By Ken Moore

Last week, I described my delight in finding a snakeroot with two flowers. This past weekend, my gardening friend, Sally, was downright apologetic in inviting me over to see several snakeroots growing in her wild garden. They were not only taller than ones I have seen, but at the base of one clump we counted as many as a dozen little flowers in various stages, from bud to fruit. Sally and I share a wonderful competition as wild gardeners.
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By Valarie Schwartz

It’s already been a year since the Chapel Hill Senior Center on Elliott Road closed and the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center opened on Homestead Road. Not only did it move, the name has stuck — the seniors who use it have dropped “senior” from their vernacular when they refer to their center — it’s the Seymour Center (period).

The folks who delight in the activities there have planned several celebrations to honor the occasion, including the MayTime Merriment Gala Friday and Saturday.
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by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

After a short public hearing at Town Hall Tuesday night on the proposed 2009-2009 budget, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen asked for a small rewrite and indicated they are likely to approve the proposal at the next meeting on June 3.

The main change as a result of the hearing was an addition of $4,000 to the amount the town will send to the Orange County Land Trust.
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by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Several county residents spoke against the proposed tax increase while others spoke in favor of funding programs and services at an unusually short public hearing on the proposed county budget Tuesday night.

“I’m a little disappointed,” said Ben Lloyd, a longtime county resident and former county commissioner. “Last year there was so much jumping up and down and hollering.”
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Special Events

Computer classes — free computer classes: Internet, Email, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, NC Live. Registration required. Wednesdays, Jun. 4 through Aug. 6, 7:00pm, Carrboro Cybrary, 100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro, 918-7387, cybrary@co.orange.nc.us, www.co.orange.nc.us/library/cybrary

First Sunday — monthly celebration on historic Hillsboro Street in downtown Pittsboro. June 1st 12 – 4pm. Music by Rootsie 1–3pm. Arts and craft vendors will line the streets selling their work, local galleries and shops will be open. 919-260-9725 or pittsboroshops.com
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Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Norwood of Chapel Hill announce the engagement of their daughter Amy to Donald Irwin Roush of Raleigh, son of Donald and Marilyn Roush of Chapel Hill.

The bride-elect is a graduate of Chapel Hill High School, a graduate of UNC-Wilmington with a B.A. degree in elementary education and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a B.S. degree in nursing. She is employed by the N.C. Children’s Hospital as a Newborn Critical Care nurse.
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The drought is officially over, but the Orange Water and Sewer Authority has implemented new year-round rules. OWASA directors voted last Thursday to end water-shortage restrictions and surcharges now that the reservoirs are approaching full. As of Wednesday, University Lake, the Cane Creek Reservoir and the Quarry Reservoir contain about three billion gallons of water, which is about 85 percent of capacity or enough for about 15 months.
OWASA says that with higher levels and reduced demand (from conservation), there is little risk of the reservoirs falling to critically low levels.
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by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen approved a new type of zoning and shortly afterward approved the first property to receive it in a meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall.

The town’s new conditional zoning rules were approved after a discussion about how the new rules would affect mainly downtown areas. Conditional zoning extends the town’s ability to limit uses for a property beyond what a typical conditional-use permit would.
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The N.C. Children’s Hospital will host an Emergency Preparedness fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 29 and Friday, May 30 in the lobby. The fair provides information on severe weather and other emergency preparedness from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and other organizations. Two prizes will be given away, a weather radio and a Red Cross disaster kit. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

On Saturday, May 31 Whole Foods in Chapel Hill will host a dry dog wash with volunteers for the Animal Protection Society. For a donation, they will “dry bathe” your dog while you have a bite to eat for $5 per plate. The event includes raffles and contests and fun activities for dogs, including dog massages and portraits. An OWASA representative will speak on water conservation and raffle off a water barrel. All proceeds benefit the Animal Protection Society of Orange County.

The Women’s Center will hold a series of financial workshops in June.

Workshops will be held four Thursdays, starting June 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Women’s Center and will focus on a different financial topic each week. Topics include budget management and credit repair, investing, bankruptcy and foreclosure prevention, and money management.

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Orange County’s Animal Services Department will hold its first annual Spring Cookout on Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Orange County Animal Shelter.

The event will feature a scavenger hunt, adoptable animals and free hot dogs and drinks. In addition, local musicians will perform.
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The North Carolina Commission for Public Health has made several changes to the rules regarding vaccination of school-aged children and college students.

Effective January 1, 2008, vaccination rules include requirements for a booster dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine and a second dose of mumps vaccine. These rule changes will go into affect beginning with the 2008-09 school year.
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The Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College will hold open houses June 18 and 25 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 an open-house event.
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