The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library will present a panel discussion on memories of the library from 1958 to present. The discussion is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 20. The program is a retrospective as the library celebrates its 50-year anniversary and continues to expand. Speakers including Jane Dyer, Molly Cameron, Lisa Price and Ken Broun will share memories of the library’s founding and other anecdotes. For information, call 968-2780.

The 7th annual Clydefest takes place Saturday, April 26 at the Bynum Ball Park. Clydefest is a festival sponsored by ChathamArts and the Village of Bynum and includes live music and fun for kids. The festival is held to honor Clyde Jones, a famous self-taught folk artist making his home in Bynum. The event includes a raffle of works by Jones. Musical performers include Tommy Edwards & Friends, The Milagro Saints, Breadfoot and Shaun Pugliese. There will be a puppet parade, games, storytelling, facepainting and food.

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The YMCA on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd will host the Healthy Kids Day and Family Fest on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free festival will educate parents about local services while the kids enjoy such entertainment as face painting and games. The festival features live music, a moon bounce and a raffle, as well as exercise clinics for kids and nutritional demonstrations. The event is sponsored by the YMCA and the Orange County Partnership for Young Children and other service organizations. More information is online at www.orangesmartstart.org or by phone 967-9091.

Chapel Hill resident Irma Tejada and Carrboro resident Chris Kanoy launched their book A Weekend in the Paris of the Piedmont today at Carrboro Elementary School.
At the launch, Mayor Mark Chilton read part of the book to Carrboro Elementary’s third-grade students. In addition, Tejada and Kanoy discussed how their love affair with Carrboro led them to draw and compose the story, which features Weaver Street Market, Carrburritos and Cliff’s Meat Market.

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Nutrition educator Margaret Nahum of North Carolina State University will speak at the next meeting of Peer Connections: Be Well! Feel Fit! on Thursday April 24 at the Carrboro Town Hall, 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, call 942-5602 or email peerconnections@gmail.com.

No doubt, sometime prior to Election Day in 2000, a few hundred Floridians uttered the oft-heard phrase “my vote doesn’t count.”

Seven and a half years later, as we watch the consequences of that shirking of civic duty, a large portion of the country would still like to throttle them.

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There’s an interesting twist to the jump from Stage III water conservation all the way back to Stage I. Under Stage II and Stage III, the dozens of local swimming pools, most notably those at the university and the public pools, could not be refilled. So one reason for the OWASA decision last week to jump to Stage I rules was to allow those pools to be filled for the upcoming season.

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We weren’t there, but can presume that at his swearing in Gov. Mike Easley swore to uphold and defend the constitution of the state of North Carolina. Just as a reminder, Article I Section 10 goes something like: “Freedom of speech and of the press are two of the great bulwarks of liberty and therefore shall never be restrained, but every person shall be held responsible for their abuse.”

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Editor’s note: The Citizen recently received this announcement of the state Sierra Club’s choices in local elections.

The North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club today officially announced its endorsements in Senate District 23, House Districts 54 & 56, and for the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

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Kudos to the Sierra Club for its astute endorsements of Bernadette Pelissier for Orange County Commissioner and Ellie Kinnaird for re-election to the state Senate.

Bernadette’s environmental credentials are top notch, as are her qualifications as a member of the county Planning Board, the OWASA board and Chancellor Moeser’s Leadership Advisory Committee. Her long career with the Bureau of Prisons gives her a first-hand sense of the challenges and adversity faced by many in our society.

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The recent and tragic deaths of Basil and Kaled Shahin in Raleigh highlight the importance of pedestrian safety. We would like to share our experience in advocating to change a dangerous intersection.

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We are not exceptionally knowledgeable about politics or taxes. We do listen to the news every day, frequently read the local newspapers and vote every opportunity we get the chance. We understand the basic idea of the proposed land transfer tax referendum (referred to mistakenly by opponents of the measure as a “home tax”) for which Orange County voters will soon cast their votes.

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A recent letter to the editor in your newspaper praised some coastal counties for implementing the transfer tax as a solution to local budget issues. However, a closer look at the issue shows that the transfer tax — also known as the home tax — is not the answer.

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I am writing in support of the land transfer tax.

It is estimated that this tax will generate between $3 and $4 million dollars. This money has been earmarked for our schools and parks in Orange County. Only people selling commercial property, homes or land will be affected by this tax — and it applies when the property is sold, not when inherited or given as a gift. It will not affect low-income residents and those living on a fixed income unless they sell their property. Renters will not be affected at all.

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I am thrilled that our veteran senator, Ellie Kinnaird, has decided to run again for another term in the NC Senate. It takes a special kind of person and woman – a courageous, smart and assertive one – to tangle with the mostly male North Carolina Senate.

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