The Town of Chapel Hill will begin accepting applications on Thursday, March 1, for food trucks operating on private property in commercial districts.
When the Town Council adopted on Jan. 30 regulations to amend the Town Code and Land Use Management Ordinance to allow food trucks, it was responding to a community interest to offer more food choices while also protecting the viability of existing restaurants. The council requested that the town staff report back in one year so that it may evaluate the community response to food trucks in Chapel Hill.
The rules governing food trucks are designed to prevent unfair competition to restaurants, nuisances and safety hazards. Food truck vending is generally limited to commercially zoned, privately owned properties that can accommodate additional foot traffic. There are restrictions on food truck on-site locations and on hours of operation.
The permitting process will require several permits, including applications from the food truck vendor and the property owner and business licenses, as well as documentation from the originating county's health department showing that approval has been given. The Town of Chapel Hill's annual fee for the food truck vendor is $718 while the annual fee for the property owner is $118. In addition, the food truck vendor must have a business license to operate in Chapel Hill.
To apply for the associated permits to operate a food truck in Chapel Hill, visit the permit center on the third floor of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., or call (919) 968-5066. Staff will help determine which permits an operator at a proposed location will need. For additional information posted online—including a Frequently Asked Questions web page—visit
the website.
See what ended up on The News of Orange County's cutting room floor.
Showing posts with label Chapel Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chapel Hill. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Recycling bins come to downtown Chapel Hill
Town of Chapel Hill crews installed along Franklin Street some 13 new recycling bins to collect cans and bottles that previously were mostly thrown in the trash. The bins were installed the week of Feb. 10. Another four recycling bins will be placed in Southern Village's central business area. Orange County's Solid Waste Department Recycling Division will collect the recycled materials.
The recycling bins were purchased through a $13,000 grant from N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The bins are being installed downtown at crosswalks, bus stops, near parking pay stations and parking lots.
Emily Cameron, landscape architect for the Town of Chapel Hill, said the sidewalk recycling project was the result of a successful partnership with Orange County.
"It's gratifying to be able to continue improving the downtown pedestrian experience while protecting the environment as we have in recent months with installation of cigarette disposal units and the new recycling containers," Cameron said.
Recovered cans and bottles will be trucked along with the other recyclable materials collected by Orange County to the private materials recovery facility in Greensboro owned by ReCommunity. From there, the materials are sorted, baled and sold for remanufacture into new drink cans, car parts, carpets, fiberfill, strapping and new plastic bottles.
While it is illegal under North Carolina law to dispose of aluminum beverage cans and plastic bottles in landfills, there have not been very many convenient opportunities for downtown pedestrians to recycle. With the exception of one recycling bin in front of the old Post Office and another on the south side of East Franklin, the closest pedestrian recycling containers were located on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus prior to the downtown installation.
According to Orange County Solid Waste Planner Blair Pollock, more than 46 million plastic beverage bottles and aluminum cans were disposed in the Orange County landfill last year.
"Providing recycling containers along Franklin Street makes recycling more convenient, and that is a key to capturing more material for recycling," Pollock said. "Demand for recyclable material is high, markets are strong and a lot of the plastic bottles are recycled right here in the Carolinas."
Orange County currently provides public recycling containers at all five Chapel Hill Park and Ride lots, and there are 60 walkway collection sites around the UNC campus. Away from home recycling is an important way to capture cans and bottles, Pollock said, because an estimated 50 percent are consumed away from home where there generally far fewer recycling opportunities.
The recycling bins were purchased through a $13,000 grant from N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The bins are being installed downtown at crosswalks, bus stops, near parking pay stations and parking lots.
Emily Cameron, landscape architect for the Town of Chapel Hill, said the sidewalk recycling project was the result of a successful partnership with Orange County.
"It's gratifying to be able to continue improving the downtown pedestrian experience while protecting the environment as we have in recent months with installation of cigarette disposal units and the new recycling containers," Cameron said.
Recovered cans and bottles will be trucked along with the other recyclable materials collected by Orange County to the private materials recovery facility in Greensboro owned by ReCommunity. From there, the materials are sorted, baled and sold for remanufacture into new drink cans, car parts, carpets, fiberfill, strapping and new plastic bottles.
While it is illegal under North Carolina law to dispose of aluminum beverage cans and plastic bottles in landfills, there have not been very many convenient opportunities for downtown pedestrians to recycle. With the exception of one recycling bin in front of the old Post Office and another on the south side of East Franklin, the closest pedestrian recycling containers were located on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus prior to the downtown installation.
According to Orange County Solid Waste Planner Blair Pollock, more than 46 million plastic beverage bottles and aluminum cans were disposed in the Orange County landfill last year.
"Providing recycling containers along Franklin Street makes recycling more convenient, and that is a key to capturing more material for recycling," Pollock said. "Demand for recyclable material is high, markets are strong and a lot of the plastic bottles are recycled right here in the Carolinas."
Orange County currently provides public recycling containers at all five Chapel Hill Park and Ride lots, and there are 60 walkway collection sites around the UNC campus. Away from home recycling is an important way to capture cans and bottles, Pollock said, because an estimated 50 percent are consumed away from home where there generally far fewer recycling opportunities.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Homestead Aquatic Center closed for maintenance
The Homestead Aquatic Center will be closed from Saturday, Feb. 25, through Friday, March 2, for facility maintenance. The Aquatic Center will re-open at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 3.
The Community Center Pool, 120 S. Estes Drive, will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for lap and open swimming during the Aquatic Center maintenance period.
View poolschedules at www.townofchapelhill.org/aquatics.
The Community Center Pool, 120 S. Estes Drive, will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for lap and open swimming during the Aquatic Center maintenance period.
View poolschedules at www.townofchapelhill.org/aquatics.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Deep Dish Theater presents 'The Baltimore Waltz'
Deep Dish Theater Company will present a 20th Anniversary production of Paula Vogel’s acclaimed comedy, The Baltimore Waltz, Feb. 24 through March 17. Directed by Chip Rodgers, the play continues the company’s eleventh season at University Mall.
“We’re very excited to be presenting this ground-breaking play,” said Artistic Director Paul Frellick. “It works on so many different levels, with an effervescent theatrical energy and a raw emotional power. Paula Vogel has had such an influence on American theater, and this piece certainly demonstrates why.”
A sensation when it opened in 1991, The Baltimore Waltz follows a brother and sister (Jesse R. Gephart and Mary Forester) who flee a frightening medical diagnosis by embarking on a fantastical trip across Europe. A third actor (Kit FitzSimons) plays the quirky characters they encounter, including the Little Dutch Boy (at age 50) and Harry Lime, from the classic movie The Third Man. Vogel is the Obie Award-winning writer of such celebrated works as Desdemona, A Play about a Handkerchief and How I Learned to Drive, for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Director Chip Rodgers is a Raleigh native currently living in New York City, where he has worked with such theaters as The Wooster Group, St Ann’s Warehouse and The Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2011, his work was featured in Time Out New York for the sound design of the Blueprint Theater Project’s Largo, a dance-theater piece performed in a nightclub. A founding member of United Broadcasting Theater Company, where he devised Arcane Game at Incubator Arts Project, he is currently developing the sci-fi opera The Life and Times of Bruno Tallywacker, premiering in 2013 at The Performing Garage. Later this spring in the Triangle, he will direct Hungry at Stillwater Theater and assistant direct Penelope at PlayMakers Repertory Company.
The production staff for The Baltimore Waltz includes Chris Bernier (set design), David Serxner (costume design), Scott Marlow (lighting design), Brittany Bugge (properties) and Marc Maximov (sound design). Jenny Wales is the vocal coach, Jen Bauer the stage manager and Lisa Keaton the dramaturg.
Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and U.S. 15-501. There will be a pre-show "Meet the Play" talk with the dramaturg on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m., and post-show discussions on Sunday, March 4, and Thursday, March 8. The Deep Dish Book Selection, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, will be discussed on Monday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at Flyleaf Books.
Tickets are $21 for adults and $19 for seniors regularly, with a $2 discount for Wednesday and Thursday shows. Student tickets for all performances are $14. Wednesday, Feb. 29, is "Leap Cheap Dish Night"—all tickets are $10 (no reservations accepted). Call (919) 968-1515 for reservations and visit www.deepdishtheater.org for information.
The Baltimore Waltz replaces the previously announced Terra Nova.
The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenge audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.
“We’re very excited to be presenting this ground-breaking play,” said Artistic Director Paul Frellick. “It works on so many different levels, with an effervescent theatrical energy and a raw emotional power. Paula Vogel has had such an influence on American theater, and this piece certainly demonstrates why.”
A sensation when it opened in 1991, The Baltimore Waltz follows a brother and sister (Jesse R. Gephart and Mary Forester) who flee a frightening medical diagnosis by embarking on a fantastical trip across Europe. A third actor (Kit FitzSimons) plays the quirky characters they encounter, including the Little Dutch Boy (at age 50) and Harry Lime, from the classic movie The Third Man. Vogel is the Obie Award-winning writer of such celebrated works as Desdemona, A Play about a Handkerchief and How I Learned to Drive, for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Director Chip Rodgers is a Raleigh native currently living in New York City, where he has worked with such theaters as The Wooster Group, St Ann’s Warehouse and The Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2011, his work was featured in Time Out New York for the sound design of the Blueprint Theater Project’s Largo, a dance-theater piece performed in a nightclub. A founding member of United Broadcasting Theater Company, where he devised Arcane Game at Incubator Arts Project, he is currently developing the sci-fi opera The Life and Times of Bruno Tallywacker, premiering in 2013 at The Performing Garage. Later this spring in the Triangle, he will direct Hungry at Stillwater Theater and assistant direct Penelope at PlayMakers Repertory Company.
The production staff for The Baltimore Waltz includes Chris Bernier (set design), David Serxner (costume design), Scott Marlow (lighting design), Brittany Bugge (properties) and Marc Maximov (sound design). Jenny Wales is the vocal coach, Jen Bauer the stage manager and Lisa Keaton the dramaturg.
Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and U.S. 15-501. There will be a pre-show "Meet the Play" talk with the dramaturg on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m., and post-show discussions on Sunday, March 4, and Thursday, March 8. The Deep Dish Book Selection, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, will be discussed on Monday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at Flyleaf Books.
Tickets are $21 for adults and $19 for seniors regularly, with a $2 discount for Wednesday and Thursday shows. Student tickets for all performances are $14. Wednesday, Feb. 29, is "Leap Cheap Dish Night"—all tickets are $10 (no reservations accepted). Call (919) 968-1515 for reservations and visit www.deepdishtheater.org for information.
The Baltimore Waltz replaces the previously announced Terra Nova.
The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenge audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Humane Society president discusses new book
On Friday, Feb. 24, Humane Society of the United States President and CEO Wayne Pacelle will discuss his book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill. The discussion will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and is being co-sponsored by Orange County’s Animal Services, which will have adoptable animals on site during the reading.
With the poignant insight of Animals Make Us Human and the shocking reality of Fast Food Nation—filled with history, valuable insights and fascinating stories of the author’s experience in the field—The Bond is an important investigation into all the ways we can repair our broken bond with the animal kingdom and a thrilling chronicle of one man’s extraordinary contribution to that effort.
HSUS is the world’s largest animal protection organization. It is highly visible and works on a variety of levels and issues to protect and improve animal welfare worldwide.
“Mr. Pacelle’s appearance is a significant opportunity to promote awareness and discussion of animal welfare and the contemporary humane movement," Bob Marotto, director of Orange County Animals Service, said. "It is also a significant opportunity for us to continue to promote the needs of homeless animals for new homes and tremendous efforts of shelter workers in our own and other communities.”
Flyleaf books is located at 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Chapel Hill, and information about their events—including this one—can be found on their website. For more information about the animals currently available at Orange County Animal Services, visit them at www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices.
With the poignant insight of Animals Make Us Human and the shocking reality of Fast Food Nation—filled with history, valuable insights and fascinating stories of the author’s experience in the field—The Bond is an important investigation into all the ways we can repair our broken bond with the animal kingdom and a thrilling chronicle of one man’s extraordinary contribution to that effort.
HSUS is the world’s largest animal protection organization. It is highly visible and works on a variety of levels and issues to protect and improve animal welfare worldwide.
“Mr. Pacelle’s appearance is a significant opportunity to promote awareness and discussion of animal welfare and the contemporary humane movement," Bob Marotto, director of Orange County Animals Service, said. "It is also a significant opportunity for us to continue to promote the needs of homeless animals for new homes and tremendous efforts of shelter workers in our own and other communities.”
Flyleaf books is located at 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Chapel Hill, and information about their events—including this one—can be found on their website. For more information about the animals currently available at Orange County Animal Services, visit them at www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Distinguished panel to discuss changes to college sports Feb. 28
Three prominent critics of collegiate sports will discuss the topic "Big-Time College Sports: What Needs to Change?" during a panel presentation Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The free public program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center Theater.
The panel will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Taylor Branch, UNC President Emeritus William C. Friday and Charles T. Clotfelter, author and professor at Duke University. Author Will Blythe will moderate.
The Southern Historical Collection in the Wilson Special Collections Library will display archival materials from the papers of Branch and Friday and from the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. The collection is sponsoring the program, along with Friends of the Library and the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. For program information, contact Liza Terll at liza_terll@unc.edu or (919) 548-1203.
Branch's article "The Shame of College Sports" appeared last year in The Atlantic magazine. An expanded e-book version, "The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA," is available at Byliner.com. Branch's previous books include "The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling with History and the President" and studies of the American Civil Rights movement. Branch, a 1968 alumnus, is a Morehead-Cain Alumni Visiting Distinguished Professor at UNC during the spring 2012 semester.
Friday served as president of the UNC system from 1957 to 1986 and later as president of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. He was a founding co-chair of the Knight Foundation Commission, which was established in 1989 with the purpose of drafting a reform agenda for the administration of intercollegiate sports. He earned a UNC law degree in 1948.
Clotfelter is the Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy and professor of economics and law at Duke University. His most recent book is "Big-Time Sports in American Universities" (Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Blythe is a former editor of Esquire magazine. His books include "To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever" (HarperCollins, 2006), a chronicle of the UNC-Duke basketball rivalry. A 1979 UNC alumnus, he has written for the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and the New York Times Book Review.
At the event, Bull's Head Bookshop will be selling books by Branch and Clotfelter.
The panel will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Taylor Branch, UNC President Emeritus William C. Friday and Charles T. Clotfelter, author and professor at Duke University. Author Will Blythe will moderate.
The Southern Historical Collection in the Wilson Special Collections Library will display archival materials from the papers of Branch and Friday and from the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. The collection is sponsoring the program, along with Friends of the Library and the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. For program information, contact Liza Terll at liza_terll@unc.edu or (919) 548-1203.
Branch's article "The Shame of College Sports" appeared last year in The Atlantic magazine. An expanded e-book version, "The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA," is available at Byliner.com. Branch's previous books include "The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling with History and the President" and studies of the American Civil Rights movement. Branch, a 1968 alumnus, is a Morehead-Cain Alumni Visiting Distinguished Professor at UNC during the spring 2012 semester.
Friday served as president of the UNC system from 1957 to 1986 and later as president of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. He was a founding co-chair of the Knight Foundation Commission, which was established in 1989 with the purpose of drafting a reform agenda for the administration of intercollegiate sports. He earned a UNC law degree in 1948.
Clotfelter is the Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy and professor of economics and law at Duke University. His most recent book is "Big-Time Sports in American Universities" (Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Blythe is a former editor of Esquire magazine. His books include "To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever" (HarperCollins, 2006), a chronicle of the UNC-Duke basketball rivalry. A 1979 UNC alumnus, he has written for the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and the New York Times Book Review.
At the event, Bull's Head Bookshop will be selling books by Branch and Clotfelter.
State leaders announce 10-year goal to reduce N.C. teen pregnancies by 30%
Health and education leaders met Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Chapel Hill to announce a state goal to reduce North Carolina teen pregnancies. The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina released the target of reducing the state’s teen pregnancy rate 30 percent by 2020.
North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate has declined more than 50 percent since 1990 and experienced the biggest single year-to-year drop last year, according to recently released 2010 data. Despite significant improvements, North Carolina still holds the 14th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
“Oh the heels of such great success, North Carolina needs to keep momentum in reducing teen pregnancy,” said Kay Phillips, executive director of APPCNC. “This goal is intended to help inspire and challenge people to keep working toward effective solutions.”
The state goal has been endorsed by more than 40 organizations, including the North Carolina Pediatric Society, the North Carolina School Boards Association, Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, the Institute for Emerging Issues and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine.
In addition to announcing the state goal, APPCNC released a report called the North Carolina State of Adolescent Sexual Health and Action Plan. The report details the current extent of health issues in North Carolina as well as concrete steps parents, community leaders, schools and medical professionals can take to make North Carolina’s adolescents healthier.
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina is a North Carolina nonprofit leader in preventing adolescent pregnancy through advocacy, collaboration and education.
Learn more at www.appcnc.org.
North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate has declined more than 50 percent since 1990 and experienced the biggest single year-to-year drop last year, according to recently released 2010 data. Despite significant improvements, North Carolina still holds the 14th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
“Oh the heels of such great success, North Carolina needs to keep momentum in reducing teen pregnancy,” said Kay Phillips, executive director of APPCNC. “This goal is intended to help inspire and challenge people to keep working toward effective solutions.”
The state goal has been endorsed by more than 40 organizations, including the North Carolina Pediatric Society, the North Carolina School Boards Association, Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, the Institute for Emerging Issues and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine.
In addition to announcing the state goal, APPCNC released a report called the North Carolina State of Adolescent Sexual Health and Action Plan. The report details the current extent of health issues in North Carolina as well as concrete steps parents, community leaders, schools and medical professionals can take to make North Carolina’s adolescents healthier.
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina is a North Carolina nonprofit leader in preventing adolescent pregnancy through advocacy, collaboration and education.
Learn more at www.appcnc.org.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Local, global food issues on menu for UNC-Duke symposium
Local and global food issues will be on the menu at "Shared Tables: A Triangle Symposium on Local and Global Food Studies." Food security and the future of farming are daily concerns in many North Carolina communities, and the symposium will capitalize on the local food movements gaining ground on all the Triangle campuses.
The symposium takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Duke University. Keynote addresses will be presented by award-winning food journalist and farmer Tom Philpott of Mother Jones magazine and by Will Allen, founder and executive director of Growing Power in Milwaukee.
Events are free and open to the public, but space is limited, so participants are asked to register in advance. Registration has closed for the Feb. 28 keynote event and Feb. 29 lunch.
On Feb. 28 at Hyde Hall at UNC, symposium topics include:
* Food, technology and politics internationally and in Europe;
* Food security, sustainable food systems and global change;
* Does it matter where my food comes from? and
* Food or fuel? South America, Africa and the United States.
On Feb. 29 in the Von Cannon Room and Reynolds Industries Theater at the Bryan University Center at Duke, symposium topics include:
* Voices of the Triangle food movement in our universities;
* Farm Bill 2012;
* Farming in North Carolina;
* Food and humanities, culture and faith; and
* Food access in our communities.
Each day of the symposium concludes with a keynote address. At 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in the UNC FedEx Global Education Center, Philpott will discuss factors that affect the world's ability to feed its population sustainably in the years to come. Philpott is the cofounder of Maverick Farms, a center for sustainable food education in Valle Crucis. Philpott has also served as columnist and editor for the online environmental site Grist and has covered food politics for Newsweek, Gastronomica and The Guardian. Food & Wine named Philpott one of 10 innovators who "will continue to shape the culinary consciousness of our country for the next 30 years."
At 7 p.m. Feb. 29 at the Reynolds Industries Theater in the Bryan University Center at Duke
University, Allen will discuss the challenge of providing food security for urban and disadvantaged communities. Growing Power is an organization dedicated to cultivating, producing and delivering healthy foods to underserved, urban populations in Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and beyond. Named a MacArthur "Genius" Fellow in 2008, Allen has worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity. He also has worked abroad to strengthen food security for schoolchildren in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Managing sponsors include UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies; Triangle University Food Studies; and UNC Kenan-Flagler Center for Sustainable Enterprise.
Additional partners and sponsors include UNC Institute for the Environment; Center for International Business Education and Research; UNC Center for European Studies; UNC African Studies Center; UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities; UNC Honors Program; UNC Comparative Literature Program; UNC Global; Duke University Franklin Humanities Institute; Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment at Duke Fuqua School of Business; and Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.
For more information and a full schedule, visit http://sharedtablessymp.wordpress.com. Lunch will be provided for registered participants both days.
The symposium takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Duke University. Keynote addresses will be presented by award-winning food journalist and farmer Tom Philpott of Mother Jones magazine and by Will Allen, founder and executive director of Growing Power in Milwaukee.
Events are free and open to the public, but space is limited, so participants are asked to register in advance. Registration has closed for the Feb. 28 keynote event and Feb. 29 lunch.
On Feb. 28 at Hyde Hall at UNC, symposium topics include:
* Food, technology and politics internationally and in Europe;
* Food security, sustainable food systems and global change;
* Does it matter where my food comes from? and
* Food or fuel? South America, Africa and the United States.
On Feb. 29 in the Von Cannon Room and Reynolds Industries Theater at the Bryan University Center at Duke, symposium topics include:
* Voices of the Triangle food movement in our universities;
* Farm Bill 2012;
* Farming in North Carolina;
* Food and humanities, culture and faith; and
* Food access in our communities.
Each day of the symposium concludes with a keynote address. At 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in the UNC FedEx Global Education Center, Philpott will discuss factors that affect the world's ability to feed its population sustainably in the years to come. Philpott is the cofounder of Maverick Farms, a center for sustainable food education in Valle Crucis. Philpott has also served as columnist and editor for the online environmental site Grist and has covered food politics for Newsweek, Gastronomica and The Guardian. Food & Wine named Philpott one of 10 innovators who "will continue to shape the culinary consciousness of our country for the next 30 years."
At 7 p.m. Feb. 29 at the Reynolds Industries Theater in the Bryan University Center at Duke
University, Allen will discuss the challenge of providing food security for urban and disadvantaged communities. Growing Power is an organization dedicated to cultivating, producing and delivering healthy foods to underserved, urban populations in Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and beyond. Named a MacArthur "Genius" Fellow in 2008, Allen has worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity. He also has worked abroad to strengthen food security for schoolchildren in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Managing sponsors include UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies; Triangle University Food Studies; and UNC Kenan-Flagler Center for Sustainable Enterprise.
Additional partners and sponsors include UNC Institute for the Environment; Center for International Business Education and Research; UNC Center for European Studies; UNC African Studies Center; UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities; UNC Honors Program; UNC Comparative Literature Program; UNC Global; Duke University Franklin Humanities Institute; Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment at Duke Fuqua School of Business; and Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.
For more information and a full schedule, visit http://sharedtablessymp.wordpress.com. Lunch will be provided for registered participants both days.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Christian McBride, Inside Straight will headline jazz festival
Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride and the Inside Straight band will headline this year's Carolina Jazz Festival Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23 through 25, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Saxophonist Steve Wilson, a member of Inside Straight, will be the artist in residence for the 35th annual festival. This year's festival, themed "Jazz: In Sound and Image," also features a roving photography exhibit.
Workshops, concerts and late-night jams during the festival will showcase the guest artists, UNC Jazz Band, UNC Jazz Combos and Charanga Carolina. The Essentially Ellington Regional High School Jazz Festival—presented in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center—returns for its seventh year. High school and middle school bands from North Carolina and Virginia will come to UNC's Frank Porter Graham Student Union on Thursday, Feb. 23, for a day of performances and clinics.
For a schedule and more information, visit http://music.unc.edu/jazzfest or call (919) 962-1039. For tickets, contact the Memorial Hall Box Office at 140 E. Cameron Ave., open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, email performingarts@unc.edu, call (919) 843-3333 or visit www.carolinaperformingarts.org.
"Bassist Christian McBride is one of our nation's great cultural and artistic ambassadors," said Jim Ketch, festival director and music professor and director of jazz studies in UNC's College of Arts and Sciences. "He is a tireless advocate for jazz, jazz education, and the arts in our schools. His music is rooted in the jazz tradition, yet it's fresh and new. Steve Wilson is highly respected for his saxophone artistry, musicianship and wide-ranging experience in all facets of the music. His passion for jazz education and young people makes him one of the most outstanding artists we have ever invited to the Carolina Jazz Festival."
Major performances include:
• Friday, Feb. 24: Fred and Gail Fearing Jazz for a Friday Afternoon, 4 p.m., Kenan Music Building rehearsal hall, featuring the UNC Jazz Combos. Free.
• Friday, Feb. 24: Christian McBride and Inside Straight, 8 p.m., Memorial Hall. Part of the Carolina Performing Arts season. Tickets (919) 843-3333: $15 to $39; $10 for students. Come early for a free lecture and demonstration on jazz improvisation featuring members of the UNC jazz faculty, 7 p.m., Historic Playmakers Theater.
• Saturday, Feb. 25: UNC Jazz Band, 8 p.m., Kenan Music Building Room 1201, with guest artist Steve Wilson. Free.
A roving art exhibit by Durham photographer Steven Bromberg, "Portraits of Carolina Jazz," will feature photographs of Carolina jazz faculty, students and guest artists. Jazz will be performed at exhibit openings.
• Through Friday, March 2: Frank Porter Graham Student Union gallery. Second Friday Art Walk reception at 6 p.m.
• Through Monday, March 26: Ackland Art Museum study gallery. Preview reception at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, will feature music from UNC jazz faculty and students.
• Additional photos will be on display in the lobbies of festival performance venues, including Kenan Music Building and Memorial Hall.
McBride has performed and recorded with jazz artists McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman, as well as with hip-hop, soul, pop and classical artists such as Sting and soprano Kathleen Battle. He is former creative chair for jazz at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Wilson has played on more than 100 recordings with artists such as Chick Corea, George Duke, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Dianne Reeves, Joe Henderson and Charlie Byrd, and has produced seven recordings under his own name.
Campus festival sponsors are the Office of the Executive Director for the Arts, Carolina Performing Arts, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, Carolina Union Activities Board, Center for the Study of the American South, department of music, UNC jazz studies and the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonians, a music fraternity.
National sponsors of the jazz festival are Essentially Ellington, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Double Time Records, The Music Resource and Jamey Aebersold Jazz. Community sponsors are WNCU-FM, Jazz Foundation of North Carolina Inc., Art of the Cool Project and West End Wine Bar.
Saxophonist Steve Wilson, a member of Inside Straight, will be the artist in residence for the 35th annual festival. This year's festival, themed "Jazz: In Sound and Image," also features a roving photography exhibit.
Workshops, concerts and late-night jams during the festival will showcase the guest artists, UNC Jazz Band, UNC Jazz Combos and Charanga Carolina. The Essentially Ellington Regional High School Jazz Festival—presented in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center—returns for its seventh year. High school and middle school bands from North Carolina and Virginia will come to UNC's Frank Porter Graham Student Union on Thursday, Feb. 23, for a day of performances and clinics.
For a schedule and more information, visit http://music.unc.edu/jazzfest or call (919) 962-1039. For tickets, contact the Memorial Hall Box Office at 140 E. Cameron Ave., open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, email performingarts@unc.edu, call (919) 843-3333 or visit www.carolinaperformingarts.org.
"Bassist Christian McBride is one of our nation's great cultural and artistic ambassadors," said Jim Ketch, festival director and music professor and director of jazz studies in UNC's College of Arts and Sciences. "He is a tireless advocate for jazz, jazz education, and the arts in our schools. His music is rooted in the jazz tradition, yet it's fresh and new. Steve Wilson is highly respected for his saxophone artistry, musicianship and wide-ranging experience in all facets of the music. His passion for jazz education and young people makes him one of the most outstanding artists we have ever invited to the Carolina Jazz Festival."
Major performances include:
• Friday, Feb. 24: Fred and Gail Fearing Jazz for a Friday Afternoon, 4 p.m., Kenan Music Building rehearsal hall, featuring the UNC Jazz Combos. Free.
• Friday, Feb. 24: Christian McBride and Inside Straight, 8 p.m., Memorial Hall. Part of the Carolina Performing Arts season. Tickets (919) 843-3333: $15 to $39; $10 for students. Come early for a free lecture and demonstration on jazz improvisation featuring members of the UNC jazz faculty, 7 p.m., Historic Playmakers Theater.
• Saturday, Feb. 25: UNC Jazz Band, 8 p.m., Kenan Music Building Room 1201, with guest artist Steve Wilson. Free.
A roving art exhibit by Durham photographer Steven Bromberg, "Portraits of Carolina Jazz," will feature photographs of Carolina jazz faculty, students and guest artists. Jazz will be performed at exhibit openings.
• Through Friday, March 2: Frank Porter Graham Student Union gallery. Second Friday Art Walk reception at 6 p.m.
• Through Monday, March 26: Ackland Art Museum study gallery. Preview reception at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, will feature music from UNC jazz faculty and students.
• Additional photos will be on display in the lobbies of festival performance venues, including Kenan Music Building and Memorial Hall.
McBride has performed and recorded with jazz artists McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman, as well as with hip-hop, soul, pop and classical artists such as Sting and soprano Kathleen Battle. He is former creative chair for jazz at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Wilson has played on more than 100 recordings with artists such as Chick Corea, George Duke, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Dianne Reeves, Joe Henderson and Charlie Byrd, and has produced seven recordings under his own name.
Campus festival sponsors are the Office of the Executive Director for the Arts, Carolina Performing Arts, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, Carolina Union Activities Board, Center for the Study of the American South, department of music, UNC jazz studies and the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonians, a music fraternity.
National sponsors of the jazz festival are Essentially Ellington, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Double Time Records, The Music Resource and Jamey Aebersold Jazz. Community sponsors are WNCU-FM, Jazz Foundation of North Carolina Inc., Art of the Cool Project and West End Wine Bar.
PlayMakers mounts royal Shakespearean epic in rotating repertory
PlayMakers Repertory Company will stage a royal coming-of-age epic, combining William Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2" and "Henry V" as "The Making of a King," to be performed Jan. 28 through March 4.
The professional theater-in-residence in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will present the "Henry" plays in rotating repertory as well as several special educational events associated with the production.
The plays follow young Prince Hal from his unpromising start in bawdy houses and taverns under the tutelage of the larger-than-life Sir John Falstaff to his rise as one of England's greatest monarchs, King Henry V. The action takes place in palaces and battlefields, from civil war in Britain to battles in the fields of France.
PlayMakers producing artistic director Joseph Haj will co-direct with Mike Donahue, who helmed this season's PRC2 second-stage hit "A Number" and worked with Haj on PlayMakers' "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby." Actor Michael Winters of TV's "Gilmore Girls," last seen at PlayMakers in 2004 as King Lear, will play Falstaff. UNC-TV is co-producing sponsor for the production.
"These plays, with their exploration of war and its costs, remain as current today as when Shakespeare wrote them over 400 years ago," Haj said.
Show times will be 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The special performance options are:
• Feb. 25 and March 3: back-to-back performances, "Henry IV" at 2 p.m. and "Henry V" at 7:30 p.m. with a dinner break between. Boxed dinners from Whole Foods Market will be available for purchase. Pre-ordering dinner with tickets is recommended.
• Feb. 18 ("Henry V"), 2 p.m.: open captioned performances;
• Feb. 19 ("Henry IV"), Feb. 26 and March 1 ("Henry V"): free post-show discussions with the creative team;
• Feb. 21 ("Henry IV") and 28 ("Henry V"): all-access performances for attendees with special needs, with sign language interpretation and audio description; and,
• March 3 and 4: free post-show "Mindplay" discussions sponsored by the North Carolina Psychoanalytic Society—"Thrice More into the Breach: The Making and Unmaking of Men in Peace and War" with Harold Kudler from the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University.
All performances will be in the Paul Green Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. Tickets are still available as part of the theater's 2011-2012 season subscription packages. Individual tickets are $10 to $45. With the purchase of a ticket to either play, a ticket to the other "Henry" may also be purchased at 25 percent off. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers and is not available for Tuesday Community Night performances. A 10 percent discount off single tickets is available for active military personnel. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (919) 962-7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts recognized PlayMakers with a $100,000 "Access to Artistic Excellence Grant" to support "The Making of a King" and "Breaking History: Power, Politics and the Legacy of War," a series of events that will investigate America's legacy of engagements in military conflict.
• Monday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m., Paul Green Theatre: "Peace and War in America." In partnership with UNC's curriculum in peace, war and defense, chair Wayne Lee and Haj will lead a panel conversation inspired by "The Making of a King."
• Thursday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., The Varsity on Franklin: a screening of Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner "Hell and Back Again," as part of the Ackland Film Forum. From his embedded time with U.S. Marine Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist/filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25- year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. Note: Screening rights are pending. Information will be posted at www.playmakersrep.org if the film is changed.
• To be announced, Fayetteville. PlayMakers will host a conversation in partnership with The Army's Army (a volunteer organization that supports military personnel and their families) and Cape Fear Regional Theatre, presenting scenes from the plays and discussing the impact of America's current military engagements on soldiers and their families.
A $25,000 grant from the NEA and Arts Midwest's "Shakespeare for a New Generation" program funded additional educational outreach, including sending teaching artists into area schools and matinees of the play for middle and high school students.
PlayMakers' main-stage season finale will be the British comedy "Noises Off" by Michael Frayn (April 4 through 22). The PRC2 second-stage closes with the world premiere of "Penelope," written and performed by Ellen McLaughlin, with live music composed by Sarah Kirkland Snider (April 25-29).
For more information, visit the website.
The professional theater-in-residence in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will present the "Henry" plays in rotating repertory as well as several special educational events associated with the production.
The plays follow young Prince Hal from his unpromising start in bawdy houses and taverns under the tutelage of the larger-than-life Sir John Falstaff to his rise as one of England's greatest monarchs, King Henry V. The action takes place in palaces and battlefields, from civil war in Britain to battles in the fields of France.
PlayMakers producing artistic director Joseph Haj will co-direct with Mike Donahue, who helmed this season's PRC2 second-stage hit "A Number" and worked with Haj on PlayMakers' "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby." Actor Michael Winters of TV's "Gilmore Girls," last seen at PlayMakers in 2004 as King Lear, will play Falstaff. UNC-TV is co-producing sponsor for the production.
"These plays, with their exploration of war and its costs, remain as current today as when Shakespeare wrote them over 400 years ago," Haj said.
Show times will be 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The special performance options are:
• Feb. 25 and March 3: back-to-back performances, "Henry IV" at 2 p.m. and "Henry V" at 7:30 p.m. with a dinner break between. Boxed dinners from Whole Foods Market will be available for purchase. Pre-ordering dinner with tickets is recommended.
• Feb. 18 ("Henry V"), 2 p.m.: open captioned performances;
• Feb. 19 ("Henry IV"), Feb. 26 and March 1 ("Henry V"): free post-show discussions with the creative team;
• Feb. 21 ("Henry IV") and 28 ("Henry V"): all-access performances for attendees with special needs, with sign language interpretation and audio description; and,
• March 3 and 4: free post-show "Mindplay" discussions sponsored by the North Carolina Psychoanalytic Society—"Thrice More into the Breach: The Making and Unmaking of Men in Peace and War" with Harold Kudler from the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University.
All performances will be in the Paul Green Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. Tickets are still available as part of the theater's 2011-2012 season subscription packages. Individual tickets are $10 to $45. With the purchase of a ticket to either play, a ticket to the other "Henry" may also be purchased at 25 percent off. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers and is not available for Tuesday Community Night performances. A 10 percent discount off single tickets is available for active military personnel. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (919) 962-7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts recognized PlayMakers with a $100,000 "Access to Artistic Excellence Grant" to support "The Making of a King" and "Breaking History: Power, Politics and the Legacy of War," a series of events that will investigate America's legacy of engagements in military conflict.
• Monday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m., Paul Green Theatre: "Peace and War in America." In partnership with UNC's curriculum in peace, war and defense, chair Wayne Lee and Haj will lead a panel conversation inspired by "The Making of a King."
• Thursday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., The Varsity on Franklin: a screening of Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner "Hell and Back Again," as part of the Ackland Film Forum. From his embedded time with U.S. Marine Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist/filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25- year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. Note: Screening rights are pending. Information will be posted at www.playmakersrep.org if the film is changed.
• To be announced, Fayetteville. PlayMakers will host a conversation in partnership with The Army's Army (a volunteer organization that supports military personnel and their families) and Cape Fear Regional Theatre, presenting scenes from the plays and discussing the impact of America's current military engagements on soldiers and their families.
A $25,000 grant from the NEA and Arts Midwest's "Shakespeare for a New Generation" program funded additional educational outreach, including sending teaching artists into area schools and matinees of the play for middle and high school students.
PlayMakers' main-stage season finale will be the British comedy "Noises Off" by Michael Frayn (April 4 through 22). The PRC2 second-stage closes with the world premiere of "Penelope," written and performed by Ellen McLaughlin, with live music composed by Sarah Kirkland Snider (April 25-29).
For more information, visit the website.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tar Heel Express shuttle to UNC vs. Clemson men's basketball game
Chapel Hill Transit will provide Tar Heel Express shuttle service on Saturday, Feb. 18, for the North Carolina men's basketball game against Clemson, scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Tar Heel Express shuttles will begin at 2:30 p.m. from the park and rides located at Friday Center, Southern Village, University Mall (next to Dillards) and Jones Ferry. Shuttles will also be available from the Carolina Coffee Shop located at 138 E. Franklin St. (no parking provided). The shuttles will provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and the Dean E. Smith Center. The shuttles will operate for approximately 45 minutes following the game.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on Bowles Drive in front of the Dean E. Smith Center. Shuttle rides are $5 for a round-trip or $3 for a one-way trip. Rides from the Carolina Coffee Shop are $2 one-way or $4 round-trip.
For additional information on the Tar Heel Express Shuttle, visit CHT's website or call a customer service representative at (919) 969-4900 (press 1).
Tar Heel Express shuttles will begin at 2:30 p.m. from the park and rides located at Friday Center, Southern Village, University Mall (next to Dillards) and Jones Ferry. Shuttles will also be available from the Carolina Coffee Shop located at 138 E. Franklin St. (no parking provided). The shuttles will provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and the Dean E. Smith Center. The shuttles will operate for approximately 45 minutes following the game.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on Bowles Drive in front of the Dean E. Smith Center. Shuttle rides are $5 for a round-trip or $3 for a one-way trip. Rides from the Carolina Coffee Shop are $2 one-way or $4 round-trip.
For additional information on the Tar Heel Express Shuttle, visit CHT's website or call a customer service representative at (919) 969-4900 (press 1).
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Earth Action Day—call for exhibitors and artists
The fifth annual Earth Action Day comes to Southern Community Park in Chapel Hill on Saturday, April 14, from noon to 5 p.m. Nonprofits, commercial organizations and artists are invited to submit an application to share their message educating and encouraging the latest in living sustainably to a crowd of over 3,500 people in the community.
Earth Action Day is a local event that encourages visitors to learn about the earth’s bounty and how our daily choices affect our environment. Southern Community Park is the perfect place to hold the event, as it was designed with a focus on public art utilizing on-site materials that showcase the thematic elements of earth, air, water, fire, fauna and flora.
Visitors at the event will have the chance to enjoy the Swap-O-Rama clothing swap, interactive workshops, live entertainment and the local food pavilion. We are also excited to bring back the mARTket, a fair featuring artists who create work fundamentally using recycled and up-cycled materials. Local artists who follow such a sustainable approach are encouraged to apply to sell their artwork.
The application deadline for entry is due March 10. The exhibition fee for artists and non-profits is $50 and for commercial organizations, $150. Register online to exhibit at Earth Action Day; apply early as space is limited.
Earth Action Day is a local event that encourages visitors to learn about the earth’s bounty and how our daily choices affect our environment. Southern Community Park is the perfect place to hold the event, as it was designed with a focus on public art utilizing on-site materials that showcase the thematic elements of earth, air, water, fire, fauna and flora.
Visitors at the event will have the chance to enjoy the Swap-O-Rama clothing swap, interactive workshops, live entertainment and the local food pavilion. We are also excited to bring back the mARTket, a fair featuring artists who create work fundamentally using recycled and up-cycled materials. Local artists who follow such a sustainable approach are encouraged to apply to sell their artwork.
The application deadline for entry is due March 10. The exhibition fee for artists and non-profits is $50 and for commercial organizations, $150. Register online to exhibit at Earth Action Day; apply early as space is limited.
Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign kicks off
Chapel Hill Police Department and the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety will kick off the Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
The Town of Chapel Hill is considering a proposed ordinance to ban talking on hand-held cellphones and hands-free cellphones—or both—while driving on town streets. In conjunction with the proposed ordinance, the council asked that a program be developed to educate the public about the dangers of driving while talking or texting on cell phones. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall.
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Younger, inexperienced drivers younger than 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.
Studies show that there is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, both of which can result in inattention blindness, which occurs when the brain isn't seeing what is clearly visible because the drivers' focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road.
There are simple measures drivers can take to minimize distractions in the vehicle:
• Turn off phone or put it out of reach before starting the car.
• Alert callers of inability to take calls when driving by changing voicemail message.
• Make it a point not to call or text anyone who may be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school, especially parents calling teen drivers.
• If there is a need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so.
For more information about the Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign, contact Catherine Lazorko, public information officer for the Town of Chapel Hill, at (919) 969-5055 or clazorko@townofchapelhill.org.
The Town of Chapel Hill is considering a proposed ordinance to ban talking on hand-held cellphones and hands-free cellphones—or both—while driving on town streets. In conjunction with the proposed ordinance, the council asked that a program be developed to educate the public about the dangers of driving while talking or texting on cell phones. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall.
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Younger, inexperienced drivers younger than 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.
Studies show that there is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, both of which can result in inattention blindness, which occurs when the brain isn't seeing what is clearly visible because the drivers' focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road.
There are simple measures drivers can take to minimize distractions in the vehicle:
• Turn off phone or put it out of reach before starting the car.
• Alert callers of inability to take calls when driving by changing voicemail message.
• Make it a point not to call or text anyone who may be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school, especially parents calling teen drivers.
• If there is a need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so.
For more information about the Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign, contact Catherine Lazorko, public information officer for the Town of Chapel Hill, at (919) 969-5055 or clazorko@townofchapelhill.org.
Life After stroke: living with spasticity
Study underway in Chapel Hill to determine if investigational medication is safe and effective for adults experiencing spasticity after stroke
This year alone, approximately 795,000 people will experience a stroke. Of those, 20 percent will experience spasticity, a debilitating condition that affects an individual’s ability to perform the tasks of daily living—including the ability to dress, eat, write, balance or even walk. The impact of spasticity after stroke is not only difficult on stroke survivors but also has a profound effect on their loved ones who assist with their care. In an effort to improve the quality of life for sufferers of spasticity as a result of stroke, there is a worldwide medical research study underway to examine the safety and effectiveness of the investigational medication, Dysport, for the treatment of spasticity that is being conducted in Chapel Hill.
"The impact of stroke can be felt long after the stroke itself," said Heather Walker, M.D., a Dysport study investigator at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Appropriate lifestyle changes and effective treatment is vital to ensure that a survivor has the ability to lead a healthy and productive life."
Spasticity is the tightening and stiffening of muscles that make movement of the arms or legs difficult and painful. It is the result of damage to the central nervous system—often experienced during stroke—which controls voluntary movement. The frustration of not being able to live like one once did can have a profound effect on a stroke survivor. Managing spasticity can be very difficult for sufferers; treatment often includes multiple physical and occupational therapists, oral medications, intrathecal medications and surgery.
The effects of spasticity after stroke are not limited to those with the condition. Providing care for a family member or friend experiencing spasticity after stroke can be challenging and stressful. Loved ones become caregivers responsible for assisting with the most basic of tasks. This new role, combined with watching a loved one experience daily struggles, can be overwhelming.
Chapel Hill area adults between 18 and 80 years of age who are experiencing spasticity after stroke may qualify for participation. Qualified participants must be six months post stroke and experiencing spasticity in their upper or lower limbs.
For more information on this medical research study, visit SpasticityStudy.com or contact Charron Andrews at (919) 966-9796.
This year alone, approximately 795,000 people will experience a stroke. Of those, 20 percent will experience spasticity, a debilitating condition that affects an individual’s ability to perform the tasks of daily living—including the ability to dress, eat, write, balance or even walk. The impact of spasticity after stroke is not only difficult on stroke survivors but also has a profound effect on their loved ones who assist with their care. In an effort to improve the quality of life for sufferers of spasticity as a result of stroke, there is a worldwide medical research study underway to examine the safety and effectiveness of the investigational medication, Dysport, for the treatment of spasticity that is being conducted in Chapel Hill.
"The impact of stroke can be felt long after the stroke itself," said Heather Walker, M.D., a Dysport study investigator at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Appropriate lifestyle changes and effective treatment is vital to ensure that a survivor has the ability to lead a healthy and productive life."
Spasticity is the tightening and stiffening of muscles that make movement of the arms or legs difficult and painful. It is the result of damage to the central nervous system—often experienced during stroke—which controls voluntary movement. The frustration of not being able to live like one once did can have a profound effect on a stroke survivor. Managing spasticity can be very difficult for sufferers; treatment often includes multiple physical and occupational therapists, oral medications, intrathecal medications and surgery.
The effects of spasticity after stroke are not limited to those with the condition. Providing care for a family member or friend experiencing spasticity after stroke can be challenging and stressful. Loved ones become caregivers responsible for assisting with the most basic of tasks. This new role, combined with watching a loved one experience daily struggles, can be overwhelming.
Chapel Hill area adults between 18 and 80 years of age who are experiencing spasticity after stroke may qualify for participation. Qualified participants must be six months post stroke and experiencing spasticity in their upper or lower limbs.
For more information on this medical research study, visit SpasticityStudy.com or contact Charron Andrews at (919) 966-9796.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
NCDOT makes improvements to Chapel Hill rail crossing
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division has made crossing safety improvements at an intersection in Chapel Hill.
NCDOT revised crossing signals and installed gates at the intersection of Homestead Road and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) tracks. This $212,519 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds. Maintenance funding for the project will be divided equally between the state and NS.
Two freight trains a day travel through the railroad crossing at a maximum of 10 miles per hour.
This project is a part of a comprehensive statewide NCDOT program to enhance highway safety by adding or improving signals and gates at public railroad crossings. Automatic warning devices are now in place at more than 2,400 of the 4,100 public at-grade crossings across the state.
NCDOT revised crossing signals and installed gates at the intersection of Homestead Road and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) tracks. This $212,519 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds. Maintenance funding for the project will be divided equally between the state and NS.
Two freight trains a day travel through the railroad crossing at a maximum of 10 miles per hour.
This project is a part of a comprehensive statewide NCDOT program to enhance highway safety by adding or improving signals and gates at public railroad crossings. Automatic warning devices are now in place at more than 2,400 of the 4,100 public at-grade crossings across the state.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Chapel Hill presents on Carribean connection
Mary Ann Weston, Orange County Social Worker, will present a slide show, “Contributions Made to the U.S. by Persons of Caribbean Roots,” at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center, 2551 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call (919) 968-2070.
For more information, call (919) 968-2070.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Chapel Hill summer camp registration begins
Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation offers summer day camps for elementary and middle schoolers, Community Clay Studio Arts Camp and a variety of sport camps—including basketball, flag football, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. Space is limited, so register early.
When to register
Chapel Hill residents (people living in or owning property in Chapel Hill town limits) may register for camps now.
Orange County residents may register beginning 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13.
Non-residents may register beginning 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 20.
How to register
Register online with WebTrac or visit one of the following locations between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday:
• Parks & Recreation Administrative Office, 200 Plant Road in Chapel Hill
• Chapel Hill Community Center, 120 S. Estes Drive in Chapel Hill
• Hargraves Community Center, 216 N. Roberson St. in Chapel Hill
• or Homestead Aquatic Center, 300 Northern Park Drive in Chapel Hill
You may also print a registration form and mail it in with your payment.
When to register
Chapel Hill residents (people living in or owning property in Chapel Hill town limits) may register for camps now.
Orange County residents may register beginning 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13.
Non-residents may register beginning 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 20.
How to register
Register online with WebTrac or visit one of the following locations between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday:
• Parks & Recreation Administrative Office, 200 Plant Road in Chapel Hill
• Chapel Hill Community Center, 120 S. Estes Drive in Chapel Hill
• Hargraves Community Center, 216 N. Roberson St. in Chapel Hill
• or Homestead Aquatic Center, 300 Northern Park Drive in Chapel Hill
You may also print a registration form and mail it in with your payment.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
'The Baltimore Waltz' plays at Deep Dish Theater Company
Deep Dish Theater Company will present Paula Vogel’s acclaimed comedy "The Baltimore Waltz" Feb. 24 through March 17. Directed by Chip Rodgers, the play replaces the previously announced Terra Nova and continues the company’s 11th season at University Mall.
"The Baltimore Waltz," a sensation when it debuted 20 years ago, follows a brother and sister who flee a frightening medical diagnosis by embarking on a fantastical trip across Europe. A third actor plays the quirky characters they encounter, including the Little Dutch Boy (at age 50) and Harry Lime, from the classic movie "The Third Man." Ms. Vogel is the Obie Award-winning writer of such celebrated works as "Desdemona," "A Play about a Handkerchief" and "How I Learned to Drive."
Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and US 15-501.
Tickets are $21 for adults and $19 for seniors regularly, with a $2 discount for Wednesday and Thursday shows. Student tickets for all performances are $14. Wednesday, Feb. 29, is Cheap Dish Night—all tickets are $10 (no reservations accepted). Call (919) 968-1515 for reservations and visit www.deepdishtheater.org for information.
The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenges audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.
"The Baltimore Waltz," a sensation when it debuted 20 years ago, follows a brother and sister who flee a frightening medical diagnosis by embarking on a fantastical trip across Europe. A third actor plays the quirky characters they encounter, including the Little Dutch Boy (at age 50) and Harry Lime, from the classic movie "The Third Man." Ms. Vogel is the Obie Award-winning writer of such celebrated works as "Desdemona," "A Play about a Handkerchief" and "How I Learned to Drive."
Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and US 15-501.
Tickets are $21 for adults and $19 for seniors regularly, with a $2 discount for Wednesday and Thursday shows. Student tickets for all performances are $14. Wednesday, Feb. 29, is Cheap Dish Night—all tickets are $10 (no reservations accepted). Call (919) 968-1515 for reservations and visit www.deepdishtheater.org for information.
The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenges audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.
Friday, February 10, 2012
NCDOT awards $2.9 million contract to resurface roads in Orange County
The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to resurface nearly eight miles of roadway in Orange County.
The $2.9 million contract was awarded to Rea Contracting, a division of Lane Construction Corp. of Charlotte. Work can begin as early as April 2 and is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 10.
The following roadways will be resurfaced:
• .83 miles of U.S. 15/501 from just east of Erwin Road to the Durham County line;
• 1.6 miles of N.C. 86/Martin Luther King Boulevard from Estes Drive to Franklin Street;
• .47 miles of S. Greensboro Street from Main Street to Rand Street;
• 1.5 miles of N. Greensboro Street/Hillsborough Road from Lorraine Street to Main Street;
• 1.5 miles of Seawell School Road from High School Road to Estes Drive;
• .8 miles of Seawell School Road/High School Road near Homestead Road; and
• 1.2 miles of Orange High School Road from the U.S. 70 Bypass to Miller Road.
Resurfacing these sections of roadway will extend the lifespan of the pavement, improve safety and provide a smoother ride for motorists.
This is one of 31 contracts totaling $85.5 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 7.5 percent, or about $7 million, below NCDOT estimates. Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 472 highway contracts totaling $3.6 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.
The $2.9 million contract was awarded to Rea Contracting, a division of Lane Construction Corp. of Charlotte. Work can begin as early as April 2 and is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 10.
The following roadways will be resurfaced:
• .83 miles of U.S. 15/501 from just east of Erwin Road to the Durham County line;
• 1.6 miles of N.C. 86/Martin Luther King Boulevard from Estes Drive to Franklin Street;
• .47 miles of S. Greensboro Street from Main Street to Rand Street;
• 1.5 miles of N. Greensboro Street/Hillsborough Road from Lorraine Street to Main Street;
• 1.5 miles of Seawell School Road from High School Road to Estes Drive;
• .8 miles of Seawell School Road/High School Road near Homestead Road; and
• 1.2 miles of Orange High School Road from the U.S. 70 Bypass to Miller Road.
Resurfacing these sections of roadway will extend the lifespan of the pavement, improve safety and provide a smoother ride for motorists.
This is one of 31 contracts totaling $85.5 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 7.5 percent, or about $7 million, below NCDOT estimates. Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 472 highway contracts totaling $3.6 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tar Heel Express shuttle to UNC vs. Virginia men's basketball game
Chapel Hill Transit will provide Tar Heel Express shuttle service Saturday, Feb. 11, for the North Carolina men's basketball game against Virginia, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Tar Heel Express shuttles will begin at 11:30 p.m. from the park and rides located at Friday Center, Southern Village, University Mall (next to Dillards) and Jones Ferry. Shuttles will also be available from the Carolina Coffee Shop located at 138 E. Franklin St. (no parking provided). The shuttles will provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and the Dean E. Smith Center. The shuttles will operate for approximately 45 minutes following the game.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on Bowles Drive in front of the Dean E. Smith Center. Shuttle rides are $5 for a round-trip or $3 for a one-way trip. Rides from the Carolina Coffee Shop are $2 one-way or $4 round-trip.
For additional information on the Tar Heel Express Shuttle, please visit CHT's website at www.chtransit.org or call a customer service representative at 919-969-4900 (press 1).
Tar Heel Express shuttles will begin at 11:30 p.m. from the park and rides located at Friday Center, Southern Village, University Mall (next to Dillards) and Jones Ferry. Shuttles will also be available from the Carolina Coffee Shop located at 138 E. Franklin St. (no parking provided). The shuttles will provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and the Dean E. Smith Center. The shuttles will operate for approximately 45 minutes following the game.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on Bowles Drive in front of the Dean E. Smith Center. Shuttle rides are $5 for a round-trip or $3 for a one-way trip. Rides from the Carolina Coffee Shop are $2 one-way or $4 round-trip.
For additional information on the Tar Heel Express Shuttle, please visit CHT's website at www.chtransit.org or call a customer service representative at 919-969-4900 (press 1).
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