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In-game: N.C. State at Virginia Tech

kentysiac — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:28:34 -0500

Make that two fumbles in three offensive plays for N.C. State.

This time, Cody Grimm caused a fumble by wide receiver Darrell Davis that was recovered by Stephan Virgil at the N.C. State 25-yard line.

Earlier. . .

N.C. State's defense stiffened and benefited when a Virginia Tech receiver slipped in the end zone after the Russell Wilson fumble.

Matt Waldron's 26-yard field goal put Virginia Tech ahead 3-0 with 11:50 remaining in the first quarter.

Earlier...

It didn't take long for N.C. State to make its first big mistake at Virginia Tech.

On the first play from scrimmage, linebacker Cody Grimm beat Toney Baker on a blitz, causing and recovering a fumble by Russell Wilson after a sack.

Hahn misses broadcast after surgery

kentysiac — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:05:05 -0500

BLACKSBURG, Va. - N.C. State play-by-play broadcaster Gary Hahn isn't working today's game at Virginia Tech because he is recovering from prostate cancer surgery.

Wolfpack Sports Marketing general manager Brian Asbill said the cancer was discovered in an early stage.

"His prospects for complete and total recovery are excellent," Asbill said.

Hahn, who is in his 20th season as the voice of the Wolfpack, was replaced on play-by-play by Tony Haynes, who usually serves as sideline reporter. Mark Thomas replaced Haynes on the sideline, and Johnny Evans remained in his usual position as color analyst.

Bible doesn't make trip with N.C. State

kentysiac — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:12:11 -0500

BLACKSBURG, Va. - N.C. State offensive coordinator Dana Bible did not make the trip to Virginia Tech for today's 3:30 p.m. game, school sports information director Annabelle Myers said this afternoon.

Bible is undergoing medical tests of an undisclosed nature, Myers said. Running backs coach Jason Swepson will move from his usual position on the field up to the coaches' box and call plays for the Wolfpack.

Bible, 56, also coaches quarterbacks and wide receivers for the Wolfpack. He has been a member of Tom O'Brien's staff since 1999 at Boston College, and previously served as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at N.C. State from 1983-85 under head coach Tom Reed.

With Bible at the helm, the N.C. State offense ranks third in the ACC in scoring (32.6 points per game) and third in total offense (413.2 yards per game).

Swepson does have experience as an offensive coordinator, in one season at College of the Holy Cross. He will signal plays down to head coach Tom O'Brien, who will see that they get relayed to the players on the field.

Tudor: UNC will learn from loss

jpg — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:07 -0500

While Friday’s 87-71 loss to Syracuse was both staggering and humiliating for North Carolina’s basketball team, the experience should provide the Tar Heels with a valuable measuring stick.

For an inexperienced, still-uncomfortable team, which Carolina is, Syracuse amounted to the perfect early-season storm.

The most important factor was the flex zone Orange coach Jim Boeheim plays and has perfected over the years. Why lots of other programs haven’t duplicated his defensive strategy is proof positive that coaches can be stubborn to the extent of stupidity.

Even veteran point guards usually struggle against quality zones, in part because they so rarely face one.

For UNC’s Larry Drew II, who rarely played last season, the Orange zone completely confused and confounded his rhythm, which spilled over to the team’s floor flow.
Drew and Carolina’s trouble went beyond the mere turnover total of 19.

It was that the Tar Heels, even with 19 offensive rebounds, simply could not get comfortable with the ball. That was the case throughout, even though Carolina led by a bucket at halftime.

Any time UNC is held to 38 percent shooting, the opposing defensive strategy was the primary game key.

Eventually, Roy Williams believes Drew, wingman Will Graves and subs Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, John Henson and Justin Watts will gain more confidence against zones and more experienced teams.

Drew almost certainly will improve as the season progresses. He’ll never be a Raymond Felton or Ty Lawson, but Carolina shouldn’t need an all-world playmaker to be a top-5 team at season’s end.

Of more importance later in the season will be perimeter shooting. Graves, Drew and Strickland certainly can’t go 2-for-16.

But it’s too soon for Carolina fans to panic. There have been big early-season losses in the past that didn’t equate to long-range doom.

The 1996-97 team opened it season with an 11-point loss to Arizona, reached the Final Four — and lost to the Wildcats again.

Ten seasons later, Williams’ fourth team lost early to Gonzaga, in the same building as Friday's loss, but went on to win 31 games.

Miami 34, Duke 16

egrobinson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:49:48 -0500

MIAMI - With a 34-16 victory over Duke at Land Shark Stadium on Saturday, the Hurricanes ended any hope of the Blue Devils making a bowl game this season.

The Devils (5-6, 3-4 ACC) needed a win to have any hope to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.

With a roster impacted by injuries, the Devils continued to struggle offensively, particularly in the red zone, though they showed spurts of recapturing the passing attack that was at one point this season leading the ACC.

In the end, the Hurricanes proved too much, and like in years past closed any early-game opportunities given to the Devils late in the game. The Hurricanes have now won six consecutive contest against the Devils.

The return home for Duke senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis came to a disappointing end, but not before he claimed another milestone in his career.

In the fourth quarter, Lewis completed a pass off his back foot to Austin Kelly to become Duke's all-time passing leader, surpassing Ben Bennett who held the record with 9,614 passing yards.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Hurricanes, struggling offensively for much this game, decided to put the ball on the ground late in the third quarter and it paid off early in the fourth quarter.

Junior running back Damien Berry lowered his shoulders and bowled over the Devils as he helped the Hurricanes march down field. He capped the 15-play, 90-yard drive with a two-yard run. The Hurricanes took a 19-16 lead.

Trying to pull back into this game, the Devils put together a long drive into the Hurricanes' red zone, with senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis mixing in passes to Austin Kelly and Donovan Varner.

On second-and-six from the 6, Lewis was called with intentional grounding as he threw a pass to Jay Hollingsworth, costing the Devils a down and moving the ball to the 13-yardline. It was a questionable call that prompted Duke coach David Cutcliffe to complain to officials.

Lewis would attempt another pass that fell short, which brought out junior walk-on kicker Will Snyderwine for his fourth field goal attempt of the game. He missed wide right from the left hash.

That possession proved a set-back for the Devils and allowed the Hurricanes sure footing to run away with this contest.

The Hurricanes would strike with a five-play, 80-yard drive. Sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris hit junior Leonard Hankerson on a 44-yard bomb that the receiver carried into the end zone. On the play, he had beat Duke's Chris Rwabukamba deep and adjusted to a short thrown pass.

The Hurricanes would go ahead 27-16 and take full control of the game.

THIRD QUARTER

The Hurricanes pulled to within three points with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

A 12-play, 54-yard drive ended with a made field goal by kicker Matt Bosher. The Hurricanes moved the chains but were ineffective in the redzone.

Both teams relied on the place kickers in this one.

Duke junior kicker Will Snyderwine made his third field goal to cap a 10-play, 60-yard, 3:55 drive with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Devils moved the ball with the short screen passes and crossing routes that have become a staple of the offense this season. On one of those crossing routes, sophomore receiver Donovan Varner zoomed across the field and pulled in a 20-yard pass from senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.

It was Varner's fourth pass for 20 or more yards.

SECOND QUARTER

Duke entered the game looking to kick-start a sluggish offense that found its stride midway through the season. It took a quarter to get going, but the Blue Devils rejuvenated a stagnant passing game with senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis finding his go-to target Donovan Varner.

The pair connected late in the second quarter on a 24-yard touchdown pass to help the Devils take the lead in a first half that featured few offensive outburst. Varner ended the first half with six catches for 126 yards, his fourth game this season with 100 or more yards.

A converted extra point by junior kicker Will Snyderwine gave the Devils a 13-10 lead.

Earlier in the half, Miami pulled its defunct offense into gear.

Finally finding his passing touch, Miami sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris hit wide receiver Leonard Hankerson streaking down the left sideline on a 52-yard play late in the second quarter. That play set a up a touchdown pass to Lamar Miller three plays later and helped put the Hurricanes ahead 10-6

To open the second quarter, freshman Desmond Scott returned a kickoff 47 yards to give the Devils prime field position. They were unable to find the end zone, but put up some points on the drive.

Duke kicker Will Snyderwine, who has now made 14 of his last 15 attempts, made a 49-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give the Devils a 6-3 lead at 14:50.

Snyderwine, the junior walk-on, started the year missing his first attempt, but has been Mr. Reliable since.

FIRST QUARTER

An interception by senior linebacker Vincent Rey - his second of the season - set up a 68-yard scoring drive by the Blue Devils in the first quarter. Snyderwine made a 30-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead.

With both teams struggle to come alive offensively, defense and special marked most of the first quarter action.

The Hurricanes would score late in the quarter with a scoring drive capped by a 33-yard field goal by Matt Bosher.

That drive was set by a Duke special teams error. Senior Leon Wright, signaling for a fair catch on a punt return, struggled to catch a high, wobbly kick. He failed to catch the ball, touched it and could not secure it on the ground. Miami recovered the fumble and were handed a short field.

UNC 31, Boston College 13

rpickeral — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:16:15 -0500

@ Chestnut Hill, Mass.

UNC's Melvin Williams records the Heels' fifth interception of the game, and a Casey Barth field with 1:35 left makes the final score 31-13 Carolina.

earlier...

UNC's Deunta Williams just picked off his third interception, returned it to the half-yard line, and Ryan Houston returned to the game to scored the touchdown. UNC lead 28-13 with 4:39 left.

earlier...

Tailback Ryan Houston has been sidelined since mid-way through the third quarter, and Carolina could use him right about now, to help run down the clock. Fullback Anthony Elzy and wide receiver Johnny White have been running the ball without him.

earlier...

Just when you thought the Tar Heels' offense might score, T.J. Yates threw his third interception, into the hands of BC’s Roderick Rollins in the end zone, with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter. UNC, which is still clinging to a 21-13 lead, now has four turnovers today.

earlier...

Helped by two pass interference calls on UNC's Charles Brown, Boston College has cut UNC's lead to 21-13 with 1:13 left in the first half. BC quarterback Dave Shinskie found Rich Gunnell -- who also caught passes of 27 and 16 yards on the drive -- for a 2-yard touchdown.

earlier...

With about 3:30 left in the second quarter, UNC opted to go for it on a 4th-and-12, rather than let Casey Barth try a 45-yard field goal. Bad idea. T.J. Yates threw his second interception, picked off by BC’s Marcellus Bowman – and wasted UNC safety Deunta Williams’ pick (BC’s third turnover of the game).

UNC still leads 21-6.

earlier...

Carolina’s offense has now turned the ball over twice, but its defense has held Boston College to two field goals. On the first play of the second quarter, UNC QB T.J. Yates rolled right, tried to throw on the run across his body, and Eagles defensive end Austin Giles tipped it into the air and grabbed the first interception of his career. BC converted a 20-yard field goal to cut UNC’s lead to 21-6.

earlier...

BC is on the board. It just turned an Eric Highsmith fumble into a 28-yard field goal to cut UNC’s first-quarter lead to 21-3.

earlier...

Cornerback Kendric Burney has done it again. After picking off three passes last week, he’s done it again. On a 2nd-and-7 at the 23, he stepped in front of BC receiver Colin Larmond Jr. and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. Carolina leads 21-0.

It’s Burney’s fifth pick of the year, the UNC’s seventh non-offensive touchdown of the season.

earlier...

Defensive lineman E.J. Wilson was in the game as a blocking tight end for UNC’s first touchdown, and he had a hand in the second, as well. Wilson forced BC QB Dave Shinskie to fumble, and teammate Cam Thomas rumbled in from 20 yards out to give the Tar Heels a 14-0 lead with about 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

It marked Thomas’ first career touchdown, and the UNC's sixth non-offensive score of the season.

earlier....

After qualifying for a bowl last weekend, North Carolina’s players said there was more work to do. And so far, they’re doing it. The Tar Heels marched 70 yards on their first offensive drive to score on a 1-yard Ryan Houston touchdown. They lead 7-0 with 7:33 left in the first quarter.

Staal back on ice with Canes

chipalexander — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:43:42 -0500

No. 12 is back. At least, back on the ice with the Canes.

Eric Staal took part in today's morning skate at the RBC Center but is not fully ready to rejoin the lineup. Canes coach Paul Maurice said today the center should return in the next 10 days but that Staal would make the trip to Dallas and Anaheim next week.

"It's been tough, no question," Staal said. "It's been a learning experience for me because I've never been through something like this before.

"I'm working and doing everything I can to make sure I'm back in the lineup as soon as I can at 100 percent."

Staal had missed one game, late in his rookie season, and had played 349 consecutive regular-season games -- and 43 in the playoffs -- before being sidelined.

"I've pushed it for a while," Staal said of playing with ailments, keeping the streak going. "There's probably a few games last year, the year before that."

Staal's physical problems this year began with a groin injury during Team Canada's Olympic camp before the Canes' preseason training camp. That injury lingered, but a more serious physical concern -- an injury in the abdominal area -- developed.

There would be no fighting through that kind of pain or ailment. Staal left the San Jose game on Nov. 1 and has been sidelined the last eight games.

"It nagged me a couple of games, then got worse and worse," he said. "Then, that San Jose game, it just tore. I was done after that.

"But I've recovered. I feel good now. I feel strong."

Staal has done some skating on his own in the last week. But it's different skating with his teammates as he did in Saturday's morning skate.

Brandon Sutter continued to center Staal's line, with Staal taking the wing a few times with Sutter.

"It felt good," a smiling Staal said. "We'll see how it responds tomorrow. I took a lot of shots (Friday) and again today. It's getting better and better every day and that's a good sign.

"I'm hopeful for next week some time, barring anything that will set me back."

Third Round Football Playoff Matchups Set

dclaybest — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:42:10 -0500

Here's the places you'll be headed the day after Thanksgiving if you're off to watch South Johnston or Princeton play in the third round of the NCHSAA prep football playoffs.

3-AA Eastern Regional Semifinal

Douglas Byrd (9-4) at South Johnston (12-1)

1-A Western Regional Semifinal

Princeton (10-3) at Mount Airy (13-0)

Both games will kick off at 7:30.

We'll have more info on the games, including directions to Mount Airy on the blog this coming week.

What to Watch on Saturday: Flashback to Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam

brookecain — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

48 Hours Mystery (9pm, CBS) - Saturday night is typically a night of network repeats, but 48 Hours has two new back-to-back episodes. The first show is about a con artist who assumes several identities in order to gain admission to Ivy League schools; the second episode is about the murder of a Phoenix art dealer whose Las Vegas showgirl ex-wife is the main suspect in his death.

Saturday Night Live (11:30, NBC) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("3rd Rock from the Sun" kid actor turned movie star) is the guest host. Dave Matthews Band is the musical guest.

Austin City Limits (12midnight, UNC-TV) - Keep your 90s groove going with Pearl Jam, who plays classic songs and songs from their 2009 album "Backspacer."

Investigating Clay Aiken's voter registration status

KeungHui — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500

While it may not be likely, Clay Aiken could actually be prosecuted over voting in last month's school board election.

As noted in today's aricle by Josh Shaffer, the Wake County Board of Elections will hold a hearing on Wake GOP Chairman Claude Pope's challenge of Aiken's voter registration status. Although Pope's press release says they're not seeking punitive action against Aiken, that might not matter.

The Wake Board of Elections will first decide whether Aiken should still be registered to vote in the county. They'll ask Aiken questions such as where his pets spend the night and where he goes to sleep at night.

At issue is whether Aiken, who has a home in Chatham County, can legally vote in Wake. State Board of Elections records show he voted last month using his mother's North Raleigh address.

The still-to-be-scheduled hearing will likely turn into a zoo with all the media present.

The county Board can also choose to refer the matter to the state Board of Elections for an investigation. The state Board can then decide whether to refer it to the District Attorney for prosecution.

Wake Board of Elections Director Cherie Poucher said she had been bracing for a challenge since last week's story about Aiken's comments on the school board election.

Poucher said she was contacted by both Pope and Dallas Woodhouse, director of the state chapter of the conservative Americans for Prosperity, about how to challenge a person's voter status.

It was Pope who came in Friday afternoon to file the official complaint.

South Johnston tops Rocky Mount in 3-AA playoffs

dclaybest — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:06:29 -0500

South Johnston added to its school-record total for wins in a season Friday night, downing Rocky Mount 35-18 in the second round of the NCHSAA 3-A state football playoffs. The Trojans are now 12-1 on the season and will host a third round game next Friday night at Ronald Avery Stadium.

We'll have more on the Trojans' win and next opponent in Wednesday's edition of The Herald of Johnston County.

Princeton tops Hobbton for second time, advances in 1-A football playoffs

dclaybest — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:01:22 -0500

Princeton earned a 21-13 victory Friday night to move into the third round of the 1-A state high school football playoffs. The Bulldogs (10-3) scored 14 third-quarter points to take control of the game.

David Gurganus threw for 269 yards on the night, while Patrick Jacobs had 155 yards receiving.

We'll have more on the Bulldogs' win and their next opponent in Wednesday's edition of The Herald of Johnston County.

Ginyard "big-boyed,'' makes all-tourney team

rpickeral — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:57:13 -0500

NEW YORK -- A couple of quick notes after UNC's 87-71 loss to Syracuse in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic:

* With about 16 minutes left, UNC senior Marcus Ginyard drove to the basket, collided with forward Arinze Onuaku, fell to the floor, and was slow to get up. He returned to the game, and had an ice pack on his side afterwards.

“Two-sixty met 210,’’ Ginyard explained. “I just got big-boyed.”

* Ginyard made the all-tournament team, along with Syracuse’s Andy Rautins, Ohio State’s Evan Turner and California’s Jerome Radle. Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson was named the tournament MVP.

Harnett Central tops Southeast Raleigh in overtime

dclaybest — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:53:25 -0500

Southeast Raleigh bowed out of the NCHSAA 4-A state football playoffs Friday night with a 27-21 overtime loss to Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference rival Harnett Central. We'll wrap up the Bulldogs' season in Wednesday's edition of the Garner-Clayton Record.

No Mrs. Goldman-Claus at the parade

KeungHui — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:17:26 -0500

As of this day can't get odder, new school board member Debra Goldman has been told she can't dress up as Mrs. Claus for tomorrow's Raleigh Christmas Parade.

John Odom, executive director of the the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, gave the bad news to Goldman today. He told her that it's against their policy for any person other than the official Santa to wear the red Santa suit at the parade.

Odom said it's confusing for children at the parade to see two people dressed in Santa suits. But Goldman questions how a child can't tell the difference between the bearded Santa and the wig-wearing Mrs. Claus.

Odom said the decision had nothing to do with Goldman being on the school board. He said they would have stopped her last year if they had known ahead of time she was coming as Mrs. Claus.

Odom was elected to the Raleigh City Council on Oct. 6, the same night that Goldman won her school board seat.

Goldman said she still plans to be at the parade, sans the red suit.

UPDATE

Click here for today's story. In case you don't already know, I added that Odom was recently elected to the Raleigh City Council.

Syracuse 87, UNC 71

rpickeral — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:28:19 -0500

NEW YORK -- After beating Ohio State on Thursday night, North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he believed his Tar Heels could be a very good basketball team -- he just wanted to come sooner than it was.

Judging by the sixth-ranked UNC's 87-71 loss to Syracuse in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic on Friday, it's going to take a while longer.

The sixth-ranked Tar Heels (4-1) tried to fight back 20-point second half deficit at Madison Square Garden, but lacked the firepower and poise to take it all the way.

It marked UNC's first loss of the season, and it will have to adjust fast: three of its next six opponents are ranked in the Associated Press top 25.

Carolina led 39-37 at halftime. But Syracuse opened the second half with a 22-1 run that gave it a 59-40 lead. UNC sophomore Tyler Zeller buried his team's first field goal of the half - on a short jumper - with 12:02 left before Syracuse' Kris Joseph gave his team it's biggest lead of the game, 62-42, on a 3-pointer.

UNC didn't fold. It countered with a 18-6 run - including six points by senior Marcus Ginyard, four from freshman Travis Wear, and a 3-pointer by David Wear -- to cut the Orange's advantage to a manageable 68-60 with about seven minutes left.

But Syracuse immediately came back with a 13-2 run of it's own. The chants of "Over-rated!" began with about three minutes left.

And it was hard to blame the crowd.

Ed Davis and Ginyard led the Tar Heels with 15 points apiece, but the Tar Heels shot 38.1 percent while allowing five Syracuse players to finish in double figures.

The match-up marked the first time UNC had played the Orange since Nov., 1987 - and the first time UNC coach Roy Williams had matched up with Syracuse coach (and friend) Jim Boeheim since the Orange beat Williams' Kansas team in the national title game in 2003.

Syracuse, unranked in the Associated Press poll but looking like it deserves to be, opened the game with an 11-2 run, but the Tar Heels used two 3-pointers from junior Will Graves and seven points from Davis to counter with a 13-1 run to take a 15-12 lead.

But Wes Johnson, a transfer from Iowa State and the Orange's leading scorer, scored 10 points in a row for his team to give it back a 22-20 lead.

The Tar Heels trailed, again, by as much as 31-22 when Scoop Jardine buried a jumper. But Carolina ended the half with a 17-6 run - culminating with an alley-oop layup from Larry Drew II to Davis.

Wake GOP challenging Clay Aiken's voter registration status

KeungHui — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:07:20 -0500

For those who wondered why we wrote about Clay Aiken's riff on the school board elections, you'll love this news.

The Wake County Republican Party sent a press release this evening saying that GOP Chairman Claude Pope plans is challenging Aiken's right to remain registered to vote in the county.

Aiken has a home in Chatham County but is registered to vote at his mother's home in North Raleigh. Voter registration records show he voted in last month's school board elections.

Here's the GOP press release:

Wake GOP Chairman Files Election Law Challenge against Clay Aiken

Claude E. Pope, Jr, Chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, today filed a Notice of Challenge with the Wake County Board of Elections, challenging the right of Clayton H. Aiken to remain registered to vote in Wake County.

“It has come to light that Mr. Aiken may have voted improperly in Wake County in 2009,” Pope said. “All citizens and all political parties have an interest in rooting out instances of voter fraud, and for that reason I have filed this challenge in order to prevent Mr. Aiken from any future attempts to vote in a place where he is not legally a resident.”

Aiken’s voting status came to public attention after he issued statements on his blog in which he called newly-elected members of the Wake School Board “selfish idiots,” but Pope said his action was not based on those comments. “This is America, and Clay Aiken and all other citizens have a First Amendment right to free speech. However unfair and repugnant it may be, he has a right to call any elected official names if he so wishes,” Pope said.

“Most North Carolinians, regardless of political affiliation, were proud of Aiken when he displayed his talent on ‘American Idol.’ I for one thought he represented our state very well, and I know I speak for many, many members of our party in saying so.

The action I am taking today is not a criticism of his artistic ability, political views or intemperate language. It is simply an effort to make sure that in the future he votes where he actually lives, as all citizens are required to do.” Pope also stated that his Notice of Challenge does not request any punitive action against Aiken for having voted in Wake County in 2009. “We are only interested in correcting the rolls for the future,” he said.

Aiken, the popular recording artist and “American Idol” runner-up, remains on the voting rolls at his mother’s address, 8608 Langtree Lane, which is located in Precinct 08-05 in Raleigh. Records show he voted in that precinct in person in the municipal election of October 6, 2009. But Aiken lives in a $2.3 million home in Chatham County, which he purchased through a trust in 2006, and not with his mother, Faye Parker, who was quoted in the News & Observer as saying “her son doesn't live with her although she still gets some of his mail.”

According to a document entitled “Residency for Election Purposes,” a summary of the law issued in September of this year by the State Board of Elections, “If a person removes to another state or county, municipality, precinct, ward, or other election district within this State, with the intention of remaining there an indefinite time and making that state, county, municipality, precinct, ward, or other election district that person's place of residence, that person shall be considered to have lost that person's place of residence in this State, county, municipality, precinct, ward, or other election district from which that person has removed…” --GS § 163-57 (5).

Heels to play in Puerto Rico next season

rpickeral — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:27:40 -0500

North Carolina will be packing its bags the week before Thanksgiving next season, too. The Tar Heels will be one of eight teams participating in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off; they will play Nov. 18, 19 and 21. They will be joined by Davidson, Hofstra, Minnesota, Nebraska,, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, and Western Kentucky. Tickets will go on sale next summer.

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Overload

lwh351 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

I'll share a couple of recipes with you, one requires a bit more work as you make your own graham cracker crust. Up first the easy recipe with the pre-made graham cracker crust.

Kraft Turtle Pumpkin Pie
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped Pecans, divided
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed, divided

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.

Combine dry pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin, spices with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping combine and spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with remaining whipped topping, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

N.C. State 66, Akron 45

ldecock — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:32:36 -0500

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. -- Say what you want about N.C. State's prospects for the long haul, but the Wolfpack hasn't missed a beat yet.

In what may have been one of the best halves by an N.C. State team in recent memory, the Wolfpack hit 10 of its first 14 shots on its way to a 22-point halftime lead and 66-45 win over Akron, the defending MAC champions and an NCAA Tournament team last year.

Tracy Smith and Dennis Horner each had 16 points for the Wolfpack and Javi Gonzalez added 11 despite spending a good chunk of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.

Where does that first half rank?

“It’s up there, definitely” said Horner, a senior. “Our defensive presence shut them down. Before the game, coach Lowe wanted us to hold them to 37 percent shooting from the field and we actually held them to 32 (percent). That was the key for us.”

Meanwhile, State was hitting everything in sight -- 17-for-25 for the half while holding Akron to 9-for-28.

The second half? Not so much. State was 5-for-9 from the field, turned the ball over 18 times and gave Akron a couple chances to get back into the game. But a few key plays -- a 3-pointer from freshman Scott Wood, four straight made free throws after a technical foul on Akron -- ensured N.C. State ran its record to 2-0.

“I was pleased with our composure when they made the run, and we made some key shots -- Scott Wood’s 3-pointer,” N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said. “I wasn’t happy with the 25 (total) turnovers, but I think 12 of those were on blocking fouls setting screens. We’ve got to get our feet set.”

Smith had 11 rebounds, giving him his second double-double of the season -- as many as he had in his first two years at N.C. State.

The Wolfpack faces Austin Peay tomorrow night in the second of three games in three days at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla.

NC woman walks away from million dollar question

brookecain — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:04:36 -0500

The Concord woman who had a shot at one million dollars on today's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" by correctly answering one question, walked away from the question even though she knew the answer.

Jehan Shamsid-Deen was asked the following: "A rare example of the word that rhymes with 'orange,' the Blorenge is a what? A: River in Ireland, B: Forest in Scotland, C: Mountain in Wales, D: Desert in Australia."

Do you know the answer?

Jehan, who describes herself "proud to be a nerd," immediately eliminated Australia and was leaning toward C: Mountain in Wales. But she wasn't sure. So in the end she walked away with $250,000, making Sam Murray the $1 million winner.

And the whole time she was right. The answer was C: Mountain in Wales.

Two Triangle radio stations embrace all-holiday format

AlanMWolf — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:25 -0500

Love it or loathe it, Triangle radio listeners are getting twice as much Christmas music this year.

Two local stations this week switched to all-Christmas format, WRAL-FM 101.5 and WRDU-FM 106.1. Last year, WRAL was the only one.

As always, the quest for higher ratings drives the decision, especially with advertisers slashing spending. This is WRAL's third annual switch and last year ratings rose 38 percent among its target demographic, women aged 25 to 54, said program director Barry Fox.

"We lose a few listeners, but we gain many more," Fox said. "We were receiving a lot of calls and e-mails [this year], asking when we were going to start. Then when we made the switch, we got some complaints."

But this year in particular, with the tough economy, fans of Bing Crosby, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and others want music that brings back fond memories, Fox said. "It puts them in a happy mindset," he added.

Fox admits that with another station in town playing all-holiday music, there are only so many fans to go around. But WRAL's adult-contemporary format the rest of the year makes the transition easy on its listeners. The station is owned by Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting.

WRDU had been a country station until its recent switch, but plans to convert to a conservative talk station on Jan. 1 featuring Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and others. Officials with WRDU and its parent corporation Clear Channel didn't return calls seeking comment.

Oprah's teary goodbye

adriennj — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:15:43 -0500

Here's an excerpt from today's Oprah show, where she explains why she made her decision to walk away from her network show in 18 months:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.

Credit Suisse sells RTP land

davidranii — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:07:11 -0500

Investment banking giant Credit Suisse has sold back about half its land in Research Triangle Park after concluding that it has ample room for future expansion in its current facility.

"We can probably add another 450 people in the building," said Jim Captain, site executive for the Switzerland-based company. Credit Suisse currently has 950 full-time workers -- a combination of employees and contractors -- in its 211,000 square foot building in RTP.

The company has sold back about 35 acres of undeveloped land plus designated "natural space" to the Research Triangle Foundation, which runs RTP. The selling price of roughly $3.2 million is the same price, on a per-acre basis, that Credit Suisse originally paid.

Credit Suisse, which was lured to the state in 2004 with $14.4 million in state and local incentives, acquired the property in 2006 after announcing a major expansion. Captain said at that point the company didn't really know how much space it would ultimately need.

Credit Suisse's original purchase agreement included an option to sell back land to the foundation, but that option was nearing its expiration date, said Captain.

"With the expiration coming, the decision had to be made to build another building or sell it back," he said. "We decided to sell it back because we can accommodate any foreseeable growth."

Liz Rooks, executive vice president at the foundation, said that although it would have been great if Credit Suisse needed the entire property, "we don't want land sitting idle."

"It gives us a prime site to market," she added. The foundation has nearly 600 acres left to sell in the 7,000-acre development.

Pitkanen to return; Rodney to Albany

chipalexander — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:22 -0500

Defenseman Joni Pitkanen will return for Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, coach Paul Maurice said today.

Pitkanen has been out with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Bryan Rodney has been reassigned to the Albany River Rats (AHL), Maurice said.

The Canes had a limited practice today, with just five skaters and goaltenders Manny Legace and Justin Peters.

Viztek sees more jobs

davidranii — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:23:55 -0500

Medical technology company Viztek, which moved its headquarters from Florida to Garner in August, expects to hire about 20 employees next year.

The continued expansion locally is the result of rising sales and the decision to phase out the company's operations In Jacksonville, Fla., said Joe Cermin, the 10-year-old company's founder and president. Today the company has 52 employees in Garner, including 35 who were transferred from Jacksonville.

In addition to serving as its headquarters, the company's 80,000-square-foot facility on U.S. 70 also houses an assembly operation. Viztek produces software for displaying and storing images for a variety of medical devices, including X-ray, CAT scans and MRI machines. The company, a subsidiary of Massachusetts-based 20/20 Healthcare Partners, also produces X-ray machines.

Cermin said the Triangle has proven to be a much better fit for the company than Jacksonville because the region is more technology-oriented. Consequently, the company has found an abundant supply of software developers, technical support staffers and other skilled personnel.

In addition, Cermin said, "we are reaping the benefits of other companies letting people go."

Viztek sales totaled $30 million last year, up from $18 million in 2006, said Cermin. Revenue this year is expect to reach at least $32 million.

"We're hoping for $36 million," he said.

Viztek is benefitting from a growing market, according to Cermin. But, he added, the company's growth is outpacing the market thanks to its "tenacity" in the marketplace and its customer service.

Speed traps: A good thing? Discuss.

BruceSiceloff — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:59:22 -0500

Triangle drivers noticed on Wednesday that I-40 in Wake and Durham counties was teeming with cops. State troopers, county deputies and local police pointed their speed guns at a lot of drivers, and they wrote a ream of tickets.

This uncharacteristic spurt of enforcement marked the start of a two-week statewide anti-speeding campaign. It involves two agencies and two slogans: Operation Slow Down (Highway Patrol) and No Need 2 Speed (Governor's Highway Safety Program).

They handed out 169 speeding tickets in just two hours. One guy clocked at 90mph was cited for reckless driving and child endangerment, for having an unrestrained child in the front seat.

It's about time, some people say. We need to crack down on speeders.

What do you say? Have you been ticketed for speeding? Is law enforcement too lax on speeders? Too harsh?

In the past, police rarely ticketed speeders unless they exceeded the posted limit by at least 10mph. Is that still true?

Let me hear from you: bruce.siceloff@newsobserver.com. Don't forget your daytime contact info.

Reminder: New Chocolate Seed flavor unveiled tonight

amweigl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

The Nahualli Trading Co. will be unveiling its new flavor tonight at Blue Lotus yoga.

The new flavor will first be available at a yoga class at Blue Lotus yoga studio at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Yoga instructor Yvonne Chapman is leading a yoga flow class.

The class will include Chocolate Seeds flights for the tasting.

At least you won't feel bad about eating chocolate after doing yoga.

Pre-register online for the yoga class.

Chocolate Seeds can be purhcased at Epona & Oak, NOFO @ the Pig, Chatham Hill Winery and A Southern Season.

LabCorp could receive incentives to bring jobs to Greensboro

AlanMWolf — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:41:25 -0500

Medical-testing testing company LabCorp wants to consolidate its billing operations and could receive nearly $900,000 in taxpayer incentives if it chooses a site in Greensboro.

The Burlington-based company is reportedly considering moving its billing operations from 24 sites to one location in Greensboro or in Danville, Va. The move would bring 373 jobs to Greensboro.

On Thursday, Guilford County commissioners approved giving the company $248,791. Greensboro also is offering $373,000. And the state would contribute a $275,000 grant, Dan Lynch, president of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance told the Greensboro News-Record.

The jobs would pay about $27,000 a year. LabCorp employs about 28,000 workers worldwide, including more than 1,000 in the Triangle.

It is one of the country's largest medical-testing firms, conducting more than 1 million blood, DNA and other tests a day. The company reported last month that third-quarter revenue rose to $1.19 billion, up 4.4 percent from the same period last year.

LabCorp hopes to open the center by the middle of 2010, vice president Brad Morton told Guilford commissioners.

The company's stock, which is up about 25 percent in the past year, rose 29 cents to $73.66 on Friday.

The Office recap: Limos are for closers

LJPerez — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:20:37 -0500

There's a great line by Michael Scott at the end of Thursday night's episode, as he, Oscar, Andy and Dwight are sprinting out of the Dunder-Mifflin shareholders' meeting to steal a limo from a company executive.

Anyone who has suffered through this recession working for — or getting laid off by — a company top-heavy with senior management and short on survival strategies had to cheer Michael's explanation for claiming a fat cat's ride back to Scranton.

"Limos are for people who make the company money, not lose millions and have no plan," Michael says.

I can think of at least a few real-world parallels to cite here from the newspaper industry, but I think I'll pull an Oscar and keep my mouth shut. I don't want to tempt the boss to move my cubicle into a coat closet with no Internet service.

As inconsistent as this show has become, when The Office still works, Michael Scott can careen from buffoon to truth-teller and back in one episode. He's still a boob who rehearses his wave and twirl after the company invites him, as the sole branch manager turning a profit, to New York City for the shareholders' meeting.

It never occurs to Michael, who brings along his Scranton posse of Andy, Dwight and Oscar to New York in the limo the cash-strapped company sent for him, that he shouldn't whisper questions into his live microphone about Dunder-Mifflin going bankrupt. And sure, his desperate need to win over the angry shareholders leads him to promise them a 45-day plan to fix the company and go carbon-neutral.

"Day 45, company saved. Day 44, go! What do we got?" Michael asks the company executives during break in the meeting.

But when Dunder-Mifflin's CEO belittles Michael and demands "Where's the off button on this moron?" Michael morphs into Michael Moore. (Or at least into a better-dressed version armed with the pride that comes with winning 17 'Dundee' awards.)

"You're the moron," Michael fires back.

The room is full of overpaid, overfed company executives who have never known the glory of the Scranton branch's annual employee awards, doled out in the back room of a Chili's, and they don't want to hear Michael's pep talk. Dunder-Mufflin's CEO, unaccustomed to being called a moron, tells CFO David Wallace that Michael's backtalk has earned him a bus ride back to Scranton, forget the limo.

But he wasn't counting on Michael snaking a limo from outside the hotel, and as the Scranton crew pulls away, a stock ticker flashing outside shows that Dunder Mifflin's stock — DMI, or "Dummies, Morons and Idiots, because that's what you'd have to be to own it," according to Oscar — is down almost another 7 points.

Back in Scranton, Jim is flexing his co-manager muscles in an attempt to prove to his colleagues that he is too the boss. Apparently he strikes so little fear in them that Phyllis doesn't think twice about taking a two-hour lunch with her husband Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration and then admitting to Jim that she's a little tipsy.

When he discovers that Ryan has been undermining his authority by telling everyone that Jim doesn't have as much power as Michael, Jim moves Ryan into the coat closet for some solitary confinement. With that subtle move, everyone else in the office snaps back to work.

Now that's management.

Project Runway: She's in... but did she cheat?

sadialatifi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:12:28 -0500

Collections from Irina, Carol Hannah and Althea

Last night's finale saw major sniffles, a minor meltdown from Tim, a made-up runway show and maybe some cheating? (It was also brought to you by the letter 'M', apparently.)
Carol Hannah relapses, and the first part of the episode is spent watching her retch and cry. I feel bad but let's move along, you know? Tim's meltdown is built-up but he's really just mad because everybody's behind the day of the runway show.
I won't recap the entire episode, but here's what you need to know about Bryant Park:
In actuality, Lifetime and Bravo were still battling over the rights to Project Runway when the show in Bryant Park took place. That means the designers never actually got to introduce their collections or walk down with their models (they couldn't spoil the top three because the show was nowhere close to being aired by then.) All of those segments were taped before the real runway show, which explains the shoddy editing work. I would've preferred to see the "real thing" and hear about some of the production drama. From what I have read, Heidi was also very upset for the designers themselves because they couldn't stand by their work and get recognized.
Irina's all-black collection is an homage to New York, remember? She had to re-do her t-shirts because of the Coney Island images on her shirts weren't hers last week. So what does Irina do? She creates a t-shirt that plagiarizes New York magazine's "Reasons to Love New York" issue. It is dumbfounding to me, as a former New York magazine intern and New Yorker. It is NOT that hard to come up with your reasons to love New York. Not hard at all.
But her work is polished, even though the idea of the "warrior woman" battling New York isn't novel, Michael says. Heidi would like to own several of the pieces in the collection, and Nina wishes there was some more color.
Carol Hannah's collection (inspired by Duke) has great color, draping and tailoring but the pieces don't really tell a narrative. The judges say that the collection isn't cohesive, even though the individual looks are beautiful. I have to agree - I love Carol Hannah's dresses but I don't really see how they all fit together - except in their use of draping, which wasn't enough to tie them all together.
Althea's combination has a lot of pieces, which is impressive, but I didn't really buy her "futuristic" concept. Neither did the judges. If she was going for the future, she should've pushed the envelope a bit more and done some different styling on her models. Leather does not equal future. The clothes were attractive, though, and Michael was impressed that she designed sportswear. Her last three looks were a bit off and belonged to a different show. Althea's downfall is that she tries to "hit too many notes," as Heidi said, at once.
In the end, Althea has the best "connection to the streets" and Carol Hannah has impeccable tailoring - but neither of their collections told a tale on the runway.
Irina, unsurprisingly, takes the top title. Her helmets were a good way to unify an all-black collection and her t-shirts lightened the ominous pieces. The show actually taped such a long time ago that it's doubtful anything will come out of her using someone else's words.
And that closes out a mediocre finale. While I appreciate runways of wearable looks, it was sort of sad to not see a more ambitious designer this season who could dabble in high fashion like Christian Siriano.
Season 7 - back in New York - starts in January; woo-hoo!

N.C. unemployment rises to 11 percent

suestock — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:08:37 -0500

North Carolina's unemployment rate rose in October to 11 percent, erasing any progress made in recent months and returning the state to the same unemployment rate it had in June.

The figures, released this morning by the N.C. Employment Security Commission, showed that the number of unemployed workers in the state rose by 4,537 in October.

The state's unemployment rate has been above 10 percent since February.

"We've had ups and downs concerning the number of people employed and unemployed, but we haven't experienced any significant changes," said ESC Chairman Moses Carey Jr.

Since this time last year, the number of unemployed workers in the state has increased by more than 174,000.

Deadline today for healthy holiday dessert recipe contest

amweigl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Earth Fare is seeking the best healthy recipe for a holiday pie or cake.

The deadline is today. Here are the contest details.

The two best recipes will earn the authors a $150 or a $100 Earth Fare gift card.

Screening tonight for TV show filmed in Apex

brookecain — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

The feature film version of a children's television show filmed in Apex will be screened tonight as part of the town's Peak City Film Festival.

The "Rusty Bucket Kids Club" is an educational program about a group of kids who form an adventure club to explore their town, then find a magical portal which transports them back in time to meet famous figures from American history.

The beloved former WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy makes an appearance on the program, as does WRAL's Mark Roberts. The show stars local young actors Roxanna and John Coleman Demers.

Production on the show wrapped earlier this month and producers hope the series will begin airing locally in February. So far there's no indication as to which local station might broadcast it, but considering the involvement of Gaddy and Roberts, you have to think Capital Broadcasting Company wants a shot.

For tickets to tonight's premiere, visit the Rusty Buckets Kids Club ticket site.

Mrs. Debra Goldman-Claus

KeungHui — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:32 -0500

Mrs. Claus may be familiar if you look hard enough at tomorrow's Raleigh Christmas Parade.

Newly elected school board member Debra Goldman will reprise her role of Mrs. Claus from last year's parade. You can find her tomorrow, either in person or on TV, escorting Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison in an effort to promote his Citizen Well-Check program.

Here's the press release Goldman sent this morning:

Wake County School Board Member-elect Debra Goldman will once again play her role in the Raleigh Parade on Saturday, Nov. 21. Mrs. Goldman will be in the parade, dressed in full Mrs. Claus costume. She will escort Sheriff Donnie Harrison in an effort to promote his Citizen Well-check program. You may not recognize her with the gray wig and long, red, "fur" trimmed dress, but Debra has played this role before (viewable in last year's parade footage). Please join Mrs. Goldman in bringing in the holiday season with some of the senior citizens from the program, and Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison in Saturday's parade.

In Today's Paper: Player's Retreat, La Farm Cafe

amweigl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:44:51 -0500

Today, Greg Cox reviewed The Player's Retrea. HERE is the link.

Click HERE to read his Quick Bites is about the new La Farm Cafe.

For Canes, a significant shootout win

chipalexander — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:09:12 -0500

The Canes' 6-5 comeback win over the Maple Leafs last night was significant on several fronts:

-- Carolina has six points in the last four games and has moved out of last place in the NHL. That's the first step the Canes had to make, and the conference standings posted in their locker room will reflect it.

-- The Canes were 0-4-4 when trailing after the first period and 0-7-3 when trailing after two, so they've ended that and proven they can come from behind and win a game.

-- Stephane Yelle had more ice time (10:14) than Rod Brind'Amour (10:09), took over as third-line center during the game and scored his first goal of the season. It was a season-low ice time for Brind'Amour, who had just two shifts in the third period.

-- Brandon Sutter now has points in his last four games (2g, 4a) and has shown he can handle 20-plus minutes a game. He had a season-high 23:16 against the Leafs and has topped 20 minutes in the last four games.

-- The Canes had a season-high 45 shots on goal but also 86 total shots. And, of course, five goals.

-- Tim Gleason had seven goals in 332 games before this season. The defenseman has four in 16 games this season after his two-goal night against the Leafs, a career first.

-- Joe Corvo overcame an early turnover that led to the Leafs' first goal to play 33:21. That's iron-man stuff and was a season high for the defenseman, who finished plus-1 for the game.

-- Manny Legace now has stopped seven of eight shooters in a pair of shootouts and appears very relaxed during them.

-- Tuomo Ruutu has three goals and five assists in his last five games after a career-high four assists against the Leafs.

-- Bitterly disappointed by not scoring in the shootout at Montreal on Tuesday, Jussi Jokinen scored with authority against the Leafs and now has 26 shootout goals in his career.

Family fun: Gingerbread House Workshop

amweigl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Chapel Hill's C’est si Bon cooking school is offering two family gingerbread workshops on Dec. 12 and 19.

From 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., learn to make a gingerbread house while sipping hot cocoa or spiced cider.

The cost is $75 for two people to attend the workshop. Go HERE to reserve your spot in class.

What to Watch on Friday: Mr. Monk gets his badge

brookecain — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

Law & Order (8pm, NBC) - An elderly man is forced to defend his store from an armed robber, but Lupo and Bernard suspect an ulterior motive.

Ghost Whisperer (8pm, CBS) - Melinda worries about Aiden when he's befriended by the ghost of a little girl who died with leukemia.

Monk (9pm, USA) - Monk is finally reinstated to the San Francisco police force, and his first case, tracking down a serial killer, is more challenging than he anticipated. We see the return of Trudy tonight (Brooke Adams) and the show has promised us resolution on her murder, so expect developments on that. After this, only two episodes left.

20/20 (10pm, ABC) - Another day, another Sarah Palin interview.

Q&A: Yes, that Jerry Mathers coming to Apex

lchavez — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500

Jerry Mathers has been a working actor since age 2 — a cool 59 years. But in between starring as the "The Beav" on the iconic sitcom "Leave it to Beaver" and starring on Broadway in "Hairspray" in 2007, Mathers played high school football, earned a philosophy degree, served in the Air Force National Guard, worked in banking, real estate and health advocacy and owned commercial property and a catering business.

The last few months, Mathers has been traveling throughout the U.S. on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance bus to raise awareness about diabetes, cancer, heart disease and asthma.

He will be in Apex on Friday to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Peak City Film Festival, which features the family entertainment that Mathers has been involved with his entire acting career.

Q: So why did you agree to come out to Apex for the Peak City Film Festival and accept the lifetime achievement award?

A: I know John (Demers, executive producer of the film festival). I worked on a movie with him (Will to Power) in North Carolna.

Q: I'm sure you get asked to a lot of events like this so why this film festival? Did it have anything to do with the family TV element?

A: Obviously that would be one of the things that drew me to it. John told me it was family friendly. It's one of those things; obviously I could be working all the time if I wanted to do something (that wasn't family friendly). Basically TV these days is a lot of reality shows. Honestly, I don't watch much because it isn't very interesting. ...

"Leave it to Beaver" Is the longest running scripted show on TV; it has been running somewhere for 52 years. It's a show you can watch together and adults will relate, kids will relate, even teens will relate to Wally. My youngest is 23. TV these days, it's embarrassing to sit there and watch a show and it's stuff you may not want your kids to see or know.

Q: What are you up to now?

A: I just filmed the Time-Life 60s Explosion [infomercial]. I'm traveling with Partnership for Prescription Assistance to give uninsured and underinsured people, who are struggling, the medication for chronic diseases they need for free or almost free. ... I was also at SAS (in Cary) a few weeks ago and did a satellite meeting where they introduced 200 new medications.

I have diabetes so I was specifically interested in two of the meds.

(Mathers talks about his health advocacy work in Tuesday's Life section of The N&O.)

Q: You have a Philosophy degree from the University of California in Berkeley. What would you be doing without the notoriety of being a child TV star?

A: Actually I paid for college with my "Leave it to Beaver" money. I probably would have been an attorney. At Cal, the leading majors in law school were history, English and philosophy. You do a lot of briefs and a lot of writing.

I had invested the money and was living off the dividends to put myself through school. The manager at the bank I was working at at the time told me, "Hey, you could spend three years in law school or the day you get out you can come and work in my management program and learn all you need to know about business. I thought about it and it sounded like a pretty good deal. After college, I worked at the bank for two or three years. Then I worked as a loan officer. Then I realized I was approving all these loans for people in real estate who were working on commission and making more money than I was on salary so I went into commercial real estate.

Q: You stopped working as an actor during that time?

A: Mostly until I worked with Tony again. Tony Dow (who played Wally on "Leave it to Beaver") had always worked as an actor. I walked away at 13 to go to high school and play sports (football, track, swimming). I went back to acting after college after I learned about banking, loans, and business.

Then Tony and I did one play that sold out in Kansas City for 18 months. New York and Hollywood saw that and said, well if they're that popular doing something that has nothing to do with "Leave it to Beaver" we should do a remake. Then I tried to retire and put on all that weight.

Q: You seemed to have weathered that middle period after being a kid actor just fine. Others have not. Was there a hard part for you?

A: It wasn't hard at all. I had been working since I was two years old. I loved going to the studio. I did "Leave it to Beaver" for six years. We did 39 episodes per year. We'd do four weeks of PR in New York and two weeks in Chicago then come back and take a break then start back again. I had a wonderful time doing it. But I had a private tutor so I was not around other kids. Even the school scenes, which we did maybe once every three or four shows, we'd do those in one or two days.

At the end of the series, the studio came to my Dad and said, "We have a movie and a series we'd like Jerry to do." My dad asked me what I wanted to do. At that time, a lot of kid actors were supporting their families. My dad was principal of the largest school in the Los Angeles Unified School District and later retired as a superintendent. I didn't have that worry.

I said, "No. I want to go to regular school. I want to play sports." Then when I graduated from college, I had three choices. I could get drafted, enlist or go to Canada. So the next six years I was in the Air Force National Guard. I didn't really have any time to get into trouble.

I did work in between all those times. I did all sorts of other shows like "Batman" and "My Three Sons" but only during the summer. People would try to hire me during the school year and I'd say, "No I have to go to football practice or I can't play."

Q: I don't know how to ask this question. I guess I want to ask you to look at your acting career and tell me what part makes you most proud?

A: I think I am most proud of going to Broadway (doing Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theater) even though I have had the longest running show in television history. Very few people get to perform on Broadway. I was doing standing room only shows and it was a musical. The plays I'd done before that were mostly dramas and comedies. Musicals are very hard. They're the hardest kind. ...

If you had asked me two or three years ago, I'd have said I'd never go for Broadway. Maybe I'd do a comedy, not a musical. They were doing 75 and 80 percent of capacity before I came and 90 percent while I was there. I was playing Wilbur (Tracy Turnblad's father) and I think he has one of the best songs ("Timeless to Me") in the whole show.

It's something I'm very, very proud of because it was a real challenge. The last song, "You Can't Stop the Beat" lasts 14 minutes and I'm on stage for 12 of it. There are 35 performers and dancers on stage and every second beat you're doing some cheerleading move and if you're one beat off you throw everyone off. That's pressure.

My agent had called me and said, "Hey let's go to New York to see this show." And I said, "OK, sure." Then he said, "One catch, you have to audition." And I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Well at least you can say you auditioned for a Broadway show." I said, "OK." And he said, "There's just one other little thing." By that time I was laughing. Turns out it was a regular audition with Broadway veterans. If he'd say, go try out for a musical, I would have said I can't do it. I had a band in high school but it was like a garage band playing rock and roll.

I had nothing to lose so I'm very, very proud of that. Broadway is only like 200 years old so not many actors have trampled those floorboards. I hate to say it it's a very elite group of actors. That's the nice thing about where I am. A lot of actors are poor; they have to do things to pay the bills. I'm lucky enough not to be in that position right now. Knock on wood, I won't be.

Have a Holly Raleigh KIDSmas

dmenconi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:45:00 -0500

One of the Triangle's coolest recurrent local-music traditions is the "Have a Holly Raleigh Christmas" series of holiday-music albums, now in its fourth year. And this year's edition skews younger than ever, because it doubles as a childrens record -- just in time for Saturday's annual Raleigh Christmas Parade. For details, see the story in Friday's paper.

Weekend Warrior: Pecan Tart

amweigl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Each Friday, I offer a recipe for when we all have more time to cook: the weekend. This recipe is perfect for the adventurous baker looking for a new take on pecan pie for Thanksgiving: Pecan Tart from the "Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook" by Chris and Idie Hastings with Katherine Cobbs.

Pecan Tart

For the Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced and well chilled
4 to 5 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Tart:

1 3/4 cups pecan pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla pure extract
1 1/4 cups whole pecan halves

Sift together the flour, salt and sugar into a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, add the butter to the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring just until the mixture begins to stick together and form a dough. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly into a small disk. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before using.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle, a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the circle on an 11-inch fluted tart pan and press the dough into the sides and bottom of the pan. Trim off and discard the excess pastry. Line the tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.

Place the tart shell on a baking sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow the tart shell to cool completely before removing the pie weights or beans.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Arrange the pecan pieces evenly in the bottom of the tart shell. Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, salt, melted butter, corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the pecan pieces. Arrange pecan halves on top of the filling in a decorative pattern.

Place the tart on a baking sheet pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling is set around the edges. (The center of the tart may still jiggle slightly.) Cool completely before slicing. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

North Carolina woman could win $1 million today on "Millionaire" game show

brookecain — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500

A North Carolina woman has an excellent shot at winning $1 million today when she competes against one other finalist in the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Million Dollar Tournament of Ten."

Jehan Shamsid-Deen of Concord will go up against Sam Murray of Philadelphia on today's show, which airs at 12:30pm on ABC (WTVD locally). Murray is the tournament leader, but Jehan can take the prize if she answers her final question correctly. Believe it or not, her million dollar question is "rhymes with orange" related. If she misses her question or chooses not to answer, Sam Murray is the $1 million winner.

Jehan works as an officer for a non-profit in Concord. She is the top seed in the Tournament as well as the top "Millionaire" winner this season. She won $250,000 on the show just last month.

Trying to avoid further classroom cuts

KeungHui — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500

Could classroom crowding and course offerings get worse in Wake next year?

As noted in today's article, that's something that Wake Supt. Del Burns is hoping to avoid with the $20 million in Central Services cuts that he wans to make for next fiscal year. But he's not ruling out the possibility that more classroom cuts could be needed for next school year.

"We're trying to preserve the services we now have," Burns said.

Here's the situation:

Because of the state's $3.2 billion revenue shortfall, Wake made cuts this year that resulted in fewer teachers and teacher assistants on the booka. This led to larger class sizes and fewer courses being offered.

Burns said the goal right now is to not make the situation any worse for next year. He said they're just not in a position to reverse this year's cuts.

If things work out, Burns hopes the $20 million in new Central Services cuts will be all that's needed. But if state and local tax revenues continue to sag, Burns said it might not be possible to avoid further classroom cuts.

More cuts could lead to even larger class sizes and even fewer offerings in 2010-11.

UNC endowment takes a big hit

eferreri — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:40:11 -0500

In fiscal 2009, UNC Chapel Hill's endowment lost nearly 20 percent of its value. In real numbers, that's $440 million, from $2.2 billion to about $1.8 billion.

"That's a painful, significant loss," John King, of the UNC Management Co., told campus trustees this week. "It's something we'll be dealing with for a while."

Though tough to stomach, the endowment loss is not unusual. Universities everywhere have struggled this year with significant decreases in the value of their endowments. A study by Cambridge Associates shows that the average loss in fiscal 09 by a group of 163 colleges and universities is 20 percent - so UNC-CH is right at the average.

"Fiscal 09 was the worst college endowment year in decades - I'd even say years," King told trustees. "It's going to take a lot of time to repair the damage that occurred last year."

For more on the university's annual endowment fund report, click the document attached to this blog post.

Wachovia begins replacing ATMs with Wells Fargo machines

AlanMWolf — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

Wachovia has started replacing its ATMs in the Triangle with next-generation machines, part of the bank's transformation under the ownership of Wells Fargo.

The new, high-tech ATMs will be able to scan and add up checks without deposit envelopes, count cash deposits and remember your most frequent transactions -- and offer those options when you sign in. The ATMs also will offer six languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Korean and Vietnamese.

Wells Fargo bought Wachovia late last year and is just beginning to convert branches in other states to the new name. Branches in North Carolina aren't scheduled to change until early 2011. This state will be the last one converted because Wachovia has such a large market here, said Jack Clayton, regional president for the bank's Triangle East region.

But installing the new ATMs is part of a broader effort to integrate Wells Fargo systems and technology, and begin to make customers familiar with the brand, Clayton said.

The strategy also includes hiring up to 30 percent more employees for each branch, including service managers and mortgage specialists. "When people go into one of our stores, they'll feel a lot fuller," Clayton said.

Wachovia now employs about 1,600 people in the Triangle and is this region's biggest bank by deposits. The bank has 149 ATMs in Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston counties.

The company expects to change its more than 500 ATMs across the state by February. On Wednesday, workers replaced one in downtown Charlotte, left.

"We'll do some in each market in phases" to avoid any disruption for customers, Clayton said.

Banks have been adding features at ATMs for years, partly for customers' convenience, but also because automated transactions are cheaper than in a branch.

Wachovia ATMs' new languages are aimed at drawing the growing population of non-English-speaking customers. And features such as check scanning and cash counting will benefit restaurants and other small businesses, Clayton said. The new ATMs also will allow money deposited by check before 8 p.m. to be available immediately.

The new machines will still say Wachovia on top, but will include "a Wells Fargo company" below that name for now, said spokeswoman Christine Shaw. The signs will change in 2011 when the branches convert to the Wells Fargo brand.

UNC 77, Ohio St. 73

rpickeral — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:28:05 -0500

NEW YORK -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams said his team didn't get very good leadership during its lackadaisical victory over Valparaiso last Sunday. Obviously, that stuck in senior Marcus Ginyard's craw - and he stuck it to No. 15 Ohio State.

Led by Ginyard's defense, determination and timely buckets, the sixth-ranked Tar Heels (4-0) survived a late-game surge by the Buckeyes, 77-73 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in their first real test of the season.

They will play Syracuse, which topped No. 13 California in the earlier game, Saturday night at approximately 7:15 p.m. in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic.

Ginyard, particularly peeved by his performance against Valpo, was particularly intense from the outset. Matched up with OSU wing-turned-point-guard Evan Turner, he forced the junior to travel on the Buckeyes first possession, dove into the Tar Heels' bench to try to get to a loose ball on another, then drew a second foul from him with 11:30 left in the first half by drawing an offensive charge.

By halftime, Turner - who entered the game averaging 19 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists - had only six points and two rebounds. The Buckeyes (1-2) were shooting 29 percent (and 50 percent from the free throw line).

Meanwhile, Ginyard, who was not being guarded by Turner, had two 3-pointers - the first with 14:05 left in the first half, which gave his team its first double-digit lead (15-5), and the second with 2 seconds left in the first half, giving the Tar Heels a 38-24 lead at the break.

And the Tar Heels, who questioned their own intensity just four days before, fed off his energy.

There was Will Graves (14 points), mixing drives with his jump shots.

There was Tyler Zeller, giving that extra effort not just to score, but to get fouled, too.

There was point guard Larry Drew II, burying a 3-pointer with 6:10 left in the game, when Ohio State cut what was once a 19-point lead to 58-47.

Forward Deon Thompson - the other player Williams called out Sunday as needing to "step up and do what leaders do -- to get kids to concentrate, to get them to play very hard, too get them to focus and focus on the important things, not on the unimportant things" - did his part, too. Eleven of his 15 points came in the second half, including a key block and two free throws after Drew made that 3-pointer.

OSU cut its lead to 68-60 with less than two minutes left when guard David Lighty made a layup. But Ginyard -- who else? -- buried a 3-pointer. After the Buckeyes countered another 3-pointer, Ginyard made a steal that kept the Tar Heels ahead. OSU cut it to as little as 75-73, but Drew II buried two free throws in the final seconds to seal it.

Ginyard finished with 13 points -- and the unquestioned role of team leader.

Hurricanes 6, Leafs 5 (SO)

chipalexander — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:13:16 -0500

Goals by Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen lifted the Canes to a 6-5 victory in a shootout — the Canes' third consecutive game decided in a shootout.

Erik Cole scored with 2.9 seconds left in the third period to tie the score 5-5 after the Canes pulled goalie Manny Legace for a sixth attacker.

Tim Gleason scored twice in the third — the defenseman's first two-goal game of his career -- as the Canes tied the score 4-4. Ian White's goal with 29.9 seconds left in the htthird pushed the Leafs ahead 5-4, but Cole scored on a rebound to tie it.

The Canes, trailing 3-0 after the first period, fought their way back into the game with second-period goals from Stephane Yelle and Matt Cullen to trail 3-2 after two.

Yelle picked up his first goal of the season with 3:13 left in the second, diving to knock a loose puck past goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. Cullen nearly scored with 2:37 left, the puck eluding Gustavsson but not crossing the goal line. But the Canes kept the puck deep in the zone and Cullen scored with 2:30 remaining off a Tuomo Ruutu centering pass.

Goals by Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak and Mikhail Grabovski have given the Leafs a 3-0 lead after the first period.

The Leafs, who have lost their last four, needed just 61 seconds to grab a 1-0 lead. Stajan scored on a top-shelf shot past Manny Legace after Alexei Ponikarovsky knocked the puck away from Joe Corvo in front of the Canes goal.

The Leafs had given up the first goal in 17 of 19 games. Now it's 17 of 20.

Stempniak made it 2-0 at 14:21 on Stempniak's blistering shot from the circle.

The Canes' Andrew Alberts hit the post with the Leafs leading 1-0. Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson took care of the rest.

RDU traffic volume dropped again in October

AlanMWolf — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:11:38 -0500

Traffic volume at Raleigh-Durham International Airport fell again in October, as the recession and airline cuts continue to hit home.

About 808,000 passengers traveled through RDU last month, the airport authority reported today, down about 1.6 percent from October 2008.

So far this year, total volume is 7.5 million passengers, down nearly 9 percent.

Airlines have reduced flights as demand declined. But several airlines have recently announced plans to add flights at RDU as the economy recovers.

Airport officials also reported that traffic fell 0.1 percent in September from a year earlier. That revised figure reversed the slight gain that was previously reported for the month.

Quote for the evening

jaydub — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:10:00 -0500

After hearing about police frustration over stopping criminal goings-on around the intersection of South and Enterprise streets near the Durham Freeway, City Councilman Mike Woodard summed up the situation with a quote from his Uncle Buster:

"It's hard to cut grass in a graveyard because you don't get any help from the residents."