News Briefs
News Briefs
Pittsboro Youth Theatre’s ‘Holes,’ ‘Mary Poppins’ performances around the corner
Tickets are now available for Pittsboro Youth Theater’s December shows “Holes” and “Mary Poppins.”
Did you catch the cast of “Mary Poppins” performing “A Spoonful of Sugar” at this year’s Pittsboro Street Fair? Now you can bring the family to see the entire show at the Sweet Bee Theater. Is a musical not really your style? Never fear — “Holes: Live on Stage” might suit you better. The favorite Louis Sachar childhood novel comes to life with local actors and actresses.
“[Theatre] makes me really happy, and I feel like sometimes when you get good at something or feel like you have confidence in something, it really makes you want to do something more with it and get better,” Pittsboro Youth Theater actor Kalindi mentioned on the local “Lights Up!” podcast.
“Holes” will play at 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and 2 and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8.
The much-loved book was written by Sachar and released by Disney as a major motion picture in 2003.
In “Holes,” a boy named Stanley Yelnats is wrongfully sent to brutal camp Greenlake, where the camp warden and her staff force the children in their care to mysteriously dig holes all day long in the desert. Their rehabilitation is questioned as they discover something sinister is involved.
“Mary Poppins” will play at 2 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 and 21, and Sunday, Dec. 15 and 22.
Tickets are now available online at pittsboroyouththeater.com/online-store and at the Sweet Bee Caffé (18A E. Salisbury St., Pittsboro). Please call 919-533-6997 or email pytensemble@gmail.com with any questions.
Santa invites all to CCCC Foundation’s Christmas Tree Lighting in Sanford
SANFORD — Santa Claus will be at Central Carolina Community College Dec. 5, enjoying the CCCC Foundation’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. He invites everyone to join him there.
The free event takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, in the Lee County Campus Plaza, 1105 Kelly Drive, Sanford.
The Lee County High School Marching Band kicks off the festivities as the band parades through campus, accompanying Santa to the plaza.
The jolly old elf will greet children of all ages and be available to take Christmas wishes back to the North Pole. Santa is ready and eager to meet all of the children and have his picture taken with them. The CCCC Foundation will post the photos on its website, cccc.edu/santapics, the following day, where they can be downloaded for free.
The holiday classic, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” will be read. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served. The Temple Teens will perform Christmas Carols.
The event will include other festivities as well.
“Following the story, a countdown will begin and the CCCC Christmas tree will be officially lit for the holiday season,” said Dr. Emily Hare, CCCC Foundation Executive Director. “Please come out and join us for this special occasion.”
The CCCC men’s basketball team will host Sandhills Community College at 7 p.m. that same evening.
For more information, contact Hare at 919-718-7230 or ehare@cccc.edu.
NCDOT: Extended holiday weekend means lots of traffic, suspended road closures
RALEIGH — Predicting a busy Thanksgiving weekend, the N.C. Department of Transportation is suspending most construction activity along its major highways to keep lanes open for holiday travelers.
The work shutdown along interstates, U.S. and key N.C. routes is expected to go from Tuesday morning, Nov. 26, through Monday evening, Dec. 2. There are exceptions where construction conditions make it unsafe to open all lanes, including some locations where lanes are under construction or where a bridge is being replaced and there is no roadway. Work that doesn’t affect travel lanes can also continue for some projects.
Wednesday afternoon/evening will be the busiest time for travel, with heavy congestion expected on interstates such as I-95, I-77, I-85, I-40 and I-26, and interstates in urban areas. Sunday will be another big travel day as people head home.
Drivers can check on the status of the highways they plan to use by going to DriveNC.gov before they start their trip or having a passenger do so to get an update while on the road. It provides the status of roads by route, county or region and is updated 24 hours a day. Motorists can also see how busy roads were for last year’s Thanksgiving heaviest travel days to give them an idea of what they could be dealing with this year.
Drivers are urged to use caution through the extended weekend and obey posted speed limits, even in work zones where no construction activity is taking place.
Here are some additional tips for safe driving during the holiday season:
• Leave early to get a head start, and travel at non-peak hours if possible;
• Use alternative routes if possible, to avoid traffic congestion;
• Allow extra time for your trip, especially if traveling on Wednesday or Sunday, regardless of the route you choose;
• To avoid drowsy driving, travel at times you are normally awake and take frequent breaks;
• Avoid distracted driving;
• If you will be drinking alcohol, do not drive at all;
• Pay extra attention on the roadway and to vehicles that are nearby; and
• All drivers and passengers need to be wearing their seat belts.
The annual Thanksgiving Click It or Ticket campaign will be in place from Monday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Dec. 1. Law enforcement will be out in full force enforcing speeding, drunk driving and seat belt laws in all 100 counties.
Siler City’s Clelland receives state Parks award
Jack Clelland received the Outstanding Young Professional Award at the NC Recreation and Park Association’s (NCRPA) Athletic Director Workshop recently.
This award is given to an NCRPA member who has rendered outstanding service in the field of athletics to the recreation profession on a local, state and national level. Clelland came from Monroe Parks and Recreation and has been the Athletic Programs Supervisor for the Town of Siler City for three years. He graduated from Appalachian State University in 2011 with a degree in Recreation Management with a minor in geography.
During his time with the Town, Clelland has also achieved his Certified Youth Sports Administrator (CYSA) certification, while also improving the department’s athletic leagues. He has served as the State Wide Athletic Committee’s (SWAC) Baseball chair the past couple of years, overseeing all SWAC Baseball Tournaments across the state.
Siler City Parks and Recreation now has two recipients of this award — department Director Joseph Keel was honored in 2016. Founded in 1944, NCRPA is the premier nonprofit education and advocacy organization, dedicated to the advancement of the park, recreation and leisure professions in the state.