dBy Ken Moore

The current flowering exuberance of local roadsides and fields clearly demonstrates fall’s domination by the great diversity of composites, plants of the aster family. This week’s featured plant is another one of those multiple, tiny-flowered composites.

You probably need not venture beyond your own home ground to find elephant’s-foot, Elephantopus tomentosus. That rosette of leaves lying flat on the ground in your lawn, on a moss-covered ground or on the edge of your driveway or woodland border, may have sparked your curiosity from time to time. My hunch is that most of these leafy rosettes scattered about our well-tended landscapes have been dug out as weeds or regularly mown so as never to have opportunity to send up one- to one-and-a-half-foot-tall flowering stems.
More »

By Valarie Schwartz

The journey through life provides many stages. I remember as a child overhearing my mother say to my father, “It’s just a stage she’s going through,” over some now long-forgotten behavior.

At the Seymour Center, the elders of our community also go through stages. Some of them are new to our area, having retired here or come even later, to be close to family living here. They go to the center seeking not only activity, of which myriad opportunities exist, but also friendships. That queasy first-day-of-school feeling does not end with formal education, it continues throughout life with any new venture that places us in unfamiliar circumstances.
More »

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

The effort to locate and build an airport in Orange County moved forward last week with the appointment of a project director, even as opposition to the move is starting to get organized.

Kevin FitzGerald, executive associate dean for finance and administration in the UNC School of Medicine, was appointed by Chancellor Holden Thorp and School of Medicine Dean Bill Roper to lay the groundwork for a 15-member airport authority that will be charged with locating, constructing and managing a new airport.
More »

by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to complete revisions and select a design for long-awaited improvements to Smith Level Road by November of this year, to be presented to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen early next year.

On Tuesday, the board of aldermen reviewed a letter from NCDOT responding to comments made by the board regarding the revised draft design in June 2007.
More »

By Rich Fowler
Staff Writer

September is Preparedness Month in Orange County, and as hurricane season reaches its peak now is a good time for residents to prepare for the hurricanes surely headed our way.

“Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah, Ike and, soon, Josephine, are sending us a very clear message that we must all be proactive, prepared and informed about our own safety,” said Capt. Clint Osborn of Orange County Emergency Services.
More »

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Utility-line relocation is underway along James Street and construction of a sidewalk there is on schedule to begin as early as this fall, Carrboro officials say.

According to George Seiz, director of Carrboro Public Works, the town is working to move utility lines along the street to allow for the construction of the sidewalk. Seiz said that the town has obtained about half of the easements necessary to begin construction on the sidewalk.
More »

The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday voted to close a public hearing regarding the special-use permit application for Buckhorn Village, with a possible decision regarding the application set for Oct. 7.

The proposed site of Buckhorn Village, a 1.1 million square foot mixed-use development, is located off Buckhorn Road, near I-85/I-40 in the western part of the Orange County.

The project is being developed by Buckhorn Road Associates, who submitted their plan for the development in December.

OWASA reservoirs are 79 percent full as of Sept. 1, compared with 68 percent on Sept. 1 2007, OWASA officials told the Carrboro Board of Aldermen on Tuesday.

In addition, customer demand has been lower thus far in 2008 than in 2007, with an average 8.4 million gallons withdrawn from the reservoirs each day, compared with 9.4 million gallons in 2007.

“Demand is much, much improved, and that is an important part of our success story,” said Ed Kerwin, OWASA executive director.

However, a rate increase will take effect Oct. 1, partially because of the decrease in demand.

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen on Tuesday made appointments to several town boards and commissions. These include:
• Dana Stidham, Environmental Advisory Board;
• Salli Benedict, Greenways Commission;
• Johnny Randall, Greenways Commission; and
• Kathryn Schwing, Transportation Advisory Board representative to Greenways Commission

NC Community Shares will host a Social Justice Awareness Day on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Twig in Village Plaza on Elliott Road.
More »

The Triangle Transit Authority board of trustees last week voted to add service to express bus services between Chapel Hill and Raleigh and between Durham and Raleigh.
More »

Celebración de culturas internacionales
Traiga una comida de su cultura para compartir. Una buena manera de conocer a nuevas culturas y personas, también para practicar el inglés. Película. 5.30p.m., el primer sábado del mes. La iglesia Peace Covenant, 601 HWY 54 E, Durham. 361-5898. ¿Quiere ir pero no tiene transporte? Llame al 401-4180.

Discurso en CHICLE
Paul Cuadros habla de la situación actual acerca de la decisión de los colegios comunitarios no matricular a inmigrantes indocumentados. Cuadros es involucrado con el Latino Initiative de UNC y trabaja con inmigrantes jóvenes en el condado Chatham. En inglés. 5p.m., el domingo, el 14 de septiembre en CHICLE. 101 E Weaver Street, Suite G1. 933-0398

Artes finos
Pinturas, esculturas, música en vivo, y actividades artísticas para niños. 10a.m. a 5p.m., El 6 y el 7 de septiembre. Meadowmont Village, Chapel Hill.

After Hours en WSM
Esta semana recaudando fondos para el Carrboro Greenspace. Música, comida india, y proyectos de arte. 6 a 8p.m. Hoy, el jueves, el 4 de septiembre. El último After Hours del año es la próxima semana a la misma hora.

William Winfield Camp, 86, passed away on September 1, 2008. William was born on May 5, 1922 in Atlantic City, NJ.

William was preceded by his parents, Emma Helen Bloom and Frank Winfield Camp and his daughter, Patricia Della Camp Lang.
More »

Betty (Taylor, Powell) McColgan, 88, passed away Thursday morning, Aug. 28. She was born in Maryland and lived in Ohio, Palm Harbor, Florida, and most recently, at Emerald Pond in Durham, N.C.
More »

Maggie Dickson and Eric Roehrig were married at noon on Saturday, July 26, 2008 in the courtyard of The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill before many family members and friends. Justin Faerber officiated, with music provided by Matt Kalb. A reception hosted by Maggie’s parents followed in the Old Well Room of The Carolina Inn.
More »