My name is Carroll Scott and I am the mom of a 2nd grader at Frank Porter Graham Elementary. My son started the year in 1st grade, but the outstanding teachers and staff at FPG recognized that he was not being challenged and needed more. They...
While we were getting ready for out primary elections last week, the people of France elected a new president. Out with Nicolas Sarkozy, in with the Socialist Francois Hollande. Who can explain to us what it means and why we should care?
Maybe it...
What a beautiful day and a beautiful graduation ceremony in Kenan Stadium on Sunday.
Congratulations to all involved in pulling off such an event - the planners, the marshalls, the speakers, the band, the Clef Hangars,...
This is tip five in the series about photography called, "Ten Things All Photo Geeks Must Know." It is for the more serious amateur photographer who shoots with a digital camera. These ten tips are the basis for a solid foundation in photography....
This is Andrew Davidson and I'm a member of the School Improvement Team at Frank Porter Graham Elementary School, where I have a second grader and a rising kindergartener. The revised Dual-Language proposal put before our school board doesn't...
Where was God in all this, really?
North Carolinians heard God speaking in contradictory voices during the weeks leading up to the vote on May 8 when voters approved Amendment 1, which added to the state constitution a provision that "Marriage...
I cannot overemphasize the importance of phosphorus not only to agriculture and soil conservation but also to the physical health and economic security of the people of the Nation. Many of our soil types are deficient in phosphorus, thus causing...
Susan Reda - Food...Celebrating Our Market's Bounty
May 11
I am just over the moon about this upcoming event and wanted to share information with chapelboro.com followers. Next Sunday, May 20, from 4 – 7 pm there will be what Bon Appetit magazine has dubbed the "Best All You Can Eat Feast in the...
Hubert Davis, Carolina's new assistant basketball coach, was a 3-point shooting star as a Tar Heel player from 1989-92. Here, Davis poses with adoring students and fans holding up his favorite number before his senior season. Davis remains the most...
So I imagine most everyone has seen the Avengers movie by this point, judging by the fact that it had THE BEST OPENING WEEKEND EVER FOR A MOVIE and whatever other records it smashed. I hope all of you stayed through ALL the credits, because there were...
What lessons did you learn from your Mom that have helped you do good business?
Here are a few that come to mind.
1. Take care of yourself.
2. Be nice.
3. Mind your manners.
4. Pick up after yourself.
5. Be respectful.
6. Be generous with...
I am suspicious of towns that claim to be "truly democratic." In my experience that means that the influential people get to negotiate how they'll use everyone's resources. Sure, there is "input" from the public, but it seldom changes the...
When I first started photographing seriously in the late 1980's I was shooting film. I had a 35mm camera and also had a medium format, twin lens reflex Yashicamat camera. The medium format film was very attractive to me because the print quality from...
What do you do if a child comes to you with a question about this year's tagline for the Swim for Smiles Youth Triathlon? It's on his t-shirt, and it says "Save the Kids!" I'd have to sympathize with him.
Because if I'd were a kid, I'd...
Today, North Carolinians go to the polls to vote in a primary election. You may never have voted in a primary before, or maybe never voted in any election, or maybe you don't claim any political party. But today all North Carolinians need to go to the...
What is really going on inside their minds when the soldiers come home? Before they can tell us, the call comes to go back to the Middle East for another long tour.
In North Carolina, such brave soldiers and their families surround us. We try to honor...
Oh, to be the person who confidently withstands the onslaught of life! You know the ones, the world is crashing around them and they appear effortless as they manage multiple fires. From what I have observed, it is these folks who make it to the top of...
With summer weather and abundant sunshine looming, I thought I'd delve into the mysteries of the sun protection factor (SPF) which appears on all bottles of sunscreen. Before I get into the details, I'd like to share my favorite sunscreen story.
...
Many proponents of Amendment One on Tuesday's ballot see it as a way to support traditional marriage. I'm wondering why all their efforts are focusing on how to prevent certain marriages (same sex, which are already against the law, btw), how to...
My favorite spring sporting event has to be the Kentucky Derby. What stands out most during this historic horse race is difficult to decide…the sleek and athletic thoroughbreds, the diminutive yet wiry jockeys in their colorful silks, the thrill...
Susan Reda - Food...Celebrating Our Market's Bounty
May 4
Several times this week I enjoyed a simple though perfect lunch of deep green spinach leaves and radishes from Peregrine Farm, amazingly juicy tomatoes from Sunny Slope Farms with shredded basil from my herb garden. When ingredients are this fresh,...
Guys, it's May, and that means two AWESOME things are happening this weekend!
First, this Saturday, the 5th, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Yes, this is a day where you can go to a comic book store and GET FREE COMICS. Good ones, too! And there's lots of...
My first two reactions to what is being called a home run hire of Hubert Davis joining the Carolina Basketball staff were "Wow!" and "Why?"
Huuuuubert is a near-legendary figure in Tar Heel history since the nephew of former UNC great Walter Davis...
I promise this is still a column about music, even though it may not appear that way at first. I don't consider myself to be an authority on much of anything else, and most days, not even on music, but I love it so I write about it. These days,...
I'm a Chapel Hill resident, and I've got something to say.
Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, and a number of other towns around the state offer domestic partnerships. That ends next week.
Unmarried heterosexual couples, and their...
What do North Carolina pirates and the daughter of Thomas Jefferson's vice president have in common?
They are both an important part of North Carolina author Michael Parker's recent book, "The Watery Part of the World."
Aaron Burr's daughter,...
Recently I took a long bus ride for a two-day, whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C. with my daughter's 5th grade class. To keep the children entertained the teachers played all three Lion King movies so I have had "The Circle of Life" song in my head...
The conversation in a recent meeting reminded me of this tidbit. Seems like a good time to make it the Quote of the Week.
if the blue block was bigger, we could also include things like:
Meetings are boring.
Managers are...
Amendment One. Whether it wins or loses, the effort to defeat it could be a crucial factor in a successful outcome for the Obama campaign in North Carolina this fall.
Prospects for the effort to defeat the proposed marriage amendment to the...
Tish Galu, Bonnie Hauser, Susan Walser - The Commentators
Apr 30
County government matters, and many of us pay close attention to the decisions that impact schools, economic development and critical county services for public health and safety.
In that context, we encourage District 1 voters (Chapel Hill and...
ABAN's headquarters are here on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, but its mission is in Ghana, Africa. Founded by UNC student Callie Brauel, and kick-started into high gear by a $15,000 Carolina Challenge Grant in 2010, ABAN is an example of the strong...
April 24 was the one-year anniversary for Common Science. I've covered a wide variety of topics including, lightning, cells phones, bananas, and even neodymium. The topic I have touched on the most has been the impending scarcity of critical...
"...'The Dry Grass of August' is a superior book to 'The Help,' even if it doesn't sell three million copies."
So writes Christina Bucher in the North Carolina Literary Review about "The Dry Grass of August." Hillsborough's Anna Jean Mayhew takes...
When Bubba Cunningham was hired as Carolina's new athletic director last October, his first task was to find a football coach that would separate UNC from the scandal-plagued Butch Davis era.
Cunningham did not act like it was such a daunting...
You probably already know that it takes a village to raise a child. But did you know that the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District is recommending turning one of its best known and best loved little villages, Frank Porter Graham Elementary, into a...
Love and Rockets has probably been my favorite comic book series for over a decade now. Though it's been running since the early '80s, I didn't discover it until Penny Century #1 came out in the late 90s -- I was immediately drawn to the cover art...
If you are a parent of a rising kindergarten parent in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) district, please note that CHCCS is still accepting applications to the outstanding and innovative Chinese dual language program.
Recent press and...
A tween is the stage between middle childhood and adolescence, so from roughly 9 to 12 years of age. This can be an awkward stage as tweens bodies and minds are changing rapidly in fits and starts. They are not little children and are not yet teenagers....
Monday night, the Town Council will be reviewing a request to re-zone the corner of MLK/Historic Airport Road and Estes Drive. The project, named "Carolina Flats," proposes to develop this tract of land with a four story hotel placed right on the...
By this time next year we'll either already be enjoying our renovated, updated Chapel Hill Public Library or anxiously awaiting its imminent grand opening.
The new version of our library will be 125% the size of the old and with a huge increase in...
"You ain't never going to understand until you've been through it."
Politicians from the president on down will hear this plaintive statement when they campaign in North Carolina this year. It will happen when they talk about jobs and their...
Jason Ray was full of life. This was evident as his amazing energy transformed a simple costume into a jumping, pumping, running Rameses that made Carolina crowds cheer, wave, and shout. But Jason's life was cut short when he died in a hit-and-run...
First a quick note. Loyal readers will know that I generally publish every Sunday evening. The steady routine suits my nature. I had to leave town unexpectedly on the 13th and have just returned. Therefore, I did not publish the fifth and final...
Nothing seems to bring out the hankies like a Walmart locating near, but not in, Orange County. The local glass-one-tenth-full crowd cranks up their righteous indignation machine. These self-proclaimed financial "realists" can't see past the tax...
The way Larry Fedora likes to play football is the way Roy Williams wants to play basketball: Fast.
For the first time in 15 years, or since Mack Brown and Dean Smith ran things, Carolina may have compatible football and basketball programs. Fedora...
With room for 3,960 in its incoming class, UNC placed 2,256 students on their waitlist in 2010. Eventually they accepted 487. With room for 1,312 in their incoming class, Princeton University waitlisted 1,451 and eventually admitted 164. Of the 1,095...
This week I'm going to do a little news round-up, because a few interesting headlines hit recently. First off, let's catch up with the wonderfully wacky world of Archie! (I'm perpetually fascinated with the Archie universe.) Anyway, the big news right...
Wouldn't it be great if Carolina had a professor of African American history who actually lived through the Civil Rights struggles and the desegregation of the public schools? Wouldn't it be even better if that professor had grown up in the town...
Just curious - will you be celebrating Administrative Professionals Day (April 25) or Week (week of April 23) at your office? And if so, how?
The celebration started in 1952 and some say it is "one of the largest workplace observances outside of...
Did you know that all light has a color? Our human eye corrects for it, but when light is captured digitally or with film to make a photograph one quickly sees that different light sources have different temperatures, or colors. To become a certified...
-A column about local non-profits and politics. Fred is like most other people in Chapelboro – he has lots of opinions on everything. Prior to moving here in the early 90s, he was a career army officer and professor of political science at West Point. He and his wife have a consulting company, Black Star Strategies, Inc., focusing on leadership development and executive coaching. Active in the community, Fred serves on several boards and he is also involved with several veteran organizations and his church. On occasion, Fred substitutes for D. G. Martin on his “Who’s Talking” show where he has focused on non-profit organizations in the community. Contact Fred at fred@chapelboro.com.
-A column about good business practices. Jan has been involved with the Chapelboro business community for over 30 years, currently as the owner of Business Class, which helps leaders and their teams achieve their goals. She loves the challenge, the process and the celebrations. Jan graduated from the UNC School of Business, the Management Development Institute and the Young Executives Institute; and has earned three business and leadership coaching certifications.She is also a certified (but scaredy-cat) scuba diver, a decent skier and the very slow finisher of three marathons. She is the mother of Ryan Watts (a junior at UNC), and Nellie, the calico cat; and is married to Art Chansky.
Contact Jan at jan@chapelboro.com.
-A column about sports. Art Chansky has been a sportswriter, broadcaster, publisher and sports marketing exec since his days at UNC, when he was Sports Editor of the Daily Tar Heel. He has authored five books on Carolina and college basketball, including two on Dean Smith and one on the Duke-Carolina rivalry: Blue Blood. His broadcasting career began at WCHL in the 1970s, when his Sports Notebook commentaries signed off with the familiar phrase “See Ya!” Those commentaries have resumed on WCHL and Chapelboro.com. Chansky, with former UNC basketball player Dennis Wuycik, also started The Poop Sheet (now the ACC Sports Journal) in 1977 and opened Four Corners restaurant in 1979. In 18 years with Tar Heel Sports Marketing, Chansky created partnerships such as the Carlyle Cup, the intercollegiate competition between UNC and Duke Varsity teams. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Jan Bolick, another Chapelboro blogger, and their cat, Nellie, who does not blog. Contact Art at art@chapelboro.com
In our Chapel Hill-Carrboro community, there are 4 opinions for every 3 people. There is no shortage of strong opinions, and it's a tradition to let your opinions be heard, on WCHL's long-standing feature, "The Commentators." Now you can do a radio commentary, submit your script, and have it appear on chapelboro.com, as well. As long as you're talking about a local issue that affects local people, and as long as you're expressing an opinion for which someone out there might have an opposing view, we want to hear from you. If you can say it in 90 seconds or less, get in touch with Ron Stutts, and he'll make it happen. It's easier than you think! Contact Ron at RStutts@1360WCHL.com.
-A column about science. While studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia, Jeff learned the true reason why the sky is blue then found a way to come to Chapel Hill to study this phenomenon more closely. He has worked in both the chemical and biotech industries and is the veteran of thousands of science debates at cocktail parties and holiday dinners across the nation. In his Common Science blog, Jeff addresses technology issues, both global and local, with a focus on trends and issues which impact our lives and “should” guide the decisions of local government. He invites you to put aside your traumatic memories from high school science classes, to read the blog and join in a conversation about science and technology in Chapelboro and beyond. Contact Jeff at commonscience@chapelboro.com
-A column about the Tar Heels, the Tar Heels' town (Chapel Hill), and the Tar Heel State (North Carolina). By day (and many nights), Hampton Dellinger is an attorney with Robinson, Bradshaw. But once a week, Hampton changes hats and hosts a show on 1360 WCHL. The show’s topics have been as broad as Hampton’s interests and experiences including: law (practiced for over 17 years), government and policy (served as a top official in the NC Department of Justice and the Governor's Office), politics (received 445,000 votes when he ran for Lt. Governor), sports (played 2nd base for Chapel Hill High School), writing (has published in the Harvard Law Journal and authored a children’s book), and music (can’t play or sing but loves to listen). Contact Hampton at hampton@chapelboro.com
-A column about careers, career advice, and education. A shameless believer of human potential and a motivator to many, Kristin is as dynamic and energetic about career issues as a nice person can be. She combines real world knowledge from her many years of hiring experience in Washington, DC with a decade of college admissions experience and the results are a deep understanding of how the career process unfolds for the individual. On her show and in her column, Art of Potential, all things career related are fair game including getting educated, getting hired, and get inspired. Whether you want to know how to develop a devastatingly persuasive ‘elevator pitch’ for networking, write a ‘must read’ college essay, or discover what great things you were meant to do with your life join us. Email Kristin at Kristin@artofpotential.com.
Kids Shine is a feature of Chapelboro.com where we highlight the kids in our community that are doing amazing things every day. Whether it's a service project, an award, or public recognition, we want to tell the world! Do you have an amazing kid that you want to highlight? Let us know!
A column about comic books and graphic novels, as well as the local comics scene. A self-proclaimed comic book nerd since her early teens and former employee of Chapel Hill Comics, Alicia's first loves include Maggie from Love and Rockets, Scott Pilgrim, and Kitty Pryde.
A former college radio DJ, avid baker, and arbiter of good television, she will, no doubt, veer into other aspects of her pop culture obsessions from time to time. Alicia has been blogging about books since 2004 at her book blog Wordnerdy (wordnerdy.blogspot.com), and she hopes you will visit her there.
-A column about local business. Donnabeth Leffler is an escapee from a different medium and happy to be Chapelboro.com's savvy spender where she will look at business from a consumer’s viewpoint. Economics and business writers frequently address “Main Street” in contrast to “Wall Street. Donnabeth finds it incredibly interesting that for Chapelboro’s leaders and residents, “Main Street” isn’t’ just about economics; it’s about our quality of life. After living and working in many places, she is absolutely, completely, dazzlingly delighted to be settled in Chapel Hill and exploring all the nooks and crannies, both old and new. Contact Donnabeth at donnabeth@chapelboro.com
-A column about local non-profits. Michelle Lewis has worn many hats since graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill (1984) and UVA Law School (1987). She has been an international trade attorney in Washington (10 years), an MBA student, a director on a presidential campaign, an aide to Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, a columnist for the Chapel Hill Herald, a commentator for WCHL, and a member of the board of directors of several local nonprofits (Kidzu, Habitat, and the CH Public Library Foundation). In addition, Michelle has been homeschooling her two children, Chase and Kristin, for the past five years. Contact Michelle at michellelewis@chapelboro.com.
-A column about state and current events. D.G. Martin is smart. He is a retired lawyer, Green Beret, athlete and democratic politician. He can talk about anything and everything, and does he ever. He brings in the greatest political minds of our area… on both sides and lets them hash it out on the air. As a local writer, D.G. interviews other local writers as well. He’s talked about everything from opossums to the Holocaust. He is insightful, witty and above all intelligent. For smart, timely conversation with local guests, tune in to Who’s Talking Today. Contact D.G. at dg@chapelboro.com.
-A column about photography and the stories behind the pictures. Kristin Prelipp Oguntoyinbo, owner of KPO Photo, has spent her adult life telling stories with her camera — capturing the everyday and extraordinary with her camera lens. She graduated from the UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism and worked for The Chapel Hill News and The News & Observer before founding KPO Photo in 2001. Kristin’s passions revolve around this amazing community we live in — raising her three children, cultivating her garden, and documenting the important moments in her clients' lives. She writes about the art of photography and the local people and happenings she has met and experienced while exploring her craft. She is very open to suggestions for stories. If you know of a person or event you think deserves to be documented, please write to her at kpophoto@chapelboro.com.
-A column about local food, farms and recipes. Susan is a native North Carolinian, raised in Charlotte and has lived in Chapel Hill for many years. Obsessed with food and farmers, she looks forward to sharing tips for shopping the local farmers' markets and preparing seasonal foods using the simplest methods and techniques. After all, what could be better than fresh from the farm! Contact Susan at susan@chapelboro.com.
- A column about women in the arts. Amanda Scherle first started expressing her creativity as a toddler in the late 70’s when she decorated the insides of her father’s important books with bold strokes of Crayola. She quickly moved on to drawing and painting on blank canvases, later devoting all of her time to the performing arts. After 20+ years in the theater as an actor, writer, director, and stage manager in her home state of Indiana, Scherle changed gears in 2007 when she moved to NC and began studying all things comedic at DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro. A member of the DSI Company, she regularly writes and performs stand up, sketch, and improv. This past summer marked her filmmaking debut when she produced and directed a short film for the 48 Hour Film Festival – Greensboro. Scherle homeschools her 4 boys and manages the Eno River Farmers Market in Hillsborough. In her virtually nonexistent spare time, she serves on the HYAA Baseball/Softball board, acts as secretary for Chapel Hill Homeschoolers, and blogs for the local online women’s magazine, skirt!.
-A column about music. Ron Stutts has been waking up the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community on 1360 WCHL for decades...almost 3 and 1/2, in fact. He came to The Southern Part of Heaven in 1977, and liked it so much, he never left. He's been married to Beverly since 1982, and their son, Zac graduated from UNC-Wilmington, and now lives in Boone. Daughter, Cam is a student at NC State University in Raleigh. (Yep, it's a house divided since her mom went there, too!) Ron's originally from Rockingham, NC and has worked at several radio stations around the state. He drives his family and everyone else crazy with non-stop music references and being the host of the Morning News on Chapel Hill-Carrboro's News Talk and Tar Heels Station means he's a frustrated disk jockey, and always has a song in his head. He says that's not a bad thing though and now his new blog on Chapelboro, he’s found an outlet for all his bottled up music frustration. Contact Ron at rstutts@1360wchl.com.
-A column about fashion. When the universe continues to point you on the same path all your life, one day you finally stop and follow in that direction. Personal style and fashion forwardness have always come naturally to Kristin Tucker. She is still deciding if her unique ability to accessorize is a gift or a curse! She always considered her passion for fashion an avocation not a vocation. Until now…. In 2009, Kristin channeled her fashion energy as a style consultant for The Trunk Club, a revolutionary men’s clothing club. Now she is on the cusp of launching her own style consulting service, Details By KT. A native of the Midwest, Kristin attended journalism school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has never left the southern part of heaven. Kristin has written for Chapel Hill Magazine as a style editor and keeps busy with non-profit event planning for several philanthropies. Travel, Tar Heel sports, skiing, fitness and entertaining friends & family fill her free time. Contact Kristin at kristin@chapelboro.com
The WCHL Morning News with Ron Stutts
