Turning over a new century

Miss Ella Craver celebrated her 100th birthday on May 14 with family and friends. An upbeat and energetic woman, Ella welcomed her anniversary day with humility, pride and gratitude at a long life well lived.

Here are some pictures of her birthday party at the Central Orange Senior Center, held May 13

Help Whitney Corn battle Lyme

Whitney Corn of Hillsborough has been battling a disease for five years. Only in the last three months did doctors finally confirm that she had what Whitney and her mother had suspected all along—Lyme Disease. and late stage Lyme at this point. On top of her expensive medical treatment—which isn't covered by insurance—Whitney's father died two years ago this month. Not only did the stress of that loss send Whitney's disease into an accelerated downward spiral, it also put the family in financial jeopardy. The Corns lost the family business Whitney's parents had run together, since everything was in her father's name. They fell behind on bills trying to pay for the many, many, many doctor's visits, tests and medication as Whitney was continually misdiagnosed. 

To help mitigate the costs and ease the financial strain, Whitney and her mother—together with family and friends—are holding a raffle on July 9 at 4 p.m. at Schley Grange Hall. Free hot dog supper, karaoke and baseball will be offered in addition to the three raffle prizes: a 55=inch Vizio LCD HDTV for first place; a sitting and 11-by-14 portrait, valued at $300, donated by Kent Murray for second place; and a full auto detail, worth $150, donated by Superior Auto Detail.

For more information about the raffle, call (919) 602-5555. For more information about Whitney and her struggles, visit her website.

Smoke from large wildfire prompts cautionary message from state forestry officials

The N.C. Division of Forest Resources is encouraging landowners to use caution before burning limbs, leaves and other yard debris during the busiest season for wildfires.
The impacts from wildfires can be widespread, as evidenced by the 22,000-acre Pains Bay Fire burning in Hyde and Dare counties. Smoke from that fire has inundated large parts of eastern and central North Carolina, prompting officials with the N.C. Division of Air Quality to alert sensitive people to reduce their outdoor activities until the smoke subsides. The Pains Bay Fire is now one of the nation’s largest wildfires burning.
Spring fire season typically ends in late May. Until then, officials with the state Division of Forest Resources have a few tips for people considering burning their limbs, downed trees or leaves. To protect property and prevent wildfires:
· Make sure you have a valid open burning permit. You can obtain a burning permit at any N.C. Division of Forest Resources office or authorized permitting agent or online.
· Check the weather and don't burn on dry, windy days.
· Local fire officials can recommend a safe way to burn debris. Don't pile vegetation on the ground. Instead, it should be placed in a cleared area and contained in a screened receptacle, away from overhead branches and wires.
· Consider the alternatives to burning. Leaves, grass and stubble may be of more value if they are not burned but used for mulch instead.
· Be sure you are fully prepared before burning. To control the fire, you will need a hose, bucket and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire.
· Never use kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel or other flammable liquids to speed debris burning.
· Stay with your fire until it is completely out.
Studies have shown that adhering to these and other measures can reduce the possibility of wildfires.
For more information, go to the website or contact Brian Haines, public information officer with the N.C. Division of Forest Resources, at (919) 857-4828.

Housing for New Hope honors landlords

Housing for New Hope, a nonprofit agency bent on serving the homeless community in Orange and Durham counties, gathered on Friday, April 29, to thank those that make their mission possible—the landlords. Housing for New Hope works to place homeless individuals and families—as well as those at risk of being homeless—in permanent housing. To do that, the re-housing team must work closely with landlords, often asking them to lower rates or overlook criminal history and credit issues that might normally prevent someone from being accepted as a tenant.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 11, edition of the News of Orange.

Town budget raises water/sewer rates, keeps taxes even

The Hillsborough Town Board officially entered budget season at Monday's meeting when Town Manager Eric Peterson released his budget proposal.
Highlights of the proposed budget—water rates would increase by 6 percent each year for the next three years, sewer rates would increase by 8.8 percent each year for the next five years and six positions—one which is currently filled—would be eliminated.
Property taxes would remain even at 62 cents per $100 valuation.
The proposed budget presents $13.5 million in operating expenses—$6.6 million in expenses in the general fund and $6.8 million in expenses in the water and sewer fund. This would be a 17.5 percent increase in the general fund and 9.1 increase in the water and sewer fund from fiscal year 2011.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 11, edition of the News of Orange.
The next budget meeting is Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m. in the Town Barn. Visit the town website for the full schedule.

Pit Bulls in the Park!

Carolina Care Bullies, a nonprofit agency set out to not only rescue pit bulls but to raise awareness of the breed, held the event Pit Bulls in the Park at Fairview Park on Saturday, May 7. Animal Kind and Orange County Animal Shelter also sponsored the event. Staff provided microchips—free for pit bulls and mixes, $10 for all other dogs—an ask-the-trainer booth and free pet supplies such as leashes and collars.
Many folks—and their pups—turned out for the event. For more information, see the Wednesday, May 11, edition of the News of Orange. Also, stay tuned for a feature on fostering dogs.

Sculpture tour: "Jack" at the Masonic Lodge

As part of the Hillsborough Arts Council's 2011 sculpture tour, "Jack" the donkey sits outside the Eagle Lodge Masonic Hall at 142 W. King St. until Sept. 30. Made of found and forged steel—from old industrial equipment to ancient farm machine parts—"Jack" was inspired by a series of horse sculptures artist Jonathan Bowling has made throughout his professional career.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 11, edition of the News of Orange.

Hats off to the ladies!

Ladies Night Out kicked off Thursday, April 28, with special deals for the ladies around downtown Hillsborough, live music and a hat competition.

Sculpture tour: 'Joiners'

Karen Ives' sculpture, "Joiners," will sit at Turnip Patch Park as part of the Hillsborough Arts Council's first-ever sculpture tour, which runs through Sept. 30.
"Joiners," a wooden piece painted yellow and brown, imitates the figure and stance of an animal, drawing from Polynesian and African art. Ives said she tends to draw from organic forms as well as the sights, sounds and smells in the world around her.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 4, edition of the News of Orange

Community watch holds event to raise money for new K-9

Hillsborough Police Department proudly boasts two K-9s, Sampson and Talon, a substantial feat considering many small communities the nation over don't even have one.
As evidenced by the thorough demonstrations at the Saturday, April 30, fundraising event, the police dogs provide crucial support to officers—from tracking suspects, finding discarded items, detecting narcotics to even locating lost or missing people.
But Sampson—who turns 10 in July and has worked on the force for eight years—will retire over the summer. Since the training and purchase of a new K-9 costs about $10,000, the HPD and community watch groups have turned to the community for support.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 4, edition of the News of Orange.

Local craftsman makes frames by hand

Frames by Edward Wright, a local frame-making shop, crafts pieces by hand—and in a unique way. Artisans work on frames from start to finish rather than working in an assembly-line style. They also mix their own materials. Knowing what's in the materials allows the artisans to undo steps if necessary to tweak a certain finish or fix a mistake, adding more room for creativity and experimentation.
The shop encourages this experimentation in its customers as well. With 200 to 300 samples to choose from, there are enough set styles to satisfy many-an artist. But if you want the gild of this one, the back of that one, the color of another one and the carve of yet another, well, the artisans can make that work!
For more information, see the Wednesday, April 27, edition of the News of Orange.