By Frank Heath
Sports Columnist

Maryland dealt UNC a dose of reality this past weekend, aggressively wrangling an 82-80 win over the Tar Heels at the Smith Center. For Carolina, this ended dreams of an undefeated season and bumped the Heels from the No. 1 spot in the country down to No 5, right behind hated rival Duke, in the latest AP basketball poll. More »

The Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring a Basketball Challenge on Sunday, February 10th.  This event has players competing against one another in a variety of basketball skill events. Age group categories include 9-10 and 11-12 male and female. The fee is $12 per player.  Registration is being accepted at the Recreation Department, 100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro.  Pre-registration is required.  For more information, please contact the Recreation Department at 918-7364.

The Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department is accepting volunteer coach’s applications for the 2008 Youth Baseball Program and for the 2008 Youth Girls Volleyball Program. More »

Carrboro

• “Are we friends?” Photography by Joanna Welborn & Mark Pettit.  – Jan 3-30. Center Gallery, The ArtsCenter. 300-G E Main St. 929-2737, www.artscenterlive.org.
• Earth Drawings and Soft Sculpture by Jyoti Duwadi – Jan 3-30. East End Gallery, The ArtsCenter. 300-G E Main St. 929-2737, www.artscenterlive.org. More »

Thursday Jan 24

• Blue Horn Lounge: Bill West. 10pm
• Cat’s Cradle: Virginia Coalition, Brooks Wood Band. 8:30pm. $12
• The Cave: Left On Cates, Modena, Expire.
• General Store Café: Bo Lankenau & Friends. 8pm
• Local 506: Max Indian, Jeff Crawford, Brother Henry. 9:30pm. $6

More »

Technorati Profile

By Valarie Schwartz

Good news arrived in the mail last week with the OWASA bill: The goal of using only 1,000 gallons of water in my two-person household was reached. With the extra cooking and out-of-state guests in December, I’d prepared myself for it to remain at 2,000 gallons. This assuages my guilt over forcing a guest away from the sink when she stood there letting the water run down the drain while washing dishes. More »

Photo by Ken Moore

I relish the winter woods; there is much to see, many subtleties of interest and beauty that are masked in the summer by dense foliage. The varied terrain of bare trees and the deafening silence of the winter woods are reasons enough to bundle up and become part of that scene. More »

The Animal Control Division of Orange County Animal Services will increase several civil penalties and fees effective July 1.

The penalties and fees cover ordinance violations including failure to vaccinate or license pets, public nuisance and animal mistreatment. They are designed to encourage responsible pet ownership and improve the safety of the animals and the community as a whole. More »

Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, a local government leadership and management organization. More »

Healthy Carolinians of Orange County and the Orange County Health Department have been awarded a $30,000 grant by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust of Winston-Salem.

According to Healthy Carolinians of Orange County coordinator Bobbie Jo Munson, the funds will be used to enhance the organization’s partnership and to carry out activities to address the leading health concerns in the county. More »

The Board of Aldermen annually recognizes the special contributions of one individual or group to the community and will present this award by the end of March. Winners will be recognized at the annual Advisory Boards Recognition Dinner. More »

Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and UNC’s School of Education received a $12.8-million grant to continue the Family Life Project, a study of the effects of rural life on child development. Researchers for the Family Life Project have monitored 1,292 children from three Eastern North Carolina counties and three Central Pennsylvania counties — regions of high child rural poverty. More »

A Pine Street rooster is too noisy to live in town, a nearby neighbor told the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
At Tuesday’s meeting at Town Hall, Susan Simone, who lives on North Greensboro Street petitioned the board of aldermen, asking for an amendment to town ordinances.

“I’m presenting this because I’ve been having a two-month rooster discussion with someone,” she said.
Jacquie Gist said she was concerned that some residents who are “sort of growing their own” might be concerned that their efforts to raise eggs would shut down.

More »

By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer

This story is the eigth 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

“I believe the closer garbage is disposed of to where it’s produced, the more responsible you are for it,” says Carrboro Board of Alderman Jacquie Gist. “‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is not a good thing.”

Out of sight is where our garbage would go if the Orange County Board of Commissioners proceeds with its decision to place a solid-waste transfer station in the county. The commission has contracted with a private firm to conduct a search for a transfer station site, from which our waste would be sent out of county – destination as yet unknown. More »