Chatham Community Library hosting author, ‘gentle movement’ yoga class
PITTSBORO — Local author Ruth Moose and yoga instructor Tim Keim will be featured at two upcoming events at the Chatham Community Library in Pittsboro.
Author and Chatham resident Ruth Moose will visit the library at 6 p.m. on Sept. 5 in the Holmes Meeting Room. She’ll be reading from her latest collection of short stories, Going to Graceland.
Moose was a member of the Creative Writing faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill for 15 years. She’s published four collections of short stories; The Wreath Ribbon Quilt, Dreaming in Color, Neighbors and Other Strangers, and Going to Graceland. She’s also published stories in the Atlantic, the Alaska Quarterly Review, the North American Review, the Southern California Review and other publications based in Holland, South Africa, England, and Denmark.
Moose has published six collections of poetry, most recently, The Librarian and Other Poems and Tea. She’s received a MacDowell Fellowship, a North Carolina Artist Fellowship, and the prestigious Chapman Award for Teaching. Her first novel, Doing it at the Dixie Dew, won the Malice Domestic prize and was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2014. Its sequel, Wedding Bell Blues, was published in 2016.
This event is free and open to the public.
The library will host a free yoga class September 7 focusing on gentle movement at the Chatham Community Library in Pittsboro.
The event, which will run from 2-3:15 p.m., will focus on building strength, balance and range of motion. The class will also address core strength including ways to reduce lower back pain. Proper breathing hygiene and an introduction to meditation will be also be included to teach participants to manage mood, increase mental health and brain function.
Keim is in his 25th year of personal yoga practice and 15th year as a certified yoga teacher. He is also an IAYT certified Yoga Therapist, using therapeutically-applied yoga to create an optimum environment for healing in the body. Tim is also certified as an Ayurvedic Health Counselor. Ayurveda is the healing system of yoga that dates back prior to 3,000 B.C.E. He is also the author of “The Dynamic Dozen: 12 Accessible Yoga Poses for Building Bone Density, Strength and Balance.”
This class is designed for ambulatory adults who can get up off the ground without assistance. Each participant should bring their own yoga mat and yoga block/brick if possible.
The program is free and open to the public. Space is limited.
CORA, Carolina Meadows partner for fundraising drive
PITTSBORO — CORA announced recently that, through its partnership with the Carolina Meadows neighborhood, it has received more than $34,000 in support of its food pantry.
Each spring, Carolina Meadows residents host an annual fundraising drive and raise funds. CORA — the Carolina Outreach Alliance — worked with representatives from Carolina Meadows and provided information on how CORA serves those in need in Chatham County through a presentation, direct mail appeal and even two tours of the pantry. Throughout the entire year, Carolina Meadows residents donated more than $52,000 to CORA. In addition to resident support, CORA received $5,000 in corporate support to purchase a walk-in refrigerator for the new CORA facility to be completed in 2020.
“Carolina Meadows is committed to enriching and improving lives,” said Amy Gorely, director of community relations for Carolina Meadows. “We have a culture of generosity which includes the desire to support our neighbors throughout Chatham County. Residents realize the important work that CORA does and are thrilled to support their crucial work in our community.”
Melissa Driver Beard, CORA’s executive director, said the nonprofit was “so pleased” to be working with “community partners like Carolina Meadows.”
“Support like this is what enables us to continue to meet an increasing need and to work toward our mission of creating a community without hunger,” she said.
Chatham OutReach Alliance’s mission is to provide food to individuals and families within our community who are in need during difficult personal economic periods. For more information, please visit www.corafoodpantry.org or contact Rebecca Hankins at rebecca@corafoodpantry.org or 919-491-5896.
Raven Rock State Park hosting 50th anniversary celebration next month
Raven Rock State Park, located in Lillington, is celebrating its 50th anniversary by hosting a free event on September 14 featuring several activities.
Kicking off at 11 a.m., the Raven Rock 50th Anniversary Art & Eco Fest, put on in conjunction with Campbell University, will include an artists village, world-class historians, nature hikes and displays, local music, food trucks, games and more. At noon, former Campbell professor and Pittsboro resident Robert Soots, who created the state park in 1969, will be honored, followed by a presentation on Soots and the history of the park by historian John Hairr.
The event, which goes until 4 p.m., is free, and any donations will support Friends of Raven Rock and Campbell student scholarships. For more information, visit ravenrockfestival.org.
Jim Quick and Coastline to play Mann Center in Sanford
SANFORD — Beach music band Jim Quick and Coastline are performing Aug. 28 at the Mann Center in Sanford as part of the Sanford Arts & Vine Festival, and tickets are limited.
Quick has been touring the southeastern United States for more than 20 years and has received the Carolina Music Awards “Entertainer of the Year” award 16 times. The group originally started out as the Coastline Band and played Carolina beach bars, but changed to feature Quick, a Carolina native. The band’s most recent album, “Down South,” features appearances by Delbert McClinton and Bekka Bramlett and is available now.
Quick said his early job as an AM radio station DJ helped push him to the next level, which he has been pursuing ever since.
“I want my music to be a bridge for many genres, a place where traditional and contemporary music can unite,” he said. “But I do love the pure emotion and simple-yet-deep concepts of country music. I’m a Southern boy and it all hits home — the lyrics and roots of the music, from the melodies to chord progressions, seem to strike an ancestral nerve with me.”
The show begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are limited and the VIP section is sold out. Visit sanfordartsandvine.com or call (919) 775-5273 to order tickets today.
DOT: School’s back, be safe around buses
RALEIGH — School is starting and that means more buses will be on the roads and more children will be walking and biking. It’s critical that drivers know the rules of the road to keep everyone safe.
On average, there are nearly 3,000 incidents of cars passing stopped school buses every school day in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. This is not just dangerous for students; it’s also against the law.
At the school, be sure to pay attention while driving so you’ll see when a child is being dropped off or picked up. Remember to never pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians, and always stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection in a school zone when flashers are blinking.
It’s important that we all share the road with school buses. Give each bus plenty of space and know the rules for passing them on various types of roads.
• On a two-lane road, all traffic from both directions must stop;
• On a two-lane road with a center turning lane, all traffic must come to a stop;
• On a four-lane road without a median, traffic from both directions must stop;
• In the case of a divided highway with four or more lanes, only traffic following the school bus needs to stop; and
• When on a road with four lanes or more with a center turning lane, just traffic following the bus must stop.
Penalties for passing a stopped school bus include a $500 fine and an additional four insurance points, which could increase insurance rates by 80 percent. It’s vital that drivers also slow down and obey the posted speed limit in a school zone – a child’s life could depend on it.
Liberty man attends Modern Woodmen Leadership Career Institute
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J.B. Griffith III, of Libtery, recently attended the Modern Woodmen Leadership Career Institute, held at Modern Woodmen’s home office in Rock Island, Illinois.
Modern Woodmen’s top representatives and managers are invited to attend the event where elite speakers inspire attendees to become better leaders, improve results in their regions, and motivate those they work with. Attendees also have the opportunity to exchange leadership best practices with their colleagues.
Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen of America touches lives and secures futures. The fraternal financial services organization offers financial products and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.
Haw River Assembly hosting film festival in Carrboro
The Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival is returning to Carrboro for the second year on Sept. 5.
The event is hosted by the Haw River Assembly and will feature films on various subjects and individuals in Flint, Michigan; Lowndes County, Alabama; and El Salvador and Morocco, among others, as they fight climate change. Screenings start at 6:45 p.m. and run until 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro.
Tickets are $20-30 and are available online at hawriver.org/2019-wild-scenic-film-festival/. Beer and wine will be available for purchase from Steel String Brewery and food from Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase for a chance to win prizes from local businesses.
Volunteers needed for statewide Fall Litter Sweep
RALEIGH – The N.C. Dept. of Transportation needs volunteers to help clean up trash along roads during the Adopt-A-Highway Fall Litter Sweep from Sept. 14-28.
Each April and September, NCDOT asks volunteers to help remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers from local businesses, schools, non-profits, churches and community groups play an important role in keeping North Carolina’s roads clean.
“Just a few hours of volunteering to clean up our roadsides can make a huge difference,” says David Harris, State Roadside Environmental engineer. “It’s a fun opportunity to get outdoors with family and friends while helping make sure North Carolina remains a beautiful place to live and work.”
Volunteers are provided with clean-up supplies such as reversible orange and blue trash bags, gloves and safety vests from local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard offices.
Visit the Litter Sweep web page for more information. Questions can be directed to Kim Wheeless at 919-707-2974.
Chatham 4-H Avian Bowl Team wins 2nd at state competition
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PITTSBORO — A group of Chatham youngsters, calling themselves the “Chatham County Peeps,” performed well recently at the State 4-H Avian Bowl, placing second in the competition at N.C. State in Raleigh.
The format of the competition was double elimination, and each round consisted of eleven questions, including true/false, fill-in-the-blank (short answer), multiple choice and spelling. The Chatham County Peeps competed against three other counties — Bladen, Catawba and Forsyth — and their perseverance led them to a successful second place finish despite losing in the first round.
Team members Samantha Andrews, Gage Lindley, Emily Stecher and Tristan Elkins started their day against Catawba County. They lost, but then went on to win three straight rounds to get to the final. Three of the four members competed in the State 4-H Poultry Judging Competition last year and finish first, then went to Louisville, Kentucky, for the national competiton, where they finished 13th.
Prep yourself for a busy time at the DMV
RALEIGH – The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is reminding people of several tips to make it easier to complete their business efficiently during the busiest time of year.
The agency experienced its busiest period of 2018 during the last two weeks of August. As a result, DMV implemented improvements to help combat the impact of this year’s summer peak season. These improvements include express driver license services, extended hours and the opening of the state’s largest office in Charlotte.
In anticipation of a potential uptick in DMV office visits during these last weeks of August, please remember these tips:
• Go online. Many DMV services can be completed online. Visit MyNCDMV.gov to see if you can skip an office visit and complete your transaction online.
• Plan your trip. If you need to visit DMV, plan your trip to ensure you have all the proper documentation needed to complete your service. Review the office visit checklist on the MyNCDMV.gov.
• Wait if you can. If your DMV service can wait until after Labor Day, postpone your visit until the summer peak season ends.
Since a first-time REAL ID issuance must be completed in-person, DMV recommends customers wait until after the summer peak season to obtain one and using the newly-launched REAL ID tool to determine if a REAL ID is a fit for you.
DMV will continue to find and implement improvements in driver license offices following the summer season to reduce wait times and improve customers service. To learn more, visit MyNCDMV.gov.