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Rakestraw on diversity and folk music

KeungHui — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:37:24 -0400

It's pretty clear from Rita Rakestraw's campaign kickoff event that she really likes the diversity policy and folk music.

Rakestraw told the crowd on Thursday that a main part of her platform for the school board is protecting the diversity policy. She later ended the event by pulling out a guitar and playing a pair of folk tunes.

"I want to make sure all our schools are socioeconomicially diverse," Rakestraw said. "That is really important. In terms of academic achievement, diversity is what we need."

...The lower income kids do better on their test scores and the higher income kids do as well if not better. It's a win-win situation for everybody."

Rakestraw later took aim at her two likely opponents for the District 1 seat, Chris Malone and Debbie Vair.

"My opponents, they want to get rid of the diversity program and that's a real shame because that is our foundation for our academic success for the Wake County Schools for the past 30 years," she said. "And we can not let them get away with that."

Rakestraw did acknowledge the concerns of critics.

"I've heard from a lot of people who have problems with the school system and they're upset about different things and I know we do need change," she said. "...When I'm on the school board I'm going to make it one of my top priorities to try to reduce the busing and reduce the reassignments and try to make it so that kids don't have to go as far. But I will not leave any child behind to get there."

She then talked about supporting changes in the state curriculum to increase the study of world history and to decrease the time spent on N.C. history. That's one of the recommendations from the Wake Education Partnership's "Suspending Disbelief" report.

The last act of the event was Rakestraw's musical performance. The first song she played was one she'd written about her 2-year-old adopted son from Korea. For the second song, she asked the crowd to join her in singing "Old Blue."

"I bet you've never heard a school board candidate play folk music," she said after the applause.

New Amtrak station opens in downtown Durham Wednesday

mschultz — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:49:08 -0400

The Durham Train station will open at its new location on Wednesday.

The 10,000-square-foot depot is located in the historic Walker Warehouse Building at 601 W. Main St. The new facility replaces the interim station, which is currently located at 400 W. Chapel Hill St.

Four trains sponsored by North Carolina’s Amtrak will provide daily service to Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, eight other North Carolina cities, and to the Northeast. The expanded station hours are 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and begin on July 8. The facility offers limited short- and long-term parking.

Travelers should arrive at least 30 minutes before their train’s departure to ensure time for passenger check-in, ticketing and baggage check-in.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, July 10, to celebrate the opening of the station. The public is invited to attend.

North Carolina’s Amtrak Piedmont and Carolinian trains are sponsored by the N.C. Department of Transportation and paid for through state funding, Amtrak and passenger fares. Complete schedule and train information is available at bytrain.org or by calling 1-800-BYTRAIN. Reservations are required. Passengers should book early for best fares.

CRIZZLE'S CRITICAL CONIDITION, Or The Day I Realized Some Republicans Do Know What They're Talking About!!!

Crizz — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:43:34 -0400

Today's installment of the Condition is part one of a 55-minute conversation I had with Victor J. Morton. By day, Morton is the national editor of The Washington Times. But, on the Interwebs, he's known among film nerds as Rightwing Film Geek, an arch-conservative who has a very unique (dare I say, liberal!) taste in movies.

While I expected our conversation to be an engaging one, I didn't expect it to leave my head buzzing. The man practically talked circles around me, making me feel like I was going on a short yellow bus to nowhere.

The man knows his movies, as you will hear in this podcast, recorded a couple of weeks ago. (I say this because I make a mention of a certain Chapel Hill theater that at the time existed when we talked.) Victor and I touch on everything, from to this year's lousy batch of Oscar nominees (especially the "very well-made lie" that was "Frost/Nixon") to movies geared to a conservative audience to why Alexander Dovzhenko's 1930 film "Earth" is one of the greatest movies of all time to why he thinks "The Girlfriend Experience" is one of the more fascinating movie experiences he's seen this year.

This man left me in awe. You'll probably leave this thing with the same impression I still have: Victor J. Morton just may be the coolest Republican alive!

COMING FRIDAY: Part two, where Vic and I get into the sham that is "Easy Virtue," the underrated genius of Harold Lloyd and why Beavis and Butthead just may be the greatest critics who ever existed.

Southern Vance seeks volleyball coach

timstevens — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:55:20 -0400

Southern Vance is seeking a girls volleyball coach for the fall.

Veteran coach Darlynn Oxendine has taken a coaching position in Virginia, according to Raiders athletics director Ed Wilson.

"She had retired and didn't want to give up her retirement," Wilson said. "She can go to Virginia and coach and keep her retirement here."

Defining 'togetherness' when 'teen' is in the mix

bwheeler — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:48:12 -0400

Many Americans admit that they are spending less time with members of their households. A brief in the June 16 paper linked the dwindling togetherness with the increasing use of the Internet and the popularity of social networking sites. What the story didn't say was whether it counts as togetherness when your teen is sitting at the computer updating her Facebook page while you're sitting 3 feet away on the couch watching Jeopardy.

Murphy-less Apex wins UNCW team camp

jmikeblake — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:25:59 -0400

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone in the area if I said that Apex won the team camp at UNCW a few weeks ago. After all, some self-proclaimed pundit picked them to win the Tri-9 next season.

But what should surprise you is that the Cougars did it without its best player, returning first team All-Tri-Eight forward Weston Murphy.

That's bad news for the rest of the conference, and certainly doesn't make me want to waver on my prediction. Needless to say, I'm already looking forward to next year's Apex-Lee County games, featuring the only Tri-9 coaches to lead a team to the state championship game in Reggie Peace (2003) and Dave Neal (2008).

Seniors Adam Dalbo and Carson Bowen (6-2 and 6-4 respectively) both filled in at the forward spots to give the Cougars enough production to win it all in Wilmington. Couple that with returning seniors Connor Belicic and Mike Fogg - plus junior Sunil Ram - and Apex can go seven-deep with little drop-off.

So can Lee County, however. And given recent developments at Green Hope, I may have to re-do my rankings once more. Just keep stopping by the SWakeSports blog, and you'll be sure to see it.

A Duke prof and the bonobo

eferreri — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:55:31 -0400

And now for some lighter fare....

Brian Hare, who is not pictured at this link to his bio, is a Duke researcher and a big fan of the bonobo.

Don't know what a bonobo is? You're not alone.

To summarize: The bonobo is a rare primate quite similar in a lot of ways to the chimpanzee.

But there are some key differences as well, mostly related to sex.

Yes, sex.

Interested yet?

Stewart not back for awhile

jmikeblake — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:48:30 -0400

RailHawks coach Martin Rennie ended any discussion on whether or not defender Jack Stewart would be cleared to practice this weekend, the eighth week after he broke his right fibula against Miami, saying Stewart is unlikely to return this month, and will be out most of next month as well.

The injury was originally deemed to sideline Stewart 8-10 weeks. This Saturday would've been exactly eight weeks after the injury, while the 25th of July would've been 10 weeks after the fact.

“It’s looking more like the end of August, until he’s really better,” Rennie said. “There’s a plate in his bone that still has to be removed, so he’s got a bit to go.”

Stewart had four screws and a plate inserted to repair the damage.

If by "the end of August" Rennie meant around 8/22 for a road contest at Rochester, then Stewart would be returning 14 weeks after his injury, or four behind schedule.

Michael Jackson memorial service coverage on TV

brookecain — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:43:56 -0400

Television is going to a full court press Tuesday for Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles, and the city of Raleigh plans a special tribute service as well.

For CBS, Katie Couric is already in LA for two straight days of coverage. She'll anchor the evening news from the Staples Center tonight and tomorrow night, plus a special episode of "48 Hours" Tuesday night at 10pm. The CBS "Early Show" will also broadcast from LA.

"Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts is already reporting from LA for ABC, and Charlie Gibson will anchor from LA on Tuesday.

NBC, ABC, CNN/Headline News, FOX, MSNBC, E!, TV One and TV Guide Channel will all pre-empt regular broadcasting (that means soaps!) Tuesday at 1pm EST for the Jackson service. CBS hasn't officially announced they will cut into regular programming for the service, but most likely they will.

E! and TV Guide will also stream coverage from their websites.

Expect the cable news outlets to go with Jackson coverage all day Tuesday. TV One will rebroadcast the service at 7pm and 10pm.

Locally, the city of Raleigh has organized a tribute service for Michael Jackson beginning Tuesday at noon at the Raleigh Convention Center downtown. Special guests will remember Jackson with prayer and songs. A viewing of the service in LA will take place on jumbo screens.

Rocky Mount names Dickie Schock

timstevens — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:43:31 -0400

Rocky Mount High has named Richard "Dickie: Schock as its new football coach.

Schock is moving from Orange High school where he led the Panthers to their first winning record in 16 years and first conference championship in 24 years.

He succeeds B.W. Holt, who retired.

George's Garage is no more

jaydub — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:41:01 -0400

George's Garage is gone. The Ninth Street institution served its final dish last Friday.

Its lease was up, and the building's owners — Clay Hamner and Terry Sanford Jr. — plan to use the property in a redevelopment project, according to Giorgios Hospitality Group, which had operated George's for 15 years.

George's Garage was a combination cafeteria/bakery/takeout/bar/serving restaurant. With its closing, restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias said he has "a very exciting new concept ... on the drawing board."

Bakatsias's company owns or operates several other eating places in Durham and Chapel Hill, among them Vin Rouge, Parizade and the Nasher Art Museum cafe.

NCSU student drowns at Jordan Lake

eferreri — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:26:54 -0400

A senior at N.C. State drowned this weekend while swimming at Jordan Lake.

Stephen Russell, 23, died Sunday.

Details here.

Clement, Drew, Woodard open filing season

jaydub — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:23:39 -0400

Incumbent City Council members Howard Clement and Mike Woodard, and challenger Matt Drew, made themselves official candidates in the first hour of filing for Durham city election this morning.

Drew, chairman of the Durham County Libertarian Party but a first-time candidate for office in Durham, is running against Clement for the Ward 2 seat representing southern Durham. Clement, longest-serving council member in Durham history, has held a council seat since 1983.

Woodard has held the Ward 3 seat, representing western and part of northern Durham, since 2005.

The seat for Ward 1, central and most of northern Durham, and the mayor's chair, are also up for election this fall. Incumbents Cora Cole-McFadden and Bill Bell, respectively, have said they plan to stand for re-election.

Ward council members must reside in the areas they represent, but are voted on at-large.

If more than two candidates file for any one seat, there will be a primary election Oct. 6. The top two vote-getters then face each other in the general election Nov. 3.

Filing for the election remains open until noon July 17.

Perry Woods helping Rakestraw for school board

KeungHui — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:11:20 -0400

Rita Rakestraw is getting some help for her campaign run for the District 1 school board seat.

Rakestraw is being assisted by Democratic political strategist Perry Woods. He's also working with Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and several Democratic candidates for City Council.

Here's the press release from Woods, an occasional poster on the blog, about Rakestraw filing today:

Rakestraw to file for District 1 School Board Seat

Knightdale – Asked to run for School Board by Knightdale Mayor, Russell Killen, Rita Rakestraw will file today at 11:00 am for the District 1 Board of Education Seat, currently held by retiring Lori Millberg, at the Wake County Board of Elections Office at on 337 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27601. A Child Development Specialist, former teacher, and parent is a fresh voice for Eastern Wake County who will listen and work for needed rational changes while protecting economic diversity within our schools. Rita has been active in the Community as President of C.A.R.E., Citizens Against Residential Encroachment, and has been a advocate for developers helping to pay more of the costs of growth.

Should universities pay search firms?

eferreri — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:53:17 -0400

On the News & Observer's editorial page today, some skepticism over the continual use of search firms by public universities.

UNC Chapel Hill is once again using a search firm, this time to find its next provost. Soon, we'll be reporting on N.C. State's hiring of a search firm to aid in its upcoming search for a new chancellor.

These companies aren't cheap. Or, better put, they don't seem cheap. UNC-CH is paying William Funk, a well-regarded search consultant, at least $72,800 for his services. That's a lot of money to me, and it's probably a lot of money to you, too. But university leaders routinely say it's worth the money to find the best candidate; a provost is an institution's chief academic officer, a massive job.

And, these bills are usually paid with private money, not state appropriations, so technically, the state university isn't spending state money.

So what do you think? Is it money well spent?

What to Watch on Monday: We heart Kathy Griffin's mom

brookecain — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0400

Bachelorette (8pm, ABC) - Jillian (left) takes the final four dudes to Spain. According to previews, one man has "performance anxiety" issues, and Wes makes a verbal slip when referring to his girlfriend. Uh, we mean ex-girlfriend.

The Closer (9pm, TNT) - While Brenda investigates the murder of a young gang member, she has to try to convince the community that her department cares about crime in poor neighborhoods. It sounds like that irritating LA Times reporter will be in this episode.

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (10pm, Bravo) - Kathy encourages her mom to make a Bucket List, and then strikes off on Maggie's dream vacation of visiting the California wine country, where she meets heroes Don Rickles and Betty White. Last week's episode where Kathy hired her 88-year-old mother to run her "Faceplace" page was classic. Her mom posted updates about wine sales at Trader Joe's and made a couple of videos in which she appeared to be intoxicated. Kathy fired her. There are a some clips online at Bravo.

Post 71 to face Cary in Divisional Legion Semifinal

dclaybest — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:08:58 -0400

The Johnston County-based Post 71 Sabres will face Cary Post 67 in the second round of the American Legion Baseball Area I West playoffs. Cary hosts Game 1 tonight at Cary High School.

Durham Post 7 meets North Raleigh Post 297 — which eliminated Garner Post 232 — in the other divisional semifinal, which begins tonight as well at Riverside High School.

We'll post the full divisional semi schedule later today.

Karen Simon to run for Wake school board

KeungHui — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0400

Supporters of the diversity policy may have found a champion to carry on for outgoing school board member Patti Head.

Karen Simon, who says she'll "focus on investing in the best possible education for Wake County students" will run for Head's District 7 seat. She's allied with District 1 school board candidate Rita Rakestraw, an outspoken advocate of the diversity policy.

Here's Simon's press release:

July 4, 2009

Raleigh, NC – Wake County resident Karen Simon will be a candidate for Wake County Board of Education, District 7. Simon, a Grants Manager for the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, will file papers Monday with the Board of Elections making her candidacy certain. She lives in Raleigh with her two children who attend Wake County Public Schools.

Simon has a Masters of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management from Indiana Institute of Technology. She is a 2009 graduate of The Institute of Political Leadership. During her campaign, Simon will focus on investing in the best possible education for Wake County Students.

“My message is a simple message. I believe whatever issues Wake County Schools have, we should be able to work on them together as a community investing in the best education for every Wake County student, in every Wake County school.” Simon said. “This includes seeking new and creative strategies to maximize the reduced resources allocated to schools due to the recent budget cuts.”

Rakestraw said she and Simon plan to work together during this year's campaign. She said they plan to show up at the Wake County Board of Elections at the same time today to file for office.

The filing period opens at 8:30 a.m. It ends noon July 17.

Simon would run against Deborah Prickett, the character education consultant for the state Department of Public Instruction. Prickett has been backed by the Wake Schools Community Alliance, a critic of the diversity policy.

As noted in the latest issue of the Independent, school board supporters are trying to recruit a successor to Head, who supported the diversity policy.

District 7 covers Morrisville, part of Cary and northwest Raleigh.

UPDATE

Looks like there's been a change of plans. Rakestraw and Simon are now planning on filing separately today.

Green Hope basketball in transition

jmikeblake — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:56:49 -0400

As if losing senior starters/contributors Shawn Shaffer, Sam Archer and Justin Beaudin wasn't hard enough to deal with, the Green Hope men's basketball team will also lose two underclassmen returning starters for next year.

Rising junior point guard Kammeron Bryant has moved into Panther Creek's area, and will start for the Catamounts next year (we'll have a story on that in the near future).

Players have also told me that returning senior starter small forward Mo Somadjabi will be transferring to South Wake Academy next year.

The losses add up to 81 percent of the Falcons' scoring from last year.

The good news is just as someone exits the door, another one comes in. Green Hope will add transfer forward Tariq Forte next year.

Forte comes from Long Island, N.Y., where his Roslyn High team finished runner-up in the Long Island title. Forte scored a season-high 12 points in the final game, and had a season-high 11 rebounds in a game in February.

He rarely scored in double-digits, but considering he was only a sophomore and teammate George Beamon (now a freshman at Manhattan) averaged a whopping 34 points per game, that's not saying he won't be a big-time contributor on a depleted Green Hope team.

One big reason why not to count out Green Hope is that they will return the league's dominant junior varsity squad, spearheaded by 6-7 Max Povse.

Povse, who said he was planning on playing both basketball and baseball next year (despite rumors that he's going to focus on baseball where he throws 87 mph), is a rising junior who scored 17 points in his only varsity game last year (in the first round of the playoffs as a starter), should give the Falcons a go-to guy in the post.

Povse could be a big reason why Green Hope, which finished 9-17 last year, will have a better record this year despite losing an entire starting lineup which only included three seniors. That, and Athens Drive, Panther Creek and Middle Creek all lost Division I players (PC lost 3, MC lost 2).

One opposing coach told me last year Povse might've been the bestplayer at the school, so I have no idea why it took him all year to beon the varsity. But I do have an idea how Green Hope will do next year, and it'll be pretty good (but behind Apex and Lee County).

Alumni News: Josh Hamilton voted to second All-Star game

jmikeblake — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:00:22 -0400

America hasn't had enough of the Josh Hamilton story. That much can be assumed after the former Athens Drive High star, despite missing half of this season with injuries, received more than 2.4 million votes to the American League All-Star team.

Hamilton had the third-highest total of any outfielder, which, if healthy enough to play, gives him a starting spot in the MLB All-Star game on July 14 game in St. Louis.

Hamilton is currently on the disabled list with after having surgery on June 9 to repair a torn abdominal muscle, but could be back with the Rangers as soon as Monday.

Hamilton, out since June 2, is hitting .240 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 35 games for the Rangers this season.

He is playing for the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks on rehabilitation assignment this weekend. The RedHawks' game was rained out on Saturday, delaying his return to the major leagues. The RedHawks are scheduled to play two seven-inning games today.

Hamilton was 2-for-20 in his four-game rehabilitation assignment heading into Sunday's RedHawks games, prompting Rangers manager Ron Washington to push back his return to the big leagues.

"We just want him right when he comes back," Washington told MLB.com. "As long as he feels good, that's all that matters. It's hard to predict. We just gotta wait and see how he's doing. If that means a couple of extra days, it's another couple of days."

Hamilton, who made a huge splash in the home run derby last season when he hit a record 28 homers in the first round and finished second to Minnesota's Justin Morneau in the final round, has said that he will play in the All-Star Game if elected to start but would not participate in the long-ball showcase this year.

Hamilton voted to AL All-Star team

woodo1 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:55:50 -0400

Josh Hamilton and the feel-good story of his battle back from substance abuse problems continues to make the former Athens Drive High star one of the most popular players in baseball.

Despite missing more than half of the Texas Rangers' games this season because of injuries, Hamilton received 2,412,359 fan votes for the All-Star Game to rank third among American League outfielders and grab a starting spot for the July 14 game in St. Louis.

Hamilton is currently on the disabled list with after having surgery on June 9 to repair a torn abdominal muscle, but could be back with the Rangers as soon as Monday.

Hamilton, out since June 2, is hitting .240 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 35 games for the Rangers this season.

Hamilton was 2-for-20 in his four-game rehabilitation assignment heading into Sunday's RedHawks games, prompting Rangers manager Ron Washington to push back his return to the big leagues.

What to Watch on Sunday: Lancelot saves Merlin

brookecain — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0400

Merlin (8pm, NBC) - Merlin is saved from a magical winged creature by young Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera), and then tries to help Lancelot become a knight in King Arthur's court.

Army Wives (10pm, Lifetime) - Chase comes home early but has difficulty readjusting, and Joan decideds to christen her baby before she's deployed.

Iron Chef America (10pm, Food) - A showdown between New York Chef Sue Torres and Iron Chef Bobby Flay. Judges are Isaac Mizrahi, Mark Bittman, and Isabel Gonzalez.

Not bringing in the Grade Doctor

KeungHui — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0400

The "Grade Doctor" won't be making any house calls to Wake County.

As noted in today's article, school administrators have broken off contract negotiations with education consultant Ken O'Connor, who calls himself "The Grade Doctor." Administrators had been hoping to hire him to speak with teachers as part of the district's review of middle school and high school grading practices.

At a cost of as much as $6,000 a day for up to eight days, the contract negotiations had become controversial.

"We're not contracting Ken O'Connor to come to Wake County," said Ken Branch, Wake's senior director for middle school programs.

Branch declined to elaborate any further. Whether it was O'Connor's price tag, especially during this era of budget cuts, or his recommendations, is debatable.

O'Connor thinks the deal was dropped because of the budget situation.

Kevin Hill, chairman of the school board, said he hadn't know that administrators had decided not to go ahead with the contract. But he said he agreed with the decision in light of the budget.

Even without O'Connor's presence, the grading practice review will still go on.

"Holy Smoke" barbecue authors on NC Bookwatch

brookecain — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0400

"Holy Smoke" authors John Shelton Reed and his wife Dale Volberg Reed are the first guests on the 12th season premiere of "North Carolina Bookwatch," Sunday at 5pm on UNC-TV.

The Reeds, who live in Chapel Hill, will discuss their book and what they call "barbeculture" with Bookwatch host DG Martin.

"Holy Smoke" traces the origins of North Carolina barbecue and examines the bitter rivalry between Eastern and Western style pork. The book also looks at traditional barbecue side dishes, provides recipes, and interviews those who cook 'cue for a living.

"North Carolina Bookwatch" airs on UNC-TV each Sunday at 5pm.

Post 71 moves on, will face Cary or Apex

dclaybest — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:38:42 -0400

The Post 71 Sabres of Johnston County downed Raleigh Post 1 17-4 on Friday night to move on in the American Legion Baseball Area I West Division playoffs. Post 71 will meet the winner between Apex and Cary in a second round series, beginning Monday night.

Dear Plagiarist: You can't fool me

eferreri — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:46:12 -0400

In Inside Higher Ed, we have an essay today from professor to student explaining why plagiarism is such a stupid idea.

The letter is written by a Hofstra University professor explaining why academic cheating is self-defeating.

He writes in part:

"The opposite of academic honesty is not actually academic dishonesty; it's dishonesty that is decidely unacademic. To commit is to suggest that you don't understand, or don't value, the kind of education for which you (or your parents) are paying so much. The problem is not so much rule breaking as point missing."

Read the whole article here.

Season's greetings from X: Hey, baby, it's the 4th of July

dmenconi — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:45:00 -0400

Be sure to have a good one, folks -- and remember to be careful out there.

What to Watch on Saturday: Fireworks and Ashes of American Flags

brookecain — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0400

There's special 4th of July holiday programming still going on, including fun TV show marathons and local and national fireworks celebrations. Other stuff...

Wilco: Ashes of American Flags (6pm, Sundance) - If you're lucky enough to have the Sundance Channel, you can see the 2008 film by Chicago rock band Wilco, featuring interviews and concert footage. Totally jealous.

Dave Chapelle: Killin' Them Softly (9pm, Comedy Central) - Chapelle's classic June 2000 show from the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C., includes bits on "Sesame Street," terrorism, gangs, and voting.

Eli Stone (10pm, ABC) - Eli helps a roomservice waiter who was laid off from a failed company that paid its CEO a multimillion-dollar golden parachute deal.

North Raleigh eliminates Garner

dclaybest — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:43:56 -0400

North Raleigh Post 297 ended Garner Post 232's season with a 4-2 victory on Friday night, giving Post 297 a 3-1 series victory.

Maggie of Carrboro's Maggie's Muffins dies

mschultz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:09 -0400

She went to Julliard and played viola in Mozart’s motherland, but she was best known for her muffins, staff writer Jesse DeConto writes in this Sunday's Chapel Hill News.

Margaret Alice Middleton died last month, just three weeks shy of her 65th birthday. From 1987 to 1997, “Maggie” and her life partner Jane Hamborsky built a business from selling muffins at the Carrboro Farmer’s Market to running Maggie’s Cafe & Espresso Bar, a European-style eatery famous for Jane’s espresso milkshakes and Maggie’s chicken salad sandwiches.

“She got her juniper berries from Yugoslavia for that,” Jane said this week. “She was real picky about what went into it. The juniper berries were her magical little secret that a lot of people wouldn’t even think of.”

Maggie fought off cancer beginning in 1998, but a recent MRI found a tumor on her spine. Hamborsky said she died of a heart attack in her sleep. A celebration of life service and funeral will be held at 3 p.m. on her birthday, Friday, July 10, at Chapel of the Cross.

Read more about Maggie in Sunday's Chapel Hill News.

Coming tomorrow in The Durham News

mschultz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:50:38 -0400

Here's a look at tomorrow's headlines:

(But first, read tomorrow's N&O for stories on the first day of the Eno Festival and a follow-up to staff writer Stanley Chambers' story on the shooting of a Durham police officer Thursday. These stories came too late to get into the Saturday Durham News).

LET THE FILING BEGIN: It's shaping up to be a quiet municipal election season. Of course you never know until the actual filing begins. One name we'll be watching for? Donald Hughes. The son of former Councilwoman Jackie Wagstaff has been a rumored candidate. It will be interesting to see if he makes it official.

WATTS HAPPENING: (Darn, I wish I thought of that headline yesterday.) Read staff writer Jim Wise's story on the 60th anniversary of the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Independence Day Parade. A slice of Americana so pure one booster dares you attend without a tear in your eye.

BLUES TICKETS: Organizers of the Bull Durham Blues Festival have extended their early ticket discount. When I asked why, they said "You know why." It's the economy, of course. So buy your tickets Saturday or Monday. You'll save 10 to 20 bucks and support a hometown cause. (I looooved headliner Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" when I was in high school.)

BRONTO REDUX: I don't know if the Museum of Life and Science is shielding well-connected names as some of my more cynical colleagues surmise. I do know the museum started as a children's museum and still has the best interests of young people at heart -- even if some of those young people took a hack saw or a chainsaw or a really big knife to the beloved bronto on Ellerbe Creek.

There's plenty more, including Minister Paul Scott on why black people should not celebrate July Fourth and Flo Johnston on faith. And cartoonist Dennis Draughon gets a chuckle out of Coach K's promise to never, ever leave Duke.

I'm seeing "Jersey Boys" tomorrow! Have a great Fourth.

And thanks for reading,

Mark

Michael Jackson memorial service: It's on

dmenconi — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:23:44 -0400

With a public memorial service for Michael Jackson set for Tuesday in Los Angeles, the accompanying remembrance service in Raleigh is back on.

"Yes, we are going forward with it," says co-organizer Bruce Lightner. Originally, Jackson's funeral was going to happen today at his Neverland complex in California. But that was canceled after county officials declined to issue the necessary permits. So local organizers also canceled the Raleigh event, which had been set for 2 p.m. today at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek.

Now the local program is happening at the Raleigh Convention Center, starting at noon Tuesday with an hour of performances by the Martin Luther King All-Children's Choir and other groups. A video feed of the funeral services at Los Angeles' Staples Center will take center stage at 1 p.m., simulcast on video screens in the convention center.

Admission is $5 to cover expenses. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday at the Raleigh Convention Center box office, and also at the Progress Energy Center box office.

Orange County considers drive-thru ban

mschultz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:41:00 -0400

That cheesburger and fries may be doing more harm than to your waistline.

On his blog Leading from the Left, Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson laments the county board's recent failure to ban new drive-thru windows in its jurisdiction.

Sure, they’re convenient. But when a car idles for an hour, Nelson says, it emits nearly 4 lbs of CO2. “Of course, we don't idle our cars for an hour at any one time. But add up how many cars are idling in line at a fast-food restaurant the next time you drive past or at the bank.”

The proposed ban failed by a 3-4 vote. Nelson, Bernadette Pellisier and Alice Gordon voted for the proposal. After the vote failed, Commissioner Barry Jacobs moved to discuss the matter again in the fall and requested additional information.

"He may eventually vote for a ban, so the battle is not yet lost,” Nelson says.

So You Think You Can Dance: results show

adriennj — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:55 -0400

Guest blogger Lenni G. gives you the scoop:

Nice opening routine tonight from Tyce Diorio - lots of dance gimmicks and tricks.

Cat called Karla and Vitolio and Randi and Evan to the stage. I was really pleased that Randi and Evan were declared safe since they were victims of what I thought was some "iffy" choreography the night before. Karla and Vitolio, both of whom had been in the bottom three numerous times, were once again in the danger zone.

Next three called up were Janette and Brandon, Kayla and Kupono, and Melissa and Ade. Mia was beside herself when Kayla and Kupono were put in danger saying their contemporary dance on Wednesday was "the best of the night. We can't lose you." My personal favs, Melissa and Ade, as well as Janette and Brandon, made it through for another week of what I hope will be spectacular performances from them.

The final group of two were Jeanine and Phillip, and Caitlyn and Jason. Cheering loudly in the audience were Caitlyn's aunt, mom and cousin waving signs that read, "Aliens for Caitlyn." And, with the combined vote from the "aliens" and the rest of the American public, Caitlyn and Jason also survived the really, really bizarre choreography from the night before. Jeanine and Phillip, recently taken "off the chain," became the final bottom three couple.

While the bottom three couples prepared for solos, we were treated to, and I do mean TREATED TO, a fabulous contemporary ballet routine from professional dancers, Patricia and Desmond. As Mary Murphy would say, "Holy Cow," what an incredibly unique dance moment. I want more of this really good stuff. After the solos, and while the judges were debating, Kelly Clarkson, best known as the first American Idol, sang her latest. She was cute.

The judges' decisions were unanimous this time for both the girls and the boys. Nigel called Jeanine's solo the strongest of the night, said Kayla was a fan favorite but that her solo was static, and told Karla that, while she is a good dancer, she really has not "captured star quality" yet. So Karla, after four out of four possible bottoms threes, hit the Bye Bye Train, looking desperately for "star quality" along the way.

For the boys, Nigel called Phillip unique and declared him superb at his style (IMHO, the only style he can dance), told Vitolio he had presence and great carriage but he just didn't deliver, and let Kupono know that his solo was weak. But, "weak" Kupono and one-style Phillip made it to next week, putting Vitolio on the BBT looking for his inner FedEx, otherwise known as the ability to deliver.

So fellow 4th of July celebrators, no new couples next week. Think it might be Kayla and Kupono's turn to "hit the Bye Bye rails."

As promised, here's a bit more information on the announcement on Wednesday night. Nigel, Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Katie Holmes have started the "Dizzy Feet Foundation" to benefit struggling dancers and the dance community in general. To further promote this new organization, Katie Holmes, channeling Judy Garland, will be featured in a Tyce Diorio Broadway routine on the anniversary of the l00th episode of SYTYCD. Set your Tivos now for Thursday, July 23rd - this will definitely be a keeper.

And, want more details on the Dizzy Feet? Go to DizzyFeetFoundation.org

TV viewing over the July 4th holiday weekend

brookecain — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:38:14 -0400

You can't be at the pool/beach/park/slippy-slide all the time, so here are some 4th of July TV viewing options.

Marathons!
Nothing says holiday weekend like TV marathons, and we love it when someone does all the work for us. The blog Interesting Pile (a highly addictive blog that compiles random lists like 7 great sci-fi chase scenes and 12 disturbing vintage ads) has put together a list of TV marathons this weekend, including our favorite holiday standby, "Law & Order." But some other marathons caught our eye, too: "Martin," James Bond, "Ice Road Truckers," "The Cake Boss," "Twilight Zone," and many others.

Capital Fourth
Jimmy Smits hosts the "Nation's Capital Independence Day Celebration" at 8pm on PBS/UNC-TV. Live from the West Lawn of the US Capital, the special features a concert with Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Michael Feinstein, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Sesame Street gang, and more.

Macy's Fireworks
Fireworks on the 4th from New York City featuring performances by Rob Thomas, Jewel, and the cast of "West Side Story." NBC at 9pm.

Local Fireworks!
News 14 Carolina will broadcast both the NC State Fair fireworks and the Uptown Charlotte fireworks live Saturday night. Starting around 9:15pm, the Raleigh fireworks begin, and then "Red, White, and Boom! 2009" (Charlotte gave theirs a name!! Come on, Raleigh!) will start from the Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Avoid traffic, watch 'em both from your couch, and decide who has the best.

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular
Craig Ferguson hosts the Charles River celebration Saturday night, featuring Neil Diamond performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Finale has fireworks accompanied by "1812 Overture." CBS at 10pm.

7 steps for saving the Varsity Theatre

mschultz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:03:41 -0400

I go away on one week's furlough and my gym and the Varsity both close ... I'm trying out Carolina Fitness this week (what do people think of it?), but what am I gonna do about my movie venues?

Bryan Grossman, a former Varsity employee and 2009 UNC poli sci grad wrote to us after our recent coverage of the downtown movie theater. He says he thinks a downtown theater can still work and that owner Bruce Stone could have done more to keep it going.

"I feel as though a lot of the reasons for its financial demise have been overlooked," he writes. "There are some simple reasons why people did not attend movies there more often. I don't think it is really an issue of arthouse vs. non arthouse."

Here are his suggestions for what we now have to hope will be a new owner:

1. Accept credit cards
2. Promote films playing there (if only through fliers around town).
3. Use the space for more events that the business owner could rent out.
4. Better compensate employees (at least get something beyond the measly tip glass) 5. Encourage more friendly service.
6. Truly gauge which movies will work in the area and which will not.
7. Have an open house poster sale and advertise this sale throughout town.

What do you think? In the age of Netflix and buck-a-flick boxes at Harris Teeter, can downtown Chapel Hill support a movie theater? Tell us and if we get enough signed responses we'll print them in a future issue.

Still no applicants for the school board vacancy

KeungHui — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0400

The response has been really overwhelming so far to replace Rosa Gill on the school board.

As of Thursday afternoon, school administrators said they hadn't received a single application for the District 4 Southeast Raleigh vacancy on the school board. The deadline is noon on July 20th so there's still time.

The last time there was a vacancy, 10 people applied in 2001 for the opening in District 8 in southwest Wake. Applicants included a former Wake school board member, the president and president-elect of the Wake County PTA Council and the chairman of the Wake County Planning Board.

Board members ultimately chose Jeff York, a lesser known applicant who had stressed his business background. York was defeated at the ballot box in 2003 when he ran against Ron Margiotta, who had been one of the applicants in 2001.

This time around, community activist Venita Peyton has announced she'll apply for Gill's seat.

Other names that have been mentioned as possible candidates include Lillian Lee, the retired principal of Rolesville Elementary School; Alice Garrett, a retired administrator and former principal of Carroll Middle School; Jonica Rowland, an active PTA volunteer; and the Rev. Johnny Darden, who mentors at-risk students

School board members hope to fill the position by next month. The new board member would finish out Gill's term, which expires November 2011.

Stewart working towards return; Rennie on three trialists

jmikeblake — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:37:03 -0400

RailHawks defender Jack Stewart was pacing the sidelines at Tuesday's scrimmage against Panama's national team, still wearing a big, black cast on the leg he broke in a 2-0 win on May 16.

At first, the loss of Stewart was hardly noticeable. The RailHawks reeled off four straight wins (including non-USL-1 competition) and outscored opponents 7-1. In the six games since, the RailHawks have gone 1-3-2 and tied opponents 7-7 over that span.

Head coach Martin Rennie said Rennie has been rehabbing extremely well, and hopes to have him back in the lineup soon. Stewart was initially deemed out 8-10 weeks. Eight weeks from May 16 would be next Saturday, July 11.

"We're hoping that he'll be back for some of the main games at the end of the season," Rennie said. Rennie added Stewart has been conditioning in the pool and weight room as he awaits clearance to play.

"We'll just have to see how it goes. If he can get healthy, he'll be a big addition," Rennie said. "If things go well you'd like to work him in little by little."

RailHawks coach Martin Rennie discussed each of the three trialists after Tuesday's friendly against Panama's national team. Reading between the lines, it seems doubtful Ogunmade will stick, but that Tim Regan and Chad Burt have decent chances of being signed on for the rest of the year (none are on contract yet).

Tim Regan: "He's a very good player. He's played in the MLS. He's played 80 or 90 first-team games in the MLS. He's just moved to the area and we're hoping to have him help us out a little bit and you saw tonight how well he organized and he defended."

Daniel Ogunmade: "He's a good player, too. We've got a lot of left backs, so it'll be difficult for him, but we're hoping we can help him somewhere else."

Chad Burt: "He's an indoor player. He's been playing professional indoor. He's a guy we're looking at over the next month."

What to Watch on Friday: Unintentional food theme emerges

brookecain — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0400

Chopping Block (8pm, NBC) - The contestants must shop for ingredients in Little Italy and then prepare a meal for Italian customers, who include Vincent Pastore and Mario Batali (left).

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (8pm, Fox) - One of the contestants is competitive eating champion Joey Chestnutt.

Dance Your Ass Off (9pm, Oxygen) - A repeat of the debut of Oxygen's popular new reality series in which twelve plus-size contestants dance to shed pounds and compete for $100,000. The show is hosted by Tony Award-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who also competed on "Dancing with the Stars." New shows air on Mondays at 10pm.

Aerosmith rocks on

dmenconi — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:15:00 -0400

After four decades as a band, the members of Aerosmith aren't exactly young anymore. In fact, they've had to call off some dates on this summer's tour due to unspecified health issues. We'll see if the Raleigh show scheduled for Tuesday comes off. But Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton is just glad to be back on the road at all, after a bout of throat cancer in 2006.

"I had to go through a nightmare of treatment, but so far so good," Hamilton said in a recent interview. "I'm almost to the three-year point, so it's all good. I never had much appetite, and I do have to put more thought into that now. But when you're radiating that area, it's not like it's a part that only gets used once in a while. Your throat is always busy."

For more, see the interview in Friday's paper.

Singler: Duke may play zone in 2009-10

kentysiac — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0400

DURHAM — Junior forward Kyle Singler floated a possibility that seems to make sense for Duke’s unusually configured 2009-10 basketball team.

"What we’ve been talking about... is we might be playing a little more zone this year than in years past,” Singler said during an exclusive interview Thursday. “That might not be the way Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] wants to do it, but with the personnel that we have, we are a big team.”

Krzyzewski is known to disdain zone defenses and prefer a high-pressure man-to-man. But over the last three years or so, since he became involved with the U.S. Olympic team, Krzyzewski has softened his stance.

In 2007-08, Duke dabbled in a matchup zone Krzyzewski called “Orange” in honor of his close friend, Jim Boeheim. At Syracuse, Boeheim often uses a matchup zone to keep opponents out of the lane.

Last season, the Blue Devils experimented with a zone trap briefly at Georgia Tech and for a longer sequence at Boston College in a loss when they were struggling to defend opposing point guards.

Over the past few seasons, Krzyzewski also has taken pride in his willingness to change strategy to fit his personnel. In 2009-10, Duke’s personnel might be suited to a zone.

Now that guard Elliot Williams has transferred to Memphis, the Blue Devils have few options in terms of players who can pressure the ball. Kyle Singler’s move to small forward at 6-foot-9 means Duke will have a big lineup that will be difficult for opponents to shoot over if the Blue Devils play a zone.

"When you see big guys in that zone with their hands up, it takes a lot of space,” Singler said. “Teams, you don’t practice against it because you don’t have the size. It’s something teams don’t see day in and day out.”

Singler said Krzyzewski has discussed the idea with the team. During his yearly summer news conference on Tuesday, Krzyzewski mentioned that the Blue Devils will have to change the way they defend, but didn’t specifically talk about playing zone.

"You adjust to the people you have,” Krzyzewski said. “So I don’t see us picking up full-court man and dogging somebody with Kyle on a 5-11 guy. We’re not going to do that. You just figure out a little bit different way of playing your defense.”

Playing a lot of zone would certainly be different for Krzyzewski. Singler said it’s a good idea. With just two true guards — Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith — on a roster that includes a wealth of forwards, Krzyzewski is going to have to be creative.

That might mean playing some defenses that wouldn’t ordinarily be his favorite options.

The first week of football in the Tri-Nine

jmikeblake — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:29:06 -0400

Football season is right around the corner, folks. August 21, the first night of high school football, can't get here soon enough. With that date in mind, let's break down each of the 2009 opening night games in the Tri-Nine Conference, which adds Holly Springs to the mix this year.

Apex at Harnett Central

Apex travels to the newest Greater Neuse Conference member Harnett Central. Central has been one of the best 3-A teams in recent years and boasts one of the top rising junior quarterbacks in Brian Taylor. With Taylor, the Trojans defeated defending 4-A state champion Hoggard (sound familiar?) and started the year 6-0. Without him, they still went through the regular season undefeated and ended the year 12-1. That lets you know the talent they've got down in Angier these days.

Athens Drive at Sanderson

Athens Drive goes to Sanderson, a team that features one of the best players in the triangle in tight end Matt James. This was one of our area's highest-scoring games last year that ended in a 46-34 Spartan win. Sanderson ran for 557 yards in that one -- that is not a typo. Add that to the 12 yards they threw for, and the Spartans had 569 yards of total offense. Athens' offense wasn't too bad either, getting 479 yards of total offense. Sanderson's next highest output was 27 points, while Athens outdid itself and gave up 54 points the following week to Broughton. The Jags improved a lot as the year went on. Now they'll have to show how much they've improved from one year to the next.

Broughton at Cary

The Imps have this game circled on their calender, hoping to avenge last year's 42-21 beating which also took place in Cary. In last year's game, Fre'Shad Hunter was an unknown. This year the Imps' defensive end has been ranked as one of the top-100 players in the country. Hunter told me he wants 30 sacks this year. Easy there, big man. Although, as much as Broughton flings the ball around, he'll have about 30 chances that night. Does Cary have any depth this year? Last year the Imps had the fewest players and it showed when Cary lost three games after holding a lead going into the fourth quarter.

Northern Durham at Middle Creek

Same game, different places. Middle Creek was up 15-8 at halftime of last year's season-opener and then... Northern scores 33 straight to win 41-15. It was the most bizzare box score from our area last year. The Mustangs have the talent to take out Northern this year, especially now that Northern QB Andrew Peacock is gone to Appalachian State. Middle Creek will be enhanced by a stellar rising JV team. Garrett Leatham was the second-leading passer in the conference last year as a sophomore, but he might not even be the starter in this one as he's being pushed in summer workouts by one of those JV players. I thought Middle Creek could've had a better year than they did last year but had some major hiccups against inferior talent. This would be a good way to get this year off the right foot.

SE Raleigh at Holly Springs

This is the hardest draw for any of the Tri-Nine teams. SE Raleigh smacked last year's Tri-Eight teams by a combined 108-49 score. The Bulldogs bring back D-1 propsects like QB Gabe Henderson and LB Kendall Moore, but if there's a reason to expect a close game, it's the similar option attack of each squad. Not only do the Golden Hawks go against this offense every day in practice, they also saw it last year in the Greater Neuse Conference when they lost 35-14 to SER. Holly Springs could be a surprise team this year, the school's fourth, but lost a number of senior contributors from last year. Are the pieces in place to make a run at the top half of the conference?

Knightdale at Fuquay-Varina

I don't know much about Knightdale, except that they're in their fourth year as is Panther Creek and Holly Springs. That's usually when a football team has a breakout season, and that's what I'm expecting of the other two, so why not Knightdale? Fuquay returns a ton, including 2008 Tri-Eight Player of the Year Cory Hunter. But they'd be unwise to overlook a Knightdale team that defeated SE Raleigh, West Johnston, Wakefield and Smithfield-Selma last year (all were playoff teams). Why did the Knights not make the playoffs again while Cary and Athens Drive did? I digress. I expect Fuquay to win the Tri-Nine, but they've got some questions along the offensive line after graduating almost the entire unit from last year.

Green Hope at Wakefield

The Falcons hope to end their 16-game losing streak that started in 2007 against the Wolverines. Going back to 2005, Green Hope has lost 36 of their 38 games, and one of those as a 41-6 beating that was reversed after Northern Durham was forced to forfeit its wins. If Green Hope wants to defeat Wakefield for the first time since 2004 (the two have met up in the season-opener every year since), it'll have to find some way to replace Kammeron Bryant, a rising junior QB who was honorable mention All-Conference last year. Bryant will play for Panther Creek after his family relocated this summer.

Panther Creek at Leesville Road

The Catamounts are expecting big things this year, and for good reason. Panther Creek will replace Apex as the league's most dynamic offensive attack, particularly if Kam Bryant wins the starting job at QB and has Graham Love (603 yards, five TDs) to throw to. This is another rematch from last year's first week, and PC played to a respectable 25-14 loss. Leesville went 10-3 last year, but lost QB Jake Groeschen and playmaker Zach Greene to graduation. A win would give PC the biggest win in school history, and even higher hopes for the rest of the season.

Western Harnett at Lee County

It's first-year coach against first-year coach in this old Tri-Seven rivalry that's fizzled in recent years. Lee has had the talent to eke out a few more wins than they have had the past few years, and this game should be a gauge to see how far they've got to go this year to capitalize on some wins. Western, like Lee, has been hit hard on the football field since splitting schools (leading to the creation of Overhills and Southern Lee, respectively) and snapped a 27-game losing streak last year and made the 3-A playoffs for the first time since 2005. If Lee wins, it's an encouraging sign to Jacket fans. If they lose, they'll have to count on improving as the year goes on.

For a look at all of this year's opening high school football games, go over to Tim Stevens' Preps Now blog for the full listing.

Are "The Dark Knight" and "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" Really the SAME MOVIE? Find Out on CRIZZLE'S CRITICAL CONDITION!

Crizz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0400

On today's certain-to-divide installment of the Condition, I talk to Steven Boone, East Coast freelance critic, blogger and friend of Armond. And we get into it on the subject of classical filmmaking, something that Boone feels is sorely lacking in our contemporary film culture, and whether the most acclaimed movie and the most ghettofabulous waste of time aren't that different from one another these days. (Hence the titular question.)

We also discuss how one particular, Oscar-winning summer blockbuster from way back can soothe that savage beast known as — the American teenager.

NEXT WEEK: A two-parter that still has my head buzzing.

Duke's Sanford Institute gets a name change

eferreri — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:00 -0400

Duke's Sanford Institute for Public Policy now has a new name - and a promotion.

The former institute is own a full-fledged School. That's School with a capital "S", as in the Sanford School for Public Policy.

The change marks the first new school at Duke since 1991.

Bruce Kuniholm, the school's dean, talks about the distinction and the school's work here.

In part, Kuniholm talks about how a full-fledged school has an easier time marshaling resources.

"It's more than a label change," he says. "When you get more faculty members in an increased number of areas, the options for students increase, the mentoring and research opportunities increase, and the chance for engagement increases."

Post 71 on good brink; Garner on bad brink

dclaybest — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:24:08 -0400

Clayton-based Post 71 took control of its American Legion Baseball Area I West Division playoff series against with a 20-10 victory Thursday night at Leesville Road High School. The Sabres lead the best-of-five series, 2-1. Game 4 is set for Friday night back at Leesville.

Meanwhile, North Raleigh Post 297 downed Garner Post 232 16-9, moving Post 297 to a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Friday night at Millbrook High School.

LaRose signs 2-year contract

chipalexander — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:14:41 -0400

Canes forward Chad LaRose has signed a two-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million next year and $1.9 million in the second season, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

LaRose, an unrestricted free agent, had a one-year contract last season that paid him $875,000. Unable to reach an early agreement with the Canes, he tested the NHL's free-agent market for two days before re-signing with Carolina.

"This works out fine," Rutherford said of the contract. "It's the same contract that we gave Jussi Jokinen. It makes sense within our structure and is justifiable to both sides."

Jokinen, a restricted free agent forward, also received a two-year contract that will pay him a total of $3.4 million.

"We've got the guys re-signed that we wanted to re-sign," Rutherford said. "Now we can move on to the restricted guys."

Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg is an unrestricted free agent but Rutherford has said Seidenberg's asking price is too high and that he will not be back with the team. Forward Ryan Bayda, also unrestricted, has been offered a two-way contract.

The restricted free agents are forward Tuomo Ruutu and defenseman Anton Babchuk. Rutherford said Babchuk, who has been made a $1 million qualifying offer, has said he would not play for the qualifier.

No charges for warden who shot hunter

mike_z — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:27:37 -0400

No charges will be filed against a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission law enforcement officer who was involved in the fatal shooting of a Wilkes County turkey hunter on April 11, according to a July 2 release by the commission.

According to a press release issued by District Attorney Tom E. Horner of Wilkesboro earlier today, Officer Mark Minton’s actions “were reasonable and appropriate in response to the perceived use or imminent use of deadly physical force . . .” and no criminal prosecution is warranted.

The Commission was notified this afternoon of the findings by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Wilkes County District Attorney’s Office.

“We appreciate the work of both agencies to resolve this issue,” said Gordon Myers, the executive director of the Commission. “An internal investigation is ongoing and until the investigation is complete, it would not be appropriate for the Commission to comment further.”

NCSU responds to Easley appeal

eferreri — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:46:04 -0400

The latest micro-twist in the Mary Easley/NCSU saga: The university has issued its formal response to Easley's Monday letter in which she indicated her intention to appeal her firing.

NCSU's letter, which you can read by clicking the document attached to this blog post, simply lays out the procedure Easley is to follow.

Just yesterday, NCSU Interim Chancellor James Woodward indicated that the university is not at all likely to negotiate a settlement with Easley.

Durham officer shot

StanChambersJr — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:36:50 -0400

Durham Police Officer D.J. Youmans was shot in the abdomen during a call at the South Square Townhomes on Shannon Road early Thursday morning.

Youmans, 32, and his training officer responded to a shots fired call, which was then changed to a possible break-in in progress. Shots were fired from inside apartment 5-A as officers arrived. The bullet hit Youmans under his bulletproof vest.

"It just reminds you of how dangerous this job is and how these officers put themselves out on a daily basis," Durham Police Chief Jose L. Lopez Sr. said from the scene.

Youmans, who became a Durham cop in May after being a New York City officer, has undergone surgery at Duke University Hospital.

Investigators have made an arrest in the shooting. For more information go to the story:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1592299.html

Deceased reader: N&O needs edge

jdrescher — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:48:00 -0400

Two faithful readers passed away recently with The N&O on their minds near the end of their lives.

The first was Sen. Vernon Malone of Raleigh, who died in April. Malone, 77, died on a Saturday after mowing his lawn and relaxing with his daily newspaper. That prompted various jokes when his friends and family gathered to honor him. "Saint Peter reached out and grabbed Vernon's hand, and the last thing he saw was The News & Observer," Gov. Beverly Perdue said during a service honoring Malone. Perdue said that image made her "just guffaw." Insert your own joke here (actually, insert it below). Read more about the Malone service here.

Another loyal N&O reader, Russell Buxton III of Cary, died 10 days ago. Buxton, 74, had been ill in recent years but was determined to make it to his 50th wedding anniversary on June 21, The N&O's Ruth Sheehan reported. He made it. He died June 24.

When his children were younger, Buxton used The N&O to stimulate debate at the dinner table. He would clip out an editorial or opinion column, especially those opposing his children's views. Then he would ask his son and daughter to argue the other side.

His wife, JoAnn, told Sheehan: "Russell was always willing to share his views but he was particularly vocal during the last six months." Which might explain the note he wrote me about three weeks ago. He said The N&O was soft. "The N&O used to be a hard-hitting paper on Democrats as well as Republicans on exposing where money goes when it shouldn't go there, abuses of power, etc.," he wrote. "I wish you would get back your edge."

We're working on it, Mr. Buxton. If you have a good tip, please send it our way.

--John Drescher