Photo by Kirk Ross.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird and longtime County Commissioner Moses Carey squared off last Wednesday in a debate that many observers say showed more agreement and few, if any, fireworks. But there are differences between the two. Next week, The Citizen looks at the race for Senate District 23 and how the two campaigns are focused in the final stretch.

The Orange County Board of Elections will hold a demonstration of the voting process and the procedures in place at 1 p.m. on April 26.

The demonstration will be held at the Orange Enterprise Building on Valley Forge Road in Hillsborough. For more information, contact the Orange County Board of Elections at 245-2350.

Jim Neal, candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, will cast his ballot at the early-voting site at Morehead Planetraium, his campaign announced this week. Neal, an investment banker who lives in Chapel Hill, is scheduled to cast his ballot at 4 p.m. Friday.

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With interest in North Carolina’s presidential primary building, a watchdog group is calling on state and local officials to beef up preparations for a surge of voters on May 6 and at the one-stop early-voting sites that open across the state today (Thursday).

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The Peck and Artisans building at 204 West Main St. is the scene this Friday of a “vote-raiser” for the re-election of state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird. Organizer and host Tim Peck said the idea is to get younger voters out who want to support Kinnaird but don’t have funds for a contribution. Musical acts include Billy Sugarfix, The Plate Holders and Jimmy Magoo. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m.

Nothing’s confirmed, but town is readying for a major rally and rock show May 2 at Town Commons

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

No official confirmation yet, but Carrboro officials are planning for one of the largest crowds in town history after the board of aldermen greenlighted a request by the Barack Obama campaign to hold a major event Friday afternoon, May 2 at the Town Commons.

Town Manager Steve Stewart said the event, a concert and rally for the Illinois senator and leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, would be unprecedented since it will happen during business hours, while typically large events at Town Commons are held on weekends. The Obama campaign asked for the time slot, he said, because they want to be able to encourage attendees to take advantage of the early-voting site nearby at Town Hall.

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Orange County Democrats are invited to kickoff the election season at the annual Orange County Democratic Convention on Saturday at Mt. Zion AME Church on N.C. 86.

Attendees will have an opportunity to socialize and meet the Democratic candidates, current officeholders and fellow Democrats starting at 11 a.m. A barbecue or vegetarian lunch will be offered for a $10 donation.

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(via Tony Blanford)

April 11

The Carrboro High School Lady Jaguars soccer team’s match with Cary’s Panther Creek High School ended in a 1-1 draw on Friday. Carrboro’s Katie Gilmore scored, while Alisa Beardon put in a goal for Panther Creek. Carrboro took seven shots, Panther Creek 14. Carrboro goalkeeper Rachel Horton had eight saves. Carrboro had three corner kicks, Panther Creek had four. The Lady Jaguars’ record stands at 10-3-2.

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The 15th annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Project Graduation needs volunteers and donations.

Project Graduation, an all-night, alcohol- and drug-free party for graduates, will be held graduation night, June 14, at the UNC Student Union. The event is free of charge to participants to reward seniors for a job well done and to encourage maximum participation.

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The Chapel Hill-Carrboro High School Job Fair will be held April 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at East Chapel Hill High School.

The fair is organized by the Foundation for a Sustainable Community and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the three Chapel Hill-Carrboro high schools and is intended to help high school students find employment. Chapel Hill-Carrboro juniors and seniors looking for part-time summer employment or full-time employment after graduation are invited to attend.
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Carrboro High School will hold a Rising Senior Parent and Student Night on April 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Commons at Carrboro High.

Rising 12th graders and their parents are invited to attend the meeting, which is intended to help students begin to identify their ambitions for life after high school.

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Requests for funding from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation Achievers’ Fund are due May 12.

The Achievers’ Fund is designed to assist students in grades K-12 who need additional academic support, by providing funds for after-school and summer academic assistance; equipment, such as band instruments or other items that are not provided by the schools or districts; and scholarships for post-secondary education. The fund also can be used to assist teams of students who have advanced to national competitions in science and math.

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The Special Education Parent Teachers Association will hold an informational meeting April 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Margaret Blackwell, executive director of exceptional children’s services for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, will present information about the improvement plan and upcoming changes for exceptional children. In addition, Leah Wilson, a FOCAL (Focus on Careers, Academics and Life Skills) teacher, will speak about the Peer Buddy program.

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Three Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools freshmen will comprise the first North Carolina team to participate in the Euro-Challenge in New York, April 28-30.

Eva Archer and Nathalie Reilly of Chapel Hill High School and Emer O’Reilly of East Chapel Hill High will participate in the event, which is sponsored by the Delegation of the European Commission.

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The Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College will hold an open house on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Middle College program allows 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn honors-level high school credit while taking college courses. Students considering enrollment and their parents are encouraged to attend the events.

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