Award-winning singer, songwriter and activist David LaMotte will perform in concert at the new Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church on Saturday, January 14, at 7 p.m. There is no cost for the concert, but donations would be welcomed.

In his 18-year career, David LaMotte has recorded ten CDs and performed more than 2,000 concerts on four continents. In 2008, he suspended his career at its peak to accept a Rotary World Peace Fellowship to study International Relations, Peace and Conflict-Resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

In 2004, David and his wife Deanna founded PEG Partners, a small non-profit organization that supports schools and libraries in Guatemala. He continues to volunteer as the Program Director for PEG, and is also a consultant on Peace and Justice at the North Carolina Council of Churches.

His music has been honored with numerous awards and grants, as well as artist sponsorships from Taylor Guitars and John Pearse Strings. David’s music has been featured on dozens of artist compilations. Notably, his song “Dark and Deep” was included on Songs Inspired By Literature, Chapter One, a benefit CD to raise money for adult literacy. Other artists on that CD include Suzanne Vega, Aimée Mann and Bruce Springsteen.

Several independent films feature David’s music, and it has been heard on the Today Show, the HBO television series, “This American Life,†and an Obama campaign commercial..

Now based in Chapel Hill with his wife Deanna and their two-year-old son Mason, David has returned to national and international appearances to speak and sing.

Chapel in the Pines held its first service in the new church on December 11 with nearly 250 worshipers. The address is south of Chapel Hill at 314 Great Ridge Parkway, off Mann’s Chapel Road, about one mile west of US Highway 15-501.

Also, on Sunday, January 22, at 4 p.m., a special dedication service will be held with guest preacher the Rev. Robert E. Dunham from University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill.

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church is an inclusive congregation; everyone is welcome. Child care is provided during services, which are held every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., with Sunday school for all ages at 9 a.m.

More information on David LaMotte may be found on his Website at www.davidlamotte.com. More information and photographs of the new Chapel in the Pines are available on the church’s Website at www.citppc.org.

What a very thoughtful post from Ellen Pearson, re. making Walmart more a more responsible corporate citizen! It made think of the last time I was in Costco in Durham. They actually had Cackalacky sauce (a local product, out of Chapel Hill) for sale!

So, I would definitely agree with the point “Would you like certain products to be available to compensate for the excess traffic, the loss of local businesses, the loss of property values?  Tell Walmart what you think.”  And vote with your feet.

Tim Walker

Thank you for an important additional insight. Superintendant of the Year award from the NCHSAA; very interesting.

John Dykers

I hate to have to say this in a public forum, but everyone who goes to such great lengths to complain about Walmart being built really needs to grow up. Everyone today wants convenience but no one wants to trade anything for it, and you can’t have it both ways. On one extreme I hear people who are so progress-fearing that they probably should be in a field with no electricity or telephone or Internet, and on the other…well, I don’t see many people who advocate for a concrete jungle, honestly.  Then we have the fools who try to play a moral supremacy card and talk about how everything we buy should be heavily researched so we don’t fund sweatshops and “unfairly traded” goods.

I buy what I need, where I need it. Local business adapts or dies; Walmart can’t compete with a well-run local business because service will always be poorer at Walmart. I don’t care about sweatshops and fair traded goods and organic or not, and I would welcome the convenience of certain large businesses being right down the road…as well as the jobs that such a business creates, and the people draw that it builds which can boost local businesses as well.

I don’t have time to think this one through, these are just some random thoughts. But you people who try to pretend you’re somehow morally superior have bad news coming: most people here don’t care about that stuff because they’re not in your situation and may not have such luxuries, nor such expansive free time to be a grumpy old bitty and spout the NIMBY philosophy. I will find a way to erect a cell phone tower and an array of ham radio antennas near your house just for kicks, hahaha! *evil laughter*  (On a side note, that’s another thing that annoys me greatly: everyone wants cell signal but no one wants cell towers. I think they look pretty neat and I’d love to climb one one day, but I’m weird and today I am in a very weird mood…)

Here’s an open invitation to all of you who don’t like this post: tell all of us why we should actually care about any of the things you’re complaining about. Tell us what the benefit of caring is to us personally, otherwise we don’t really have any reason to agree with you. That’s how it is with everything, I guess, but in this case no one seems to want to bring it out and just say it.

It’s not surprising that Wal Mart waited until they got the commissioners they wanted.

http://www.chapelboro.com/Walmart-Coming-To-Chatham-County/11663162

A few years ago I was in a serious accident.  Elite Auto Body fixed my car very well.  I even had a repair report done on the vehicle to estimate the post-repair value of the car and the person said that was the best repair he had ever seen.  I use Elite for all my scuff ups now.  the owner is super nice and will try to work with you if he can. 

its on Old Greensboro road and I think it is a Chapel Hill address.  But they have the rental car people come out and get you etc and they work well with insurance carriers.

Arts, Crafts & Wellness Holiday Gift Fair

Where:  Studio A Fitness & Wellness, 781 Mt. Carmel Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 (near Governor’s Village)

When:    December 3, 2011, 10am – 2pm.

Enjoy spiced apple cider and hot chocolate while you do all your holiday shopping in one place! Free chair massages (head/neck/shoulders) by licensed massage therapists. Featuring local artists, craftspeople, and wellness experts: jewelry, long leaf pine needle baskets, hand-crafted soaps, greetings cards, hand-made scarves, jams, jellies & nut butters, framed and canvas art, mandalas, “Thirty One” bags, CAbi clothing, gift baskets, dog tug toys, cool raffle prizes, gift certificates for pilates, yoga, massage therapy, reflexology, hypnosis, and more…

For more information call Claire 919-636-2781 or Lauren 919-698-9447

Parker Arise Quartet will be in concert on Saturday, October 29th at 7:00 pm
 
Where:  Martha’s Chapel Christian Church
             2811 Martha’s Chapel Church Road
             (Intersection of Martha’s Chapel Church Road and Hwy 751)
 
Enjoy an evening of heart warming Southern Gospel music along with light refreshments.
 
More information about the Quartet can ge found at http://www.arisehigh.com/

It’s that time of year when area churches are revving up the cookers and stew pots.  Merritt’s Chapel will be having their Fall BBQ and brunswick stew -all you can eat- this Saturday from 4-  8pm. 

Coleslaw, hushpuppies, rolls, homemade pickles,  tea(with eat in) and homemade desserts will also be served.  Our pork BBQ is slow cooked and made with a prize winning sauce and the brunswick stew is made from a hundred year old recipe that is hard to beat.  Eat in and take out line. 

Adults $9 and kids 12 and under $6.  Quarts of stew and BBQ by the pound are available for $8 while supplies last.

Merritt’s Chapel is located near Jordan Lake. 1090 Farrington Point Rd. Chapel Hill  phone 968-1184

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church and University Presbyterian Church will jointly host two visitors from Guatemala, Juana Herlinda Yac Salanic and Karla Koll, who are traveling around the US as part of the Presbyterian Church-USA’s International Peacemakers tour. On Sunday, October 2, they will help lead the 8:30 service at

University Presbyterian Church in downtown Chapel Hill (www.upcch.org) and  the10:30 service at Chapel in the Pines in northern Chatham County (www.citppc.org).

Juana Herlinda Yac Salanic is the first female elder in the Getsemani Presbyterian Church of Pachaj, Cantel, and will share with us challenges faced by indigenous women and men in Guatemala, and how changes can help all move forward. Karla Koll, Professor of history, mission and religions for the Latin American Biblical University, is a powerful and gifted theologian who works with her students to explore the call to be a part of God’s mission today in contexts of violence and corruption.

Chapel in the Pines meets at North Chatham School at 3380 Lystra Road, near the intersection of Lystra Road and Jack Bennett Road. We are very excited about their visit and invite all to join us.