Flora in her climbing tree. Photo by Evelyn Greene.

Seven-year-old Flora Arnsberger accompanied her dad, Matthew, on a woods walk with me several months ago. Knowing that her dad often took her on nature walks, I suggested that Flora be my “junior naturalist” assistant. She delighted us by finding things that we older folks were simply too big and preoccupied to notice.

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Mathew Barton was instrumental in Boy Scout Troop 45’s cotton candy operation during last year’s Carrboro Day. Photo by Kirk Ross.

by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The 13th annual Carrboro Day will feature activities and events both new and old, focusing on a new theme this year: “Celebrating a Sustainable Community.”

Catherine DeVine, director of Carrboro Day, said that while the event will include new features and activities, much of the May 4 festival will be reminiscent of those of years past.

“That’s why we love it,” said DeVine. “It’s like an old movie – out of time.”

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Glenn Gerding, candidate for judge, chats with Democratic Party volunteers James Merritt and Claire Millar in front of Carrboro Town Hall. By Wednesday afternoon, more than 700 voters had cast their ballots early at the Town Hall, one of four early voting sites in Orange County.

by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Six months ago, the race for North Carolina Senate District 23, which is comprised of Orange and Person counties, was shaping up as a much different kind of contest than the one on the ballot today.

A field of three — Carrboro Alderman John Herrera and two Orange County commissioners, Moses Carey and Mike Nelson — were preparing for at least a three-way contest to fill the seat vacated by a retiring six-term incumbent, Ellie Kinnaird.

But when Kinnaird, who had long hoped a woman would be in the field vying to replace her, decided not to retire and to go for another term, the field of candidates changed rapidly.

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Mary Bea Sullivan. Photo by Valarie Schwartz.

Our first loss of a close loved one provides a reference that changes our perception of death forever.

Life provides a unique journey for each of us as we inhabit our bodies, and Mary Bea Sullivan will be the first to say that hers has been no more special than another’s, only that the path she took following the death of her best friend, Rhonda, led her to write a book about it.

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With former Carrboro Board of Aldermen member Diana McDuffee asking for help and noting that real estate interests are “spending a small fortune statewide” in an effort to defeat it, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen voted 6 to 1 to officially support a real estate transfer tax.

At its meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall, McDuffee said the tax is for now the best alternative the county has to take some of the pressure off rising property taxes.

“I believe it is the most progressive option for paying for schools and parks,” she said.

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Thursday April 24

ArtsCenter: Ruthie Foster 8:30pm
Blue Horn Lounge: The Breaks
Cat’s Cradle: Abbey Road Live! 9pm $12
The Cave: Early: Jake Winstrom Late Sweet-Tooth Simpleton w/ Twilighter
General Store Café: Bo Lankenau & Friends 8:30pm
Local 506: Tapes ‘N Tapes, White Denim, DJ Robin Chen 10pm $12

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by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education last week voted 6-1 to approve a plan that will move about 60 students to new middle schools in the fall.

The changes will reduce enrollment at Culbreth Middle School and move orphan segments that were created during elementary redistricting last year. An orphan segment is a small group of students that is the only group from an elementary school to attend a particular middle school.

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by Rich Fowler
Staff Writer

Grubb Properties has filed a plan with the Chapel Hill Community Design Commission to demolish Glen Lennox and replace it with a more than 1.8-million-square-foot development. The plan, filed last week, would replace the 440-unit apartment complex and shopping center with 908 residential units, 220,700 square feet of retail space, 310,800 square feet of office space, a seven-to-nine story hotel and 3,665 parking spaces.

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Former Disney star Tommie Turvey: Equine Extremist will perform for patients at the North Carolina Children’s Hospital on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Turvey’s show, “A Night of Amazing Horses,” will feature a children’s trick roping show, as well as a sing-along and a dance performance.

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The Conservators’ Center will hold a silent auction of the center’s animals’ paintings and a wine tasting on May 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham.

The animals have created paintings with the help of a local artist. The paintings, behind the scenes tours of the center and the Duke Primate Center, gift packages from local breweries and wineries, photos of the animals and more will be auctioned.

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The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service recently received $3,000 from the Food Lion Charitable Foundation.

The IFC will use the gift to support its Food Pantry and the more than 1,200 households that visit the pantry each month for needed groceries.

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Country music star Vince Gill will perform at Memorial Hall on Wednesday at 8 p.m. to benefit North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the hospital’s Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

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The Autism Society of North Carolina will offer a workshop for Latino parents and bilingual coordinators on Monday at their central office on Oberlin Road in Raleigh.

The workshop, entitled “Talking Autism with the Doctor,” will be conducted in Spanish and will focus on ideas and strategies to assure optimal skills in talking with doctors about autism spectrum disorders.

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The Big Barn in Hillsborough will be the site of a get out the vote rally for Barack Obama. The event runs from 6-9p.m. Mayors from Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro will be on hand.

Music will be provided by Baron Tymas jazz Ensemble, St Paul’s AME Gospel Choir, Still House Bottom Band and Saludas Company. Tickets are $20 or $10 for students. Food is by the Barbecue Joint.