Chatham County, NC Blogs

“Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without words?” - Marcel Marceau

They say God has a great sense of humor. I’d have to agree because I really think I was supposed to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth, a spread for hunters/jumpers in the heart of horse country, a mint julip in my hand, an annual box seat at the Kentucky derby and a closet full of hats that would make the queen green with envy… oh well, Bear Creek, NC will simply have to do.

Yep, this is mile ten and we’re running up this mother-load hill!! I so tried to pass this guy! When we reached the top of the hill we took a right into a parking lot and wound through some stancions to where the finish line was. I pushed and pushed and I know this guy heard me coming up behind him ’cause he poured on a little extra, too! In the end, I wasn’t able to pass him! That’s okay, though. I’m sure it helped me knock off a second or two of my final time.

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful course. It wound all through Chapel Hill and downtown Carborro and all through some very older, established neighborhoods. The views were breathtaking. Maybe if I hadn’t been admiring peoples’ landscaping and architecture I would’ve been even quicker to finish! And I would’ve loved to have stopped and listened closer and enjoyed the man playing his banjo in his front yard - but I did have someplace to be (yep, a man in his front yard in a lawn chair playing his banjo and singing like a bird - it IS Chapel Hill after all!).

One perk to this race, my husband is a cop in Chapel Hill. As such, we parked the car in the PD parking lot and I got a personal escort (okay, so I had to ride in the back of a police patrol car) to the starting line! I LOVED IT!!! And when I was done, I was picked up and delivered back to my vehicle. Isn’t having connections great! The only downside was that Mike was not able to run this race with me. He’s still recovering from his - well, you know, - his hiney surgery. But he did feel well enough to go with me and stand along the sidelines encouraging me on! I saw him at mile 3 and at the end at about 9.5 miles. It’s our plan to try to run this together next year - as long as I’m able to walk!

I don’t have another race planned for the immediate future so I’ll be on the hunt - don’t want to get lazy. I did see on the news Saturday night that there’s a woman in Cary or Raleigh that’s started a beginners Triathelon (swimming, biking and running). From what I heard it sounded very “user/beginner” friendly. It may be too late for me to train my body for biking and swimming this year but at least I’m aware of it and could maybe prepare for next year. It’s so very important to have personal goals, wouldn’t you agree?

(…wow, you’d think those hips would be a lot more slender with all this running…what’s up with that?!)

Crews are working around the clock throughout Briar Chapel in preparation for the upcoming Green Home Tour. The most visible work is being done to the 15-501 entrance, including landscaping and a new sign.

In addition, a beautiful new art sculpture was unveiled along the wall opposite the entrance sign on 15-501, which is a stainless steel replica of Carolina smilax leaves. Newland Communities commissioned Jim Gallucci, a local sculptor for more than 25 years, to create the sculpture. Gallucci currently designs and fabricates sculptures in his Greensboro, N.C. studio and has worked as an art instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an exhibit designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, N.C.

Our view on education: A nation still at risk
Fri Apr 18, 12:22 AM ET
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I started the Chatham Chatlist listsev in 1997. Here’s highlights from an News & Observer story “Web brings neighbors together” that was published on March 19, 2003.
In Chatham County, residents can use the “Chatlist,” which reaches 930 people across 700 square miles, to locate manure for fertilizing, find [...]

Some of my fondest memories are of being at “the barn”. I made my monthly pilgrimage there this last weekend where Brandi snapped this shot - I love it… What you don’t see is Dave’s granddaughter in his lap. Madison was born in November 2006, 8 months after her father Matt, Dave’s son, was killed in a car accident - just up the road from the barn. While Madison will never know her dad, she will know the love and support of her family, especially from Dave & Sherry, and it’s my prayer that she, too, will have fond memories of “the barn”. Looks like she’s well on her way…

[ February 21, 2008; 4:00 pm to 4:50 pm. ]
Teacher’s Advisory Committee Meeting
Dr. H. David Bryant, Superintendent Interim

Pittsboro Elementary Media Center
February 21, 2008

Valerie Powers – Bennett (Absent)
Judy Ingram – North Chatham
Katie Wood Palmer – Bonlee (Absent)
ChrisVolkmar – Northwood High School
Darlene Brady – Chatham Central High School
Thelma Pike – Perry W. Harrison
Harriet Sherman - Chatham Middle
Jennifer Morton – Pittsboro Elementary
Tom Campbell - Horton
LorettaBatchelor –SAGEAcademy (Absent)
Avajan [...]

I am a worrier. I am a closet worrier - I stress internally and quietly and rarely share my concerns with friends and family (much to the chagrin of my hair…turning grey and getting very thin). As many of you know, I’ve been out of work since February 1. I was certain that within 45 days everything would be “back to normal”. It’s not… And it’s not for lack of effort, there’s been plenty of that and there have even been numerous interviews and healthy, positive meetings. But for one reason or another I have not engaged in the perfect fit - yet. My faith and my patience have been, and continue to be, put to the test.

This message does relate to my picture posting this morning. And in the event you can’t enlarge the photo and read the caption, it says , “The finest furnishings for a country house aspire to welcome, not impress. Let there be art to nourish the soul: paintings, poetry and music. Let there be flowers to remind us of our connection with nature: daffodils in the spring, roses in June. And let there be two chairs, at least: one for you, one for me.”

I know that we will be alright and that the right employment opportunity will come to me according to God’s will and plan…but I can’t help but worry. However, whenever I encounter a particularly difficult time in my life, I refer to this message because it is my plan, no matter how dire my life may one day end up (and we NEVER know what the future holds), I will ALWAYS have two chairs, at least, one for you, one for me…

(*note - scanned photo from Country Living magazine, date unknown, photography by Caroline Arber).

Found this Goggle video clip of an award presentation for Robert Logan before he left Asheville for the NCDPI position in Raleigh, NC. Superintendent Logan appears in the last eight minutes of this clip.

The Chatham County Board of Education held a meeting on Monday, April 14, 2008, at the central office.
Board Chair Kathie Russell announced Robert Logan as the new Superintendent of Chatham County Schools.  Logan will begin working in the district in early May.  Until then, a transition team will act with leadership being with assistant superintendents [...]