MONA SONI

News

Floral flair blooms in town

By MONA SONI | April 27

Local businesses and residents can bring out the shovels and hoes during this year’s planting season, thanks to a downtown improvement plan. The brick-bordered planters can be seen along Franklin and Columbia streets and are part of the Flower Box Project. The project is coordinated by Roland Giduz and allows residents to adopt a box and maintain its gardening duties. “People pay a one-time fee of $25 to adopt a box,” Giduz said. “It’s then the adopter’s responsibility to buy and plant flowers for the box.”

News

Area students turn off television's bright lights

By MONA SONI | April 26

Television programs hoping to climb the Nielsen Ratings Index might want to pick another week to unveil their big plot twist or guest star. Students in Chapel Hill and Carrboro and across the nation put the remote down as part of the annual TV Turnoff Week program. TV Turnoff Week is a U.S.-based program that encourages children to limit their television viewing time in order to promote healthier habits. The program also will have its largest international participation this year with 10 countries turning off their TVs.

News

Local kids look to give back

By MONA SONI | April 14

Local children will have the opportunity to plan and execute a service project of their choice this weekend during National Youth Service Day. The worldwide event is coordinated in the United States by Youth Service America, said Meg McGurk, juvenile community services program coordinator for Volunteers for Youth in Orange County. The local organization received a grant from Youth Service America to coordinate the efforts of local youth groups and agencies to take part in Saturday’s event.

News

Local middle schoolers show off chess skills

By MONA SONI | April 11

Facing fierce competition, area middle schoolers finished 16th in the national chess championship this weekend. After winning the state championship in March, six students from Guy B. Phillips Middle School competed in the national chess tournament in Nashville, Tenn., from Friday until late Sunday night. In the national tournament, players were paired by grade level and then by rating. The higher the rating, the better the player. The Phillips team played in the K-8 championship section and competed against more than 50 middle school squads.

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County to examine water supply issues, alternatives

By MONA SONI | March 31

With the end of winter and the onset of warmer weather, the future of Orange County’s water supply and conservation efforts needs further examination. To facilitate community discussion, the Orange Water and Sewage Authority will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Carrboro Century Center, located at 100 N. Greensboro St.

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Crowd dives into lakes

By MONA SONI | March 28

Boaters and fishers alike took advantage of the reopening of local lakes Saturday — despite the cold weather and overcast skies. University Lake and the Cane Creek Reservoir, which reopened for the season, are the biggest sources of water in the area and are popular places for people to fish, canoe, picnic and just relax. Even with the absence of picnickers and others who might have been deterred by the dismal weather conditions at University Lake, the turnout was almost as high as expected.

News

Season to spring to action at local lakes

By MONA SONI | March 24

With the arrival of spring comes the reopening of two local lakes where the public can enjoy the much-awaited warm weather. The Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake will reopen Saturday with a day of free services, named Lightning Brown Day in honor of a former Orange Water and Sewer Authority board member who contracted AIDS during his tenure on he board. “We usually have a nice crowd,” Doug Terry, manager of water supply and treatment for OWASA, said of opening day, estimating that several hundred people will come.

News

Panel addresses parental concerns

By MONA SONI | March 10

While a forum hosted Wednesday by McDougle Middle School was geared toward helping parents with their middle schoolers, many parents were more concerned with high school safety. The forum, called “Family Talk,” took on issues such as substance abuse, gangs, parent-teen conflict resolution and positive after-school activities. McDougle sponsored the forum, which featured a panel of four community members. “All parents need help and support, and some more than others,” said Aviva Scully, a family specialist at McDougle.

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Planning begins for Hillsborough's Last Fridays

By MONA SONI | February 28

Members at an annual planning meeting for a popular Hillsborough street festival series said Saturday that this year's festival will require more work than in previous years, but they are confident it will remain successful. Once a month, from April through October, the Hillsborough Arts Council hosts Last Fridays, all-day events that include vendors, music and artists displaying their work to the public. Saturday's meeting gave anyone interested a chance to discuss issues facing this year's festivals and suggest areas for improvement.

News

A time to cook

By MONA SONI | February 24

In honor of an Italian national holiday, A Southern Season kicked off Wednesday its fourth annual Festa della Donne — or Festival of the Women. The festival will last until Feb. 28 — just before March 8, the day in which men honor the special women in their lives, according to Italian tradition. Over the next two weeks, the gourmet foods retailer will hold cooking demonstrations, as well as classes, at its location in University Mall off Estes Drive. A variety of female experts in culinary careers also will participate in the festival.