27 January paper

Sorry for the late posting on this one, but here's what's in this week's paper:

• COUNTY BANS DOGGING DEER. The Orange County Board of Commissioners banned the practice of hunting deer with dogs last week.
• FORMER COUNTY LEADER DIES. Orange County's first manager, Samuel Gattis II, died last Saturday. He was the county manager from 1963 to 1981.
• 'GIVING WHAT YOU HAVE.' A local woman is spearheading an effort to get backpacks sent down to Haiti to use in carrying supplies from one location to another.
• EVENT WILL REVISIT OLD DAYS. This Sunday at the Senior Center several locals will tell what Hillsboro was like in the days before the extra "ugh."
• PROGRAM USES REAL LIFE TO TEACH TEENS ABOUT DRIVER SAFETY. The VIP for a VIP program uses real-life situations to encourage teens to be safe drivers. Local law enforcement agencies are hoping to use this program in area schools.

See also stories on a planned daddy/daughter dance, budget issues facing the school district and our Educator of the Week.

cancellations

The following press release just came across our e-mail. I imagine it means all evening and weekend events are canceled in the district. I know for sure the Hillsborough Elementary School movie night is postponed until next Friday. Let the cancellations begin!

“URGENT!!” 
   …FYI…
   Due to the INCLEMENT WEATHER coming into our area tomorrow, the OCS Board of Education has CANCELLED ALL PRACTICES and ATHLETIC EVENTS for Friday, January 29th & Sat., January 30th (entire weekend!) 

**ALL of OHS & CRHS Basketball Games are CANCELLED for Friday, Jan. 29th  -  and are NOT Rescheduled at this time.  [Please watch the OCS Athletic Calendars (on the OCS Website), and all updates & rescheduled athletic events will be posted on each schools’ Jan. & Feb. Calendars, …as soon as the Final Rescheduled information is received.

**Sat., Jan. 30th – ‘CAROLINA 9 – 1A/2A Conf. Wrestling Tournament is also CANCELLED & IS Rescheduled for Sat., February 6th, @ CRHS – Weigh-Ins start @ 9:00 a.m. & the Wrestling will start @ 10:00 a.m.

   Thank for your Patience!!
    …We are terribly sorry for any inconvenience that this might have caused for you and your family!  Have a Nice & Very Safe Weekend ahead!

UPDATE at 10:10 a.m.: The Eno River Farmer's Market will not hold a market Saturday. They'll be back next Saturday at the Public Market House from 10 a.m. to noon.

UPDATE at 10:14 a.m.: The Hillsborough Town Board's retreat will be postponed until next weekend.

UPDATE at 12:40 p.m.: Via OCMLibrary's Twitter feed: "Friends of the Library has rescheduled the Bargain Book sale to February 6th 10am - 4pm due to weather. More info: http://bit.ly/bFU2KD"

UPDATE at 12:42 p.m.: The following just came across our e-mail, from the IRS:

GREENSBORO- Due to the forecast calling for possible severe winter weather conditions, the IRS has cancelled special Saturday hours at 5 of 7 locations in the Carolinas this weekend.

These special hours were originally scheduled to provide help to taxpayers who earned less than $49,000 in 2009 by determining if these taxpayers are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit and offering them free tax preparation assistance and electronic filing.

“In the interest of both the safety of taxpayers and our employees, the IRS has cancelled Saturday hours at locations in the Carolinas where there is a potential for hazardous winter weather,” said Mark Hanson, IRS spokesperson for the Carolinas.

The following offices, previously scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, will be closed:
Charlotte,  NC
Greensboro,  NC
Hickory,  NC
Raleigh,  NC
Greenville,  SC

The following IRS offices will be open as originally scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday:
            Wilmington,  NC
            Charleston,  SC

The address for IRS offices may be found here: http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html.

All seven IRS locations listed above are scheduled to be open for special Saturday hours again Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide the same free services to qualifying taxpayers who made less than $49,000 in 2009.

Eligible taxpayers who are unable to get free services from IRS offices during normal business hours or during special Saturday hours held at some locations may want to consider using the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.  Community organizations throughout the Carolinas participate in VITA where IRS-trained volunteers help prepare and e-file tax returns for qualifying taxpayers.

To find the nearest VITA site, call the United Way at 2-1-1, the AARP at 1-888-227-7669, or the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Taxpayers eligible for EITC may also want to consider using IRS Free File to prepare and e-file their federal income tax return online at no cost.  Visit www.irs.gov/freefile for more info.

UPDATE at 2:13 p.m.: The Hillsborough Visitors Center will be closed Saturday and Sunday.

UPDATE at 4:41 p.m.: Here's Hillsborough's emergency preparedness site, for more information: http://www.ci.hillsborough.nc.us/content/emergency-information.

Also, our advertising manager just came back from Home Depot, and she said the whole Hampton Pointe shopping centre is a hot mess, with a line to get out the goes passed the traffic circle. Good luck if you have to get in or out of there.

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.

e-mail outage for OCS

Apparently, e-mail is down for Orange County Schools users. It should be back sometime today.

in the 0120 edition

Despite a long night, Robin and I managed to put out a pretty nice paper, if you ask me.  So here's what you can find in this week's edition:

• COUNTIES DISCUSS LINE SOLUTION: This one comes from our sister paper, the Mebane Enterprise, about what Orange and Alamance county managers Frank Clifton and Craig Honeycutt are proposing their respective boards do about the county line. This is on the agenda for this week's Orange County Board of Commissioners meeting, so Robin will have more on that next week, too.
• 3 OCS VETERANS RETIRING: Orange County Schools is losing three more veteran administrators: Dr. Greg Hicks, assistant superintendent for human resources and finance; OHS principal Roy Winslow; and CRHS principal Gary Thornburg. 
• KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE: There is plenty of coverage on this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative march and other festivities in Hillsborough.
• LOCAL OFFICERS TAKE PART IN CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING: Hillsborough Police Department was among several area departments that took part in a crisis intervention training that taught them how to deal with someone who has a mental illness.

Plus, check out our Educator of the Week, Lynne T. Gronback, a science teacher at Cedar Ridge who has much love for her subject and her students.

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.

gold park

Picture by Vanessa Shortley

Boy Scouts and other community volunteers help Stormwater Resource Officer Terry Hackett create a stormwater wetland at Gold Park on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

This press release just came across our e-mail. It's a shame for anyone who uses the park, but hopefully it will be cleared up soon.

Help Hillsborough Build a Better Field

The Town of Hillsborough needs citizens’ help in building a better field at GoldPark.

For safety reasons, the multi-use field at the town park will close for about one year. The field’s rough surface and the debris that is being uncovered make the play space unsafe.

“The multi-use field at Gold Park is very important to the community and the Town wants to ensure that it is a high quality playing surface that is safe for all kinds of recreational uses,” said Stephanie Trueblood, Hillsborough Planner and Parks & Recreation Board staff person.

When the weather warms, the field will be re-graded and crowned with soil. It also will be reseeded with native, drought-tolerant Bermuda grass.  This maintenance is “sure to greatly improve the field by creating a more sustainable and tolerant turf surface,” Trueblood said.

Citizens can help ensure the field reopens as a superior playing surface by staying off the field until repairs are made and the new grass is grown. The field will not be fenced off but will be posted with signs.

GoldPark is located at 415 Dimmocks Mill Road, just east of Nash Street. It is in the sharp curve of Dimmocks Mill Road, just south of the railroad trestle.  The park is open from 8 a.m. until thirty minutes after dusk daily.

For more information, contact Stephanie Trueblood, Planner, 732-1270 Ext. 74 or Margaret Hauth, Planning Director, 732-12

2010 census road tour heading to chapel hill

Just in case anyone was interested:

National 2010 Census Road Tour Heads to UNC vs. Ga. Tech Game
Fans Invited to Participate in Interactive Experience that Brings 2010 Census to Life

What:    The nationwide 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour will stop in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech men’s basketball game. Fans are invited to learn about the census through an educational, engaging and interactive experience that brings the 2010 Census to life — creating a “portrait of America.”

               The Road Tour’s national vehicle, nicknamed “Mail It Back,” began its cross-country tour last week from New York City to exhibit at more than 800 events nationwide. The Road Tour will attempt to motivate America’s growing and increasingly diverse population to complete and mail back the 10-question census form when it arrives in mailboxes March 15-17.
         
When:    Saturday, Jan. 16, following the basketball game, approximately 4 p.m.

Where:   Adjacent to Dean E. Smith Center on UNC campus on William Blythe Drive
                Chapel Hill


For more information about the 2010 Census and the Road Tour, please visit 2010census.gov
and follow us on Twitter (@2010Portrait), Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube (/uscensusbureau).

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.