Earth Day at Children's Learning Center

The Children's Learning Center on Nash Street held a celebration of their new outdoor learning and playing environment the day before Earth Day on Thursday, April 21. About a year ago, the center received grant money to transform the space; last Thursday represented the beginning of year two in a three-year grant process. Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and Lowes Home Improvement stores in northern Durham and Chapel Hill donated product to the project.

hands for habitat build day

The Hands for Habitat house on Harper Avenue in the Fairview community is coming along nicely. Hands for Habitat is a partnership between Orange County Schools and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County that started last year. The gist is this: Students from the Orange High School construction program build a Habitat house; students learn about homelessness and affordable housing throughout the district; and students and teachers may fund raise, though this year, the project is being funded by Sports Endeavors. A few weeks ago, Sports Endeavors' employees had a chance to lend a hand. Here's a few snapshots from that day; there will be more information in Wednesday's paper.

Scouts

We have a  great group of Cub Scouts here. Here's a shot of Robin showing them the paper.

filing

Since we ran out of space in the paper, here are some photos from around noon Monday at the Orange County Board of Elections.

Rep. Bill Faison and Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams look over Faison's election papers Monday. Faison was the first candidate to file in Orange County. (Photo by Vanessa C. Shortley)

 

Clerk of Court James Stanford files for re-election as Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams looks over the paperwork. (Photo by Vanessa C. Shortley)

  

Deborah Brooks files to run for Register of Deeds as Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams looks over the paperwork. (Photo by Vanessa C. Shortley)

HES winter carnival

The Hillsborough Elementary School Dynamic Dolphins jump-rope group before their performance Saturday at the school's Winter Carnival. (Photo by Vanessa C. Shortley)

So, I went to the Hillsborough Elementary School Winter Carnival on Saturday, and I have to say, it was jumping! It looked like there was great turnout, and tons of kids having fun. I'm glad I was able to make it out this year.

For more photos, of course, see this week's News of Orange.

19 Jan. Board of Ed meeting

Hey everyone: I'm at the meeting.

7:21 p.m.: We're at the Board comments now. But before, PIO Mike Gilbert recognized Central Elementary School, which was one of five schools in the state to win the award this year. Central came out in force to participate in the recognition.
That's Central principal Clara Daniels to the left of the woman in black.

7:31 p.m.: Superintendent Patrick Rhodes said he was impressed with Central's award, and he thanked Dr. Denise Morton for writing the nomination.
The American Heart Association is using the Natalie Hough story, he said, for AED promotion.
All 115 districts in NC signed the North Carolina Race to the Top letter of support, Rhodes said. As much as half a billion dollars could come to the state.
 As part of planning for the Orange County Agricultural Summit, which the Orange High FFA is a part of, Cedar Ridge students are making a living history about what it was like to be a farmers in older times. The theme of the summit is "Back to the Future."

7:38 p.m.: The Consent Agenda has been approved. It contained minutes, personnel report, school trip approval request and several policies.

8:01 p.m.: Five schools in the district use Positive Behaviour Support, specialist Sheila McDonald said. It seeks to replace negative behaviour with positive behaviour. Eighty percent of school staff must "buy-in" before the system may be completely put into place.

8:28 p.m.: Kay Ringer and Bruce Middleton are giving a presentation on science and math throughout the district. Some really interesting stuff about the new textbook adoption for K-5 and how they're increasing other kinds of learning with math and science, like writing and inquiry-based science.

8:50 p.m.: Well, my laptop charger has gone MIA, so unless I find it, this is it for tonight. I'll add more tomorrow.

scenes from the ocpl

Here are some photos that didn't get published in the paper of last week's Orange County Public Library opening:

Board of County Commissioners Chair Valerie Foushee speaks to a standing-room-only crowd at the opening of the new Orange County Main Public Library on W. Margaret Lane on Friday, Jan. 8. Foushee acknowledged the many public officials who came out to the event, including fellow commissioners Alice Gordon, Mike Nelson, Barry Jacobs, Steve Yuhasz, Bernadette Pelissier and Pam Hemminger, former commissioner and current Orange County school board member Steve Halkiotis and Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens.

  

Henri Nadworny listens to speeches during the Orange County Public Library's opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Jan. 8, while Virginia Nadworny takes advantage of the library's services to read a book.

The Chamber of Commerce's large scissors stand at the ready, waiting to be used to cut the ribbon at the new library's opening ceremony.

The Friends of the Orange County Public Library present Lucinda Munger, left, library director, with a $20,000 cheque.

  

A wreath made of pages from books adorns the wall by the children's librarian's desk.

 

A fish sits atop the juvenile non-fiction stacks at the Orange County Main Public Library.

welcome, 2010

Who can believe it's 2010 already? It seems not too long ago, we were all waiting for something horrible to happen with Y2K. That year, like this one, changed over pretty smoothly.

As for what I'll have this week, that's a bit up in the air, but I've talked to some teachers for our feature Educator of the Week (though I might hold that until I get an Ed page back!), one who has retired after nearly 40 years, a school opening, library preview and the list goes on!

Above, there's a preview of the school's new campus' art room. Read this week's paper for more!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

ho ho ho

A bit of Christmas cheer, just a couple of days early:



That's our Northern Orange Xtra cover picture, and that little girl — Kaylee Faison — was just so cute, I had to share. She's talking to Santa at the Hillsborough Police Department on Churton Street on Thursday, Dec. 17.

odds and ends: 'joseph' and children's handmade parade

I went to the Orange Community Players' rehearsal of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" on Monday. (For more information about when "Joseph" will be performed, see Josh's post below.) If the rehearsal is any indication, those who go this weekend will be in for a treat. Everyone sounds wonderful — including the orchestra, shown at left — and the costumes and sets are imaginative and lovely.

I'm also in the process of uploading photos from the Children's Handmade Parade to our gallery. It should be done in half an hour or so, and it will be available here when it's done.

what's next

I was at the Children's Handmade Parade this morning, which went from Central Elementary School to Hillsborough Elementary School and back, which was part of the Summer Enrichment Academy going on at Central. Of course, I'll have more pictures and information in the upcoming paper.

Here's some of the rest of what I've got coming up:
• I talked to a new business owner who's opening up shop in town.
• I'll have photos from the upcoming production of "Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat," which I saw, incidentally, in Toronto when I was a kid, with none other than Donnie Osmond as the title character.
• I'll be at the Jason and Jessie Jam III (Saturday at the Big Barn).

And there's a few other things I've got cooking. I wouldn't want to give away too much, though.

orange county schools classified staff awards

So, because I had so much education content I was trying to get on the Ed Page (and I didn't even get all I wanted), I was unable to run a second picture of the OCS Classified Staff Brunch and Awards Ceremony with the nominees and all their names. So, here it is. Congratulations to everyone:

The 2008-2009 nominees of Orange County Schools classified staff employees of the year awards are: for Bus Driver of the Year, Kay McPherson, Mary Baldwin, Albert Clayton, Renee Brown, Wanda Bain and Teresa Daniel; for Custodian of the Year, Gloria Cheeks (New Hope Elementary School), Eddie Snipes (Gravelly Hill Middle School) and Robert Richmond (Orange High School); for Teacher Assistant of the Year, Beverly Apple (Cameron Park Elementary School), Pamela Chapman (Central Elementary School), Shari Latta (Grady Brown Elementary School), Cassandra Williams (Hillsborough Elementary School), Beatrice Gregory (Pathways Elementary School), Patricia Horne (New Hope Elementary School), Lori Merritt (C.W. Stanford Middle School), Marquis Beasley (Gravelly Hill Middle School), Dawn Brown (Cedar Ridge High School) and Marcia Compton (Orange High School); for Child Nutrition Manager of the Year, Bonnie Pettiford (Cameron Park Elementary School), Bernice Walton (Cameron Park Elementary School), Barbara Robinson (Central Elementary School), Berthinia Brown (Central Elementary School), Yvette Miles (Efland Cheeks Elementary School), Kathy Walker (New Hope Elementary School), Kim McBroom (New Hope Elementary School), Lela Copeland (New Hope Elementary School), Anne Neville (Gravelly Hill Middle School), Christi Riley (A.L. Stanback Middle School), Jenny Smith (A.L. Stanback Middle School), Pamela Enoch (A.L. Stanback Middle School) and Mildred Davis (C.W. Stanford Middle School); and Office Professional of the Year, Carolyn Moore (Cedar Ridge High School), Cyrena Gentry (Gravelly Hill Middle School), Debbie Kimball (Cedar Ridge High School), Della Putney-Lewis (maintenance), Diane Wilson (Cedar Ridge High School), Holly Nichols (office), Jan Cain (Central Office), Joy Toellen (New Hope Elementary School), Karen Riley (Gravelly Hill Middle School), LaTonya Fields (Cedar Ridge High School), Piper Flynt (Orange High School), Portia Holman (Hillsborough Elementary School), Sucovis Hester (Grady Brown Middle School), Tamara Long (Central Office), Vickie Rich (Central Office) and Zevalda McPherson (Hillsborough Elementary School).
Orange County Schools board member Ted Triebel likened classified staff to the “unsung heroes” of his 30 years in the Navy. “We couldn’t do it without you,” he said.
District Superintendent Patrick Rhodes agreed. “From the bottom of my of my heart, I really, truly appreciate what you do everyday.”

little error

Somehow, the page 7 story about Grady Brown and Paws 4 Ever included incorrect attribution for Sharon Harkovy's dog, Tibby. It's right on the page, but it got in the paper wrong. So sorry, Sharon, but we'll have a correction next week.

But, here are some pictures from the event that didn't make it into the paper:





Once we put up the Web, I'll put some more photos up in the photo gallery. Just click on the blue and yellow button.

severe weather pictures

UPDATE: The photos below should be credited to Josh DiPaulo.

We got some more pictures of the funnel cloud spotted in Orange County. This time, the pictures come to us from Robbin at Taylor-Hall, whose sister took them at 4123 Schley Road, further north than the other photos.

As always, if you've got interesting photos, send them along to me at v.shortley@newsoforange.com, Josh at josh.kastrinsky@newsoforange.com or the general editorial e-mail at editorial@newsoforange.com.

preview

On such a crazy day, I thought I'd take a quick moment to put up a picture from a family I interviewed Friday at their farm in Hurdle Mills. I had a great time talking to Renee, Mandi, Tiffany, Kendall and Martin. There's the Parker kids at left with Mandi's steer Red (so named because he had a red ear tag on. Her other steer is named White, for a similar reason.) At right is Martin with some hogs. That
boy clearly loves his animals.

I was talking with them about the 64th annual Central Piedmont Junior Livestock Fair, which is going on April 15-16 at the Central Carolina Holstein Barn on Orange Grove Road.

To find out more, read Wednesday's News of Orange.

spelling bee

So, I just got back from the spelling bee. It was quite lovely and went 17 rounds, not including championship rounds.

Here are the winners. We'll have more details and pictures in a blog tomorrow (since we're still working on producing the paper), as well as next week's paper, since we ran out of room in this one. Too much great content.

Third place: Jessica Eberle, fourth grader at New Hope Elementary.

Second place: Daniel Vaughan, fourth grader at Efland Cheeks Elementary.

First place: Gabriella "Gabi" Stapel, fourth grader at Hillsborough Elementary.

Here's a picture of Gabi with NOC General Manager Keith Coleman, who was also the event's emcee:


Congrats to everyone. All the kids did a great job. And thanks to everyone who came out and supported the kids.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Since I'm from up North, I love the snow. It was a lovely sight to wake up to this morning, though the ice coating the roads from yesterday's rain was not quite as lovely. Even so, I took some pictures on my way to work. I figured I'd share in the hopes that perhaps more of you will be persuaded to do so.

This is on Old Heritage Court, off of Old N.C. 86. It's a little cul-de-sac with a few houses on it on your left if you're driving north towards town. The snow was so densely covering the woods and brush in this area that it was hard to tell what was what. There was no one around at all; I think maybe one person drove by on Old 86 while I was out taking pictures, looking like a crazy person. I wish I would've brought my galoshes; I would have ventured further into the woods in an effort to get an even better shot.

This is the light pole at the corner of Old Heritage Court and Old N.C. 86. The road in the background is Old 86, heading north. This area was like a tunnel almost; the trees were all covered with snow.

Like Josh said, if any of you have any snow day pictures, please send them in! I only took a few in Hillsborough; most of mine were out in the county or in Carrboro.

Drive safely out there.

as promised

Well, Cedar Ridge varsity girls basketball coach Lindsey Schopfel was kind enough to send me an identification on No. 00. So, here's a picture of Brooke Wright taking a free throw at last Friday's game against Orange High.