Shera Everette

News

County schools boast internal, external change

By Shera Everette | April 28

Overcrowding, redistricting, two new schools and schedule changes have spun the local public school systems into a whirlwind of a year. To combat overcrowding, both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools are building new facilities -Gravelly Hill Middle School in the county and Carrboro High School in the city - and shuffling students around. Libbie Hough, a member of the county school board, said she does not expect problems with the changes.

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Town urged to seek entertainment outside TV

By Shera Everette | April 25

As new episodes of "American Idol" and "Will and Grace" air this week, millions of people are expected to shut off the tubes and combat obesity as part of TV Turnoff Week. Robert Kesten, executive director of TV Turnoff Network, the national organization promoting the week, said he thinks eight million to 10 million people will participate through Sunday in the effort to promote positive lifestyles.

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Parents voice Orange High woes

By Shera Everette | April 18

Pictures were worth a thousand words Monday night as parents and teachers from the Orange County Schools system spoke at a public hearing on the district's budget for fiscal year 2006-07. About 10 people spoke at Monday's hearing, most of whom brought concerns forward about the conditions of Orange High School. Representing the school was the president of the parent-teacher-student organization, Schatzie Crowther, who showed a slide show presentation of "sub-standard" facilities at the high school. "We're here to make a plea for Orange High School," Crowther said.

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Smith Middle newspaper still fighting for publication

By Shera Everette | April 11

Smith Middle School administrators are willing to distribute copies of their student newspaper - but with a few strings attached. Assistant Principal David Lyons confiscated the March issue of "The Cyclone Scoop" due to a story that identified a 14-year-old student who is being charged with assault on a school bus. If the staff, students in a Smith journalism class, replace the controversial story, the paper will be distributed, said Stephanie Knott, assistant to the superintendent for community relations.

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Sewer system could delay reassignment

By Shera Everette | March 29

Orange County Schools just finished a reassignment process set to funnel students to a new middle school, but now it has one problem - Gravelly Hill Middle School might not open in the fall. Paul Thames, Orange County engineer, said the building will not have a sewer system hooked up by August. Without a sewer system in place, the school will not open on schedule, said Randy Copeland, chairman of the Orange County Board of Education, adding that he hopes this isn't the case.

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Students ready to break out

By Shera Everette | March 23

Students from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are hitting the road this weekend with one group heading to Gulfport, Miss., to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and with another off to Europe to visit pen pals. Twenty high school students in the Youth Leadership Institute, part of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program, will leave Sunday and spend their Spring Break in the Gulf Coast. "We had been talking about going to Mississippi as far back as last Spring Break," said Graig Meyer, coordinator of the mentor program.

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S-C-R-A-B-B-L-E spells a good time

By Shera Everette | February 27

"Alakazam" and other magical words were uttered by fifth-grader Tristan Martin on Saturday morning as he waved his hand over the bag of letters, hoping to pick the right letter combinations to make words in a game of Scrabble. "Please let there be something," the Estes Hills Elementary School student said. "Oh, no," he mumbled when his spell did not work and he pulled out Q, Z, F and T tiles - and was unable to use any of them.

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Sheldon legacy persists after 15 years

By Shera Everette | February 21

Fifteen years after his death, the murder of Internationalist Books and Community Center founder Bob Sheldon remains unsolved, but his legacy lives on. Internationalist Books will honor Sheldon's life and death today, on what the town has proclaimed "Bob Sheldon Day," which will be recognized with a speech from Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and a vigil. The vigil will move from the store's current location, at 405 W. Franklin St., to the original location at 408 Rosemary St.

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Town might uproot notable oak

By Shera Everette | February 21

The fate of what some residents say is North Carolina's second largest white oak tree lies in the hands of Hillsborough officials. The town's planning board members soon will decide whether to uproot the tree to make room for a 12-lot subdivision off U.S. 70 Business and Tuscarora Drive. At 204 centimeters in circumference, the white oak is 28 centimeters smaller than North Carolina's largest white oak, which is located in Davidson County, according to North Carolina's database of the state's largest trees.

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Hector's closes shop

By Shera Everette | February 13

As soon as Hector's opened Saturday morning, customers were coming in to order food. The store owners predicted that it would be a busy day. And after a 37-year stay at 201 E. Franklin St. it should have been - Saturday was the last day in business for Hector's at that location. "Yesterday it was crazy, and today it will be the same," co-owner Juan Bautista said. "With it raining right now, I don't know if they'll come out for the day, but we'll have lots of people for the night." Bautista's prediction held true as the late-night eatery filled with customers Saturday night.