Month: May 2014

Safely preserving at home

Chatham County Center – North Carolina will be offering “Safely Preserving at Home”, a basic canning class. Learn the most up-to-date, research based information for preserving safely. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned home preserver now is the …

Stream valleys and forests will frame Chatham Park’s neighborhoods

Hello. My name is Thomas D’Alesandro. I live in Wilmette, Illinois and I have been working on Chatham Park’s master plan for over two years. I build live-work-play communities that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. The National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and the American Planning Association have recognized Columbia, Maryland, Reston, Virginia, The Woodlands, Texas and other places I’ve helped develop.

McIntyre’s Books hosts David Downing on May 27

In a rare stateside visit, British mystery author David Downing kicks off his 10 city American book tour at McIntyre’s Books on Saturday, May 24 at 11am to read from his latest novel, Jack of Spies. Set in 1913, it is a time when those who follow the news closely can see the world is teetering on the brink of war. Jack McColl, a Scottish car salesman with an uncanny ear for languages, has always hoped to make a job for himself as a spy.

Red Clay Ramblers visit Pollard Middle School band students

Margaret B. Pollard Middle School eighth grade band students received a wonderful surprise Friday, April 4, during their regular band class. Michele Reams, Pollard director had invited The Red Clay Ramblers to join her class, in order to share their music and skills. The musical group wowed the kids with their rendition of “Cotton Eyed Joe,” followed by instrumental warm ups, breathing and metronome exercises, and each group listened attentively to each other. One of the many highlights included student trumpet player, Christopher Keesor being asked to join the group on a piece.

Ram 1500 & Tesla Model S among new winners in Consumer Reports’ 2014 top picks list

In its annual Top Picks list, Consumer Reports has crowned four new vehicles—the Hyundai Santa Fe, Ram 1500, Subaru Forester, and Tesla Model S—with the top honor in each of their respective categories. For the first time in 16 years, a Chrysler earned a spot on the list with the Ram 1500 nabbing best Pickup Truck, a category that had taken a hiatus in 2013 because Consumer Reports had not yet tested two newly-released vehicles in that segment, the extensively updated Ram 1500 and the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra. The last Chrysler vehicle to earn Consumer Reports’ Top Pick honors was the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chatham County fire districts’ proposed budgets now available online

The Chatham County Manager’s Office has completed its review of budget requests from the 12 county fire districts and has posted this final component of the proposed FY 2014-15 budget online. As part of the budget process, the Board of Commissioners will approve tax rates for the fire districts. The fire districts’ proposed budgets were delayed this year due to a major statewide change beginning in September 2013 that shifted the collection of county motor vehicle taxes to the NC Division of Motor Vehicles. This change meant that revenue information needed to develop fire district budgets was not available until mid-March.

2014 car brand report cards: Acura & Audi jump to join Lexus at the head of the class

Luxury brands rule the roost this year as Acura and Audi moved up a few spots to join Lexus with the top three highest scores in Consumer Reports’ annual car brand report cards. A perennial top scorer, Lexus earned the highest marks (79) for the second straight year. Consumer Reports’ analysis finds the bulk of its models are usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient. Lexus was the only brand to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score.