This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

DeMarco's (3607 Falls River Ave.; 919-720-4482; demarcosnc.com) opened last week in the Shoppes at Bedford, in the space recently vacated by Anthony's Touch of Italy.

The new owners, a trio of young partners from Greensboro, have given the space a makeover with a more casual feel primarily aimed at families in the surrounding Bedford community.

"Anthony's food was good," says Clay Adams, one of the partners. "But it was the sort of place where people ate once a month. We want to make it into a neighborhood gathering place, where they can come in once a week or more."

To that end, the owners removed the white tablecloths and added a 120-inch projection screen TV. They're offering an affordable menu to match, with most entrees and pasta dishes in the $10-15 range.

Additional enticements will include everything from regularly scheduled food and entertainment specials (including Pizza Night, Eighties Night, and a Kids-Eat-Free Night featuring a cotton candy machine) to a dog-friendly patio.

DeMarco's is currently serving dinner only, Tuesday-Sunday. Plans are in the works to expand hours to include Mondays ("that big screen is crying out for Monday Night Football," according to Adams) and weekend lunch.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

The Wake County school board gave preliminary approval today to some changes to the 2013-14 student assignment plan.

Board members said they're listening to parents as they dropped some proposed node changes and changes in calendar options. The Durant Trails and Bedford residents who had been lobbying for changes should be happy.

The changes are:

SEE UPDATE AND CORRECTION AT END OF POST

Bedford families who had complained about being reassigned to Abbotts Creek Elementary School got their wishes answered when Wake County school administrators recommended Tuesday delaying the opening of the modular campus to the 2014-15 school year.

Families in the Bedford community had lobbied for a delay in the opening of the modular school, including forming the "Fund it First" Facebook group. The parents argued that the school system should first secure funding for Abbotts Creek's permanent building before assigning students to the modular campus.

Laura Evans, senior director of growth and planning, acknowledged that concern.

The state Republican Party is telling voters in a last-minute campaign mailer that Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo has "the right priorities for our children."

The mailer says that "Heather believes in neighborhood schools and parental choice and will use proximity as the number one priority for school assignment." The GOP also says "the new Choice Plan will be the foundation for providing parents and students with stability and provide an opportunity to improve every school."

The mailer says "Heather will listen to the people and be responsive." Referencing the Bedford reassignment controversy, the mailer also says that "in contrast, Heather's opponent responded to over 300 parents concerned about busing their children to another school by saying he intended to 'stonewall' them."

This is the "stonewall" campaign mailer from Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo that has generated some controversy in District 3.

The mailer says that incumbent school board member "Kevin Hill says he will 'Stonewall' Concerned Parents." She got the year wrong in the mailer but it references a March 30, 2010 email that was released last year by the Bedford Homeowners Association.

"Some 300 Bedford area parents signed a petition to the School Board asking to be heard about the reassignment of their children from nearby Wakefield High School to Heritage High," says the mailer. "Kevin Hill refused to meet with us and emailed the principal at Heritage that he intended to 'stonewall' them and their petition. Heather Lousrdo will listen to her constituents and advocate for their needs. Is that any way for a Representative to treat his constituents?"

By a 5-4 vote, the Wake County school board rejected an effort today to drop consideration of 20 moves in the 2011-12 student reassignment plan.

After reviewing the first 48 of the 68 items on the plan, board member Kevin Hill called for stopping work there with the exception of also looking at the Carpenter Village moves. He said they had already covered all the things relating to the three-year plan and dealing with crowding that were recommended by staff.

But other board members objected, saying they had gotten comment on items 49 through 68 on the plan. These items are supposed to be things that were brought up last year.

The swing vote was vice chairwoman Debra Goldman, who said they had to consider the last 20 items because they had taken public comment on them. She joined the other Republicans with chairman Ron Margiotta breaking the tie.

UPDATE

The Republicans cited how the parents want to return to Wakefield while the Democrats pointed to crowding concerns if they return.

Here's the summary of today's changes.

The board now plans to meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday to resume work on the reassignment plan. School board chairman Ron Margiotta says he'll bring up converting Highcroft Drive Elementary, Salem Elementary and Salem Middle back to a traditional calendar.

I'm likely not going to be adding new blog posts for the rest of the week while I focus on a project.  I'm going to try tonight to finish adding more details to today's blog posts.

The board of directors of the Bedford at Falls River Homeowners Association is charging that collusion led to the Wake County school board not backing the community's efforts to stay at Wakefield High School.

In a handout provided to HOA members, the group points to e-mail messages between school board member Kevin Hill and Heritage High Principal Mark Savage. In one message to Hill, Savage writes he's "concerned" how the loss of the middle class Bedford students would impact diversity at Heritage.

Hill e-mailed back to Savage that he would "plan to stonewall any changes at this point in the year because we have not had hearings or done due diligence." The board deferred to Hill because Bedford is located in his North Raleigh district.