CHAPEL HILL — A fire-safety program featuring an educational puppet show put together by the Chapel Hill Museum and the Chapel Hill Fire Department has been recognized with a statewide award.
The museum and Fire Department have collaborated on a fire safety education program since 2000. This program is presented to local elementary school students at the museum, located at 523 E. Franklin St., and the surrounding community year-round. The musical puppet show component of this program, Johnnie Joins the Fire Department, began in 2008, and was presented to the General Assembly in 2009. The puppet show has been produced as a live action film, funded by Progress Energy, and is set to publicly debut in March.
Earlier this month, the education program was named by the N.C. Fire and Life Safety Education Council as first runner-up for the Educator’s Award of Excellence for the central North Carolina region. Chapel Hill Fire Marshal Matt Lawrence and Lt. Chris Bradley attended the council’s conference and accepted the award. At the same conference a presentation was made by Lawrence and Bradley to the N.C. Firefighter’s Burned Children’s Fund in thanks for their support of the program.
N.C. 86 widening input sought
CHAPEL HILL — The N.C. Department of Transportation is seeking public comments regarding land acquisition for the proposed N.C. 86 (South Columbia Street) widening project in Chapel Hill.
After consulting with the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department, NCDOT is proposing to acquire land from Jones Park, which is owned by the town. The land will be used for the construction and maintenance of a storm water ditch that will be part of the drainage system for N.C. 86 and surrounding properties. The ditch will help channel storm water off the road.
The proposed 0.75-mile project would widen N.C. 86 from Purefoy Road (State Road 1906) to Manning Drive (S.R. 1902). N.C. 86 would be widened from two to three lanes, with designated bike lanes and sidewalks. The project does not involve constructing additional through lanes. Right-of-way acquisition is currently in progress, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2012.
Citizens may comment about the land acquisition until March 3 by contacting Lisa Feller at (919) 733-3141 or via e-mail at lfeller@ncdot.gov. People may also write, referencing State Transportation Improvement Program project number U-624, to:
Author tea
features Dodson
CHAPEL HILL — The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library will present James Dodson as the guest author at a Meet-the-Author Tea on Friday.
Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m. and the program will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive.
Dodson, a father of two, lives in Southern Pines, is currently writer-in-residence at The Pilot Newspaper there and the editor of PineStraw Magazine. He also served as artist-in-residence at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., where he taught advanced writing.
His latest book, “A Son of the Game,” is a memoir about finding new meaning through an old sport. It is a story of golf, going home, and sharing life’s lessons. It is filled with anecdotes about the many characters who are part of both the history of the game and of Pinehurst — the Home of American Golf — where many larger-than-life legends played some of their greatest rounds. Dodson’s books on golf include biographies of Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer.
Dodson was an award-winning regular columnist for Golf Magazine for almost 20 years, his writing has appeared in numerous national publications.
Car club offers scholarship
EFLAND — The Timeless Cruizers Car Club of Efland will award a $2,000 scholarship to a student from Orange, Cedar Ridge or Eastern Alamance high school. The Alfred Jacobs Memorial Scholarship is awarded in memory of former member Alfred Jacobs to graduating seniors who are continuing their education in the automotive field.
Interested applicants should contact their Guidance Office at Orange High, Cedar Ridge or Eastern Alamance. Students must complete application forms available in the Guidance Office and return to their Guidance Office by April 1, 2010. For further information, contact Pat Lloyd at (919) 732-7851.
Timeless Cruizers will celebrate its 10th Annual Car Show on May 8. Proceeds from the event are used to award the scholarships, as well as donations to Relay For Life, Pediatric Brain Tumor, Victory Junction, families in need.
Visit timelesscruizers.com for more information.
