Whenever the team is encountering difficulties or perhaps in a close contest, Woody Durham, the enthusiastic voice of the Tar Heels, can often be heard telling people to “go where you go and do what you do.”

Usually this happens during a timeout or other breaks in the action, so one could assume that he means something along the line of “now would be a good time to get a beverage or take care of any business.” It does not. He is suggesting that those of you who are fans who have any sort of good-luck ritual might consider performing said ritual to assist the team in the pursuit of victory.

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By Colin Austin

Fear is on the rise in North Carolina. This was the topic of most concern at El Foro Latino 2008, a statewide gathering of Latino leaders held earlier this month near Asheville. Fear of leaving your home, fear of being separated from family and fear of law-enforcement officers.

Participants at El Foro told of their experiences with detention and checkpoints. Of being afraid to drive across Alamance County. Of refusing to seek police assistance because of not knowing who might be around the corner when you fill out an intake form.

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By Grady McCallie

For those of us living in communities with water restrictions, the current drought is a wakeup call. As with all droughts, there’s no telling for certain when it will end. But even after rains and full reservoirs return, a central lesson should stay with us: Rapid growth in total demand for water has brought us to the point that, in a dry year, there’s not enough water to go around. If total demand continues to increase, as it has for years, we will reach a time when water is scarce in a normal or even wet year.

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By Chris Fitzsimon

On July 28, 2006, the day before the 2006 short session of the General Assembly adjourned, lawmakers passed House Bill 2212, which set up the Lottery Oversight Committee. Gov. Mike Easley signed it two weeks later.

The law requires the panel to meet at least four times a year to review how lottery revenue is being spent, to make sure it is supporting education and not supplanting other education funding. The governor, Senate president pro tem and speaker of the House each appoint three members, all from the general public.

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The Orange County Board of Elections released sample ballots for the May 6 Primary. The ballots for the Carrboro district will have the following choices.

Democratic Primaries

Presidential Preference
Hillary Clinton, Mike Gravel, Barack Obama, none

US Senate
Kay Hagan, Duskin C. Lassiter, Jim Neal, Howard Staley, Marcus W. Williams

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After an organizational meeting last week at Town Hall in Carrboro, a group of citizens has formed a organization to help drum up support for the proposed 0.4 percent land transfer tax, which is on the May 6 ballot.

The group, Citizens for Schools and Parks, have launched a website at www.4schools4parks.com.

Early voting begins Thursday April 17 for the May 6 election. Unregistered but eligible voters can register at early voting sites with identification showing their name and current address. Doing this means that you can only vote at the early-voting site. Registered voters can change registration information but not party affiliation.

Vote early in Carrboro at the town hall and in Chapel Hill at the Morehead Planetarium or the Robert and Pearl Seymour Senior Center.
More information: www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, EmPOWERment Inc. and the League of Women Voters will host a North Carolina Senate District 23 Primary debate between incumbent Sen. Ellie Kinnaird and County Commissioner Moses Carey.

The debate will be at 7 p.m. at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Debate questions will be generated by the Daily Tar Heel, Chapel Hill News, Chapel Hill Herald and The Carrboro Citizen. 1360 WCHL will be broadcasting and moderating the debate.

The registration deadline for those who want to vote in the May 6 election falls on April 11.

To vote in Orange County, you must be:

• a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina and this county for 30 days before the election;
• at least 18 years old on or before the next election;
• not registered and not voting in any other county or state.
• if convicted of a felony, your rights of citizenship have been restored;
• if you move out of your precinct but remain within Orange County you should notify the board office in writing of your new address.

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“Ellie Fest 2008” is a celebration of state Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird’s contributions to the state of North Carolina and a rally for her re-election campaign. It will be held on Sunday, April 6 from 2 to 5 pm at the Carrboro Town Commons. Music will be provided by Tim Stambaugh, Jimmy Magoo and Saludos Compay. Paperhand Puppet Intervention will entertain and state Sen. Janet Cowell will be the featured speaker. Refreshments will be provided by Open Eye Café.

Women for Carey, a group supporting county commissioner and North Carolina Senate candidiate Moses Carey, are holding a “Rally for Moses” on April 13 at the Big Barn in Hillsborough from 4 to 6 p.m.

The event is free to the public and will feature live music by the Baron Tymas Jazz Trio, the St. Paul AME Church Men’s Choir and Billy and Anne Barnes. Recorded music will be provided by Monty Clark of the Doug Clark Hot Nuts Group. Light refreshments will be served.

The Orange County Democratic Women will sponsor a County Commissioners’ Forum at the Chapel Hill Museum at 523 East Franklin St. on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. Orange County Commissioner Alice Gordon will explain the role and responsibility of the county commissioner and the voting changes made in electing each one. After she speaks, candidates will speak individually about their goals and entertain questions from those attending. The public is welcome to attend. Contact Betsy Russell at 644-0869 with any questions.

Vance Remick during a recent work session at the General Store Cafe, which opens its new addition Friday. By Emily Burns.

By Emily Burns
Staff Writer

Vance Remick, co-owner of the General Store Café in Pittsboro, felt that the Café had grown so much it was losing that “laid-back feel.” Expansion, he said, will restore it.

On April 3, the Café will kick off a four-day grand opening event to celebrate its new 6,000-square-foot addition, located in the historic old Justice Motor Co. adjacent to the Café’s current building at 39 West Street.

The four-day grand opening celebration will begin with an official public ribbon-cutting ceremony with Pittsboro Mayor Randy Voller at 6 p.m. Thursday, and the music group JazzBeau will christen the new stage from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

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It was a lovely spring day and Tulia Henao, all of 5 years old, couldn’t think of a better way to spend part of it than a trip to the newly reopened Maple View Ice Cream Store on Weaver Street. She is accompanied by her poodle, Clavelle.  Photo by Kirk Ross.

It has been noted in this newspaper that the former Triem manufacturing center at the bottom of the hill on South Greensboro has a good deal of graffiti. Make that had. The outside walls throughout have been repainted in a thick, flat gray.