12 May paper

What a week! Even with the primary in the past, there is still plenty going on in Orange County. Here's a taste of what we have in the paper this week:

• Town budget presented. Town manager Eric Peterson gave town council members and the public a look at what the proposed Hillsborough budget is for next fiscal year, FY2011. Of note, Peterson asked department heads to come up with a list of priorities, which were compiled into a top 10. Seven of the 10 were funded, at least partially.
• Election results all in. Provisional, one-stop and absentee ballots have all been tallied, but no candidate got enough to overturn previous Election Day results. As an aside, Cal Cunningham has called a run-off against N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate a face Sen. Richard Burr in the fall. Locally, school board chair Anne Medenblik did not get the number of votes she needed and could potentially face Central PTSA president and OCS Parent Council president Laura Nicholson should Nicholson decide to call a run-off. She has until Thursday to decide.
• Season 'came in fast and furious.' Local farmers are saying the strawberry season, which can be harmed by cold weather or spurred on by warm weather, is going well so far. This season may be shorter than normal, though. 
• Board to study sewer rates. Community activist group Justice United and Efland residents asked county commissioners to rethink the sewer rate increase that, if implemented, could leave residents with a bill that is 300 percent higher than what they're paying now.

We've also got tons of pictures from Carillon's version of the Kentucky Derby, a Cub Scout visit to our office, a county building getting a facelift, the Future Problem Solvers at Grady A. Brown Green Living Fair and an introduction to Grady Brown's new principal, among other things.