday, December 29 at 9 a.m. And on Tuesday, January 1 at 2 p.m., the Eno River Association hosts a New Year’s Day Hike at the Eno River State Park. Call 383-1686 for more information and to RSVP.

Umstead State Park will host “A Walk in a Ranger’s Shoes,” a 1.5-mile hike with a ranger who will discuss natural processes and park management. The hike is Saturday, January 12 at 3 p.m. Reservations are required; call 571-4170. And on Sunday, January 20 at 2 p.m., Umstead State Park will host “Basic Land Navigation,” and will teach skills in using a map and compass.

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Maggie and Eric are 'fairly' engaged.

Vicky and Robert Dickson of Carrboro are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Maggie to Eric Roehrig. Eric is the son of Frank and Eileen Roehrig of Greensboro. Maggie and Eric live in Carrboro. The wedding is planned for July 26, 2008 at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.

The Orange County Literary Council will hold ESL training on January 8 for volunteers interested in learning how to help non-native English speakers improve their everyday English skills.

Due to local demand for English as a Second Language classes, the literacy council and the Seymour Center are partnering to make ESL classes available to more people. Volunteer tutors will attend an intensive program that includes lectures, self-paced online sessions and role-playing activities. After the training, volunteers will be placed as either small-group leaders or assistants for the spring semester.

No experience is necessary and volunteers of all ages are welcome.

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The Orange County Human Relations Commission is soliciting nominations for the 2007 Pauli Murray Human Relations Awards.

The Paul Murray Award is presented annually to one Orange County youth, adult and business that served the community with distinction in pursuit of equality, justice and human rights for all citizens.

Nominations must be submitted by January 11. For more information or to submit a nomination, visit www.co.orange.nc.us/hrr/pmurray/asp or contact the Office of Human Rights and Relations at 960-3875.

The Orange County Cooperative Extension and the Economic Development Commission are accepting applications for a new program designed to train apprentice farmers in small-scale, sustainable vegetable and fruit production.

The “People Learning Agriculture Now for Tomorrow” program will cover the basic how-to’s of whole-farm planning, marketing, pests, diseases, weeds, planting and harvesting, soils, fertility and crop rotations, building your business plan, record keeping and integrating livestock into your farm.

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Student Body Vice President Mackenzie Price and science teacher Kevin Carter look over the dozens of links collected by Carter's biology class. Photo by Kirk Ross.

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

During their first annual holiday project, Carrboro High School students raised $4,200 to support needy families this holiday season.

Over a two-week period, students bought and sold purple, black and white paper links – Carrboro High’s colors – in their homerooms. Purple and white links were 25 cents, while black links were $5.

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