Now, how can a flower be false? A flower either is or it isn’t! It seems irreverent to call any plant “false.”

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I was all set to focus on yellow roadside composites (flowers in the aster and sunflower family) for this week’s Flora when I was redirected by a chance spotting of a different yellow wildflower on MLK Boulevard.

They are just now coming into peak flowering. Driving north you will find them on the right woods-edge just beyond Blossom Lane. There is a little satellite dish just inside the woods-edge behind a sizeable population of Aureolaria virginica, false-foxglove. The common name, false-foxglove, refers to the similarity to the cultivated pink foxgloves of western Europe.
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Update: On Friday, the county reinstated the library’s hours. See statement at the bottom of this story.

by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Following public outcry regarding a recent slash in hours of operation at the Carrboro Branch Library, county officials say some of those hours could be restored.

In late June, Orange County library officials announced that due to cuts in temporary staff funding, public libraries across the county would reduce their hours of operation starting July 1. Although each branch manager made the decision as to how the cuts were allocated, Carrboro Branch Library director Jake Lehrer said because Carrboro relies so heavily on temporary employees he had no choice but to reduce the library’s hours of operation. The library cut its hours from 24 to 17 hours a week, with the library closed all day on Mondays and Fridays.
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by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

For more than 40 years, the Eno River Association has been working to protect the land that surrounds the Eno River, and within a year, the association could reach a long-sought goal: complete the missing links in the Eno River State Park.

The Eno River Association has been working to protect the land around the river and in the watershed area since 1966, with the goal of completing the gaps in the Eno River State Park to create a 6,000-acre park with 16 miles of river frontage. In addition, the association works to acquire land outside of the state park as well, to protect as much of the watershed area as possible and minimize the amount of sediment and nutrients that flow into the river.
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by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The General Assembly authorized the Town of Carrboro to set a limit on campaign contributions for town races this week.

The new legislation allows the town to change its election ordinances to limit contributions from individuals to $250.
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by Catherine Rierson
Staff Writer

If you’ve been on Weaver Street at all in the past four months, you’ve probably seen a sign that reads, “The Episcopal Church of the Advocate.” Curious as to what that is?

The Episcopal Church of the Advocate is a mission church and an extension of the Episcopal/Anglican tradition, but the building on Weaver Street is just the vicar’s office. The Advocate doesn’t have a permanent place to hold worship services yet, so it rents out space in the Chapel Hill Kehillah synagogue – an arrangement that advances one of the church’s primary objectives: reaching out to those drawn to less traditional worship.
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By Valarie Schwartz

Even the abundance of recent rain could not remove the grunge from our drought-dirty vehicles, so the car wash at Carrboro High School last Saturday brought an easy clean and helped the school’s cross country team raise funds for camp, travel and supplies.

A new school builds a reputation on many levels, and according to assistant coach Sarah Hallenbeck the cross country team started its first year out on the right foot.
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Thursday July 17

ArtsCenter: 10 by 10 In The Triangle: An international festival of new, 10-minute plays. 8pm
Local 506: Brett Harris, Oscar Begat.
Nightlight: Irata, Darwin Deez, Lake Inferior. 9:30pm
The Cave: EARLY: Andy Brasher. LATE: If You Wannas, Sugar In The Dirt.
Reservoir: Sic Alps, Minchia, Jokes&Jokes&Jokes.
Blue Horn Lounge: Bill West.
General Store Café: Jazz with the Tony Galani Band. 8pm
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by Rich Fowler
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill officials say they’re pleased to see that a slate of local measures they sought have now cleared the General Assembly.

Legislators recently passed new laws that give the town the power to raise vehicle fees, regulate the demolition of historic buildings and better deal with parks and recreation needs in new developments.
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by Catherine Rierson
Staff Writer

More than two dozen commuters have returned to area park and ride lots to discover that their vehicles no longer had a catalytic converter.

According to UNC police spokesperson Randy Young, in the last week of June, 13 catalytic converters were stolen from vehicles at the Friday Center park and ride lot and the Chatham County park and ride lot on US 15-501. Young said there were two thefts after that, but since then the robberies have thinned out.
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The United Church of Chapel Hill will host Tim Nonn, national coordinator of Tents of Hope, an advocacy movement for the people of Darfur. Nonn will give a sermon, themed “We are All Connected,” on July 27 at 8:45 and 11 a.m.

The United Church of Chapel Hill has a Tent of Hope on its front lawn, designed and painted by churchgoers. The tent is intended to be symbolic of the tents used by the millions of refugees displaced by violence.

Although it’s probably not without pinched noses, even the kids at UNC’s Carolina Kids Camp are going green—they’re recycling used athletic shoes.

The camp theme, “Carolina Goes Green,” is teaching children ages 6-12 about recycling and other environmentally-sound practices. As part of the green theme, the children are collecting used athletic shoes to donate to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program to make the rubber soles into materials for playground surfaces.
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Orange County Library director Brenda Stephens has announced she will retire from her position on Nov. 1.

Stephens began her library career in Orange County more than 30 years ago, driving the bookmobile. She has served as library director since 1993, when the library system moved under Orange County government. In addition, Stephens has served as the regional director for the Hyconeechee Regional Library System governing Caswell, Orange and Person counties.
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The American Red Cross says that blood inventory levels are low that it can not meet the demands of local hospitals. It is calling for immediate donations, particularly of O and A blood types. The blood drive schedule for the remainder of July is as follows:
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Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools recently received a 2008 Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant totaling more than $800,000 from the United States Department of Education. The grant will be awarded over three years, and is intended to strengthen the district’s physical education and activity programs.
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UNC News Services

The size of the financial burden on families with disabled children largely depends on which state they live in, according to a new study conducted by the schools of social work at UNC Chapel Hill and Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

According to researchers, parents in states with higher average incomes face smaller burdens — meaning in contrast, more vulnerable families in poorer states often pay more of their own money to cover their disabled children’s health-care costs.
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