Morrisville, NC – You could win $10,000 in the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce Reverse Raffle. And, you’ll be supporting one of the area’s finest business organizations.

Win $10,000

Proceeds from the raffle support the fine work of the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, a burgeoning force for business in the Triangle. Tickets cost $100.

The Reverse Raffle will be held on Thursday, June 21, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Four Points by Sheraton located at 1200 Claren Circle, in Morrisville.

It is a fun opportunity to network, win fabulous raffle prizes and support the Morrisville Chamber’s programs.

The Odds Are Good

Only 300 tickets will be sold for the grand prize. That makes your odds 1:300.

By comparison, the the odds of winning the Mega Millions lottery are 1:175,000,000 according to mathematician Aaron Abrams.

Get together with a couple of friends and pool your money. You do not have to attend the raffle drawing to win. Buy a ticket.

Buy a Ticket

To purchase tickets:

Morrisville Chamber Reverse Raffle
Call – (919) 463-7150
Email - chamber@morrisvillechamber.org
Online - Buy a ticket
Ticket Cost: $100

Event Details:

Raffle Drawing
Thursday June 21, 2012
5:30 – 8:00 PM

Four Points by Sheraton
1200 Claren Circle
Morrisville, NC

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Community coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Thai Spices and Sushi of Cary.

Story and photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – “How was it?” Lindsey asked. I had just gotten home from the Cary Chamber 50th Anniversary Celebration. ”Lots of fun” I answered. “Unexpectedly moving.” 

The Tonight Show with Steve and Howard

Tuesday May 22, 2012 was the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Cary Chamber of Commerce.

After some stellar appetizers and a couple of glasses of Merlot at Cary Arts Center, the crowd filed into the theater.

The Moonlighters Orchestra played big band classics on the stage. Angela Hampton from ABC-11 warmed-up the crowd for co-hosts Howard Johnson and Steve Zaytoun.

The production was modeled (loosely) after the old Tonight Show. Howard played Ed McMahon while Steve held down Johnny Carson’s job.

Steve brought his madcap style to the top banana role. And Howard did a fine job as the sideman.

All-Star Line Up of Guests

Of course, any talk show is about the guests. Johnny and Ed Howard and Steve got some great guests for their retrospective of the Cary Chamber.

Jerry Miller and Dick Ladd talked about the early days of the Chamber and Jerry explained a little about starting the first Lazy Daze festival. The sequence ended with a rapid-fire montage of dozens and dozens of Jerry Miller’s drawings around and about Cary.

The band played and former Mayor Koka Booth came out and waved to the crowd.

Then Howard recognized former chairmen (and chairwomen) of the Chamber – almost two dozen people stood up in the audience. It was a pretty impressive display of Cary’s tradition of leadership.

John Sall

The next guest was John Sall, a co-founder of SAS.

Dr. Sall talked about the early days at SAS and how they picked Cary based on a statistical analysis of where all the employees lived. The center point was Cary. “But we got it all wrong,” Sall quipped. “Cary was a place to live, not a place where people worked.”

The bedroom community was turning into a boardroom community.

Cary’s Most Decorated Veteran

After John Sall, Colonel Hal Shook came out to chat with Steve and Howard.

Steve asked Colonel Shook to describe flying over Normandy Beach as a fighter pilot on June 6, 1945. “Low clouds,” Shook said, “but then they parted. I could see about 7,000 ships, all near the beach. The guns from the battleships were all firing at once, it looked like a line of fire on the water.”

A Proclamation

The Steve and Howard show resumed with a humorous video in which Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht tries to beg off the event in favor of a little tennis.

Then the Mayor came out (tennis racket in hand) and read a proclamation from the Town Council congratulating the Chamber on 50 years of success.

The Ashworths

The last guests of the evening were the Ashworths – Ralph, Gary and Paul.

Steve started by talking to Ralph. “My first job was behind the counter at Ashworth’s,” Steve said. “You paid me two bucks an hour.”

“I think I paid too much,” Ralph said.

Gary talked about playing in the Town band, and Steve picked on him for his cluttered office. Paul talked about his love of bow ties and how grateful he is to work in the business started by his mother and father. Ralph, Gary and Paul all did their time as chairmen of the Chamber.

“Looking back on fifty years of Chamber history,” Steve asked Ralph, ”what’s your advice for the future?”

“It’s about attitude,” Ralph said. “Be positive.”

The Ashworths left the stage to a huge round of applause. Howard and Steve traded banter for a moment, but were interrupted when Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore burst into the theater. Without so much as a howdy-do, she cuffed Zaytoun and led him off stage. Howard smoothly slid into Steve’s chair. He looked good as top banana.

The Second 50 Years

The house lights came up and we wandered out into the night. The next 50 years in the history of the Chamber had begun.

The show made me proud of my Chamber membership, brief though it has been. I found out it’s more than just an organization. It’s an idea.

Story by Matt Young. Photo by Kelsey.

Cary, NC – With a first half 5-goal onslaught by the Railhawks, the WakeMed Park crowd saw the Cary-based team finding the back of the net a total of 6 times in Tuesday nights’ US Open Match. Next up: David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy.

Scoring Drought Broken by Deluge

For the first 45 minutes, the ‘Hawks were seemingly banging them home at will on Tuesday night.

It was a nice release for the team and the home crowd – finally seeing some welcomed scoring.

They went on to beat the PSA Elite (Irvine,California) team, who went scoreless in this match.

The PSA Elite is an amateur Association Club with a mixture of prospects and experienced players. Notably both Mikey Lopez and Jordan Gafa, who were members of the 2011 National Champion UNC Men’s Soccer team, play for PSA Elite.

First Half – Hats Off to Shriver

The first 45 minutes had Shriver finding the goal 3 times for a hat trick. The RailHawks had outshot their opponent 14-5 in the period.

Brian Shriver had a great near miss shot after a pass from Zimmerman in the 4th minute. After that he was magic.

In the 7th minute, Shriver scored on an unselfish assist from Cary native Zack Schilawski on a breakaway. Midfielder Austin Da Luz set the play up.

In the 9th, Lowery scored off of a corner kick.

In the 23nd, it was Da Luz to Shriver, who opted not to pass to Breiner Ortiz staring at an open net on the left.

The 40th saw the Shriver- Schilawski combo again with Shriver netting number 3.

At 40:12, Schilawski scored on an assist from Ortiz. Fullback Cory Elenio set the play up.

There were several missed opportunities by the Railhawks, believe it or not.

Ball Control

The second half saw the RailHawks control the ball with short passes in triangle formations.

Shriver scored his fourth of the night after a shot was temporarily stopped by PSA Elite Goalkeeper Trevor Widdon.

Next Up: LA Galaxy and David Beckham

The ‘Hawks will face the the L.A. Galaxy from the Western Conference in the next round at WakeMed Soccer Park on Tuesday, May 29. Tickets are still available.

The Galaxy has a line-up of big names: Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and David Beckham.

L.A. won the U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup in 2011. This year, they’re in 9th place in the West with a 3-6-2 record.

RailHawks great deal – for $33 you will be guaranteed a Premium seat to see the L.A. Galaxy and two more RailHawks games including the July 3 Fireworks Extravaganza and the Regular Season Finale. You can order tickets by calling the Cruizers Box Office at (919) 459-8144.

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Coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Garden Supply Company on Old Apex Road in Cary.

From the blog of Lori Bush, At-Large member of Cary Town Council.

Cary, NC – Have you ever sat there and said,

• Why don’t they put a park by my house?
• Wonder what they’re building over there…
• I wish we would have bigger recycling bins…
• I want a walkable Town…
• Why don’t we have a YouTube channel?
• I wish Cary would….

If so, then your town needs YOU!

It’s that time of year, when we at the Town of Cary ask citizens to step up and help continue to make Cary the best Town in North Carolina.  Or, what we call, applying for a Town of Cary board or commission.

Board? Commission?

The Town of Cary boards and commissions are just one way that the Town Council and staff get direct citizen input and guidance on issues and opportunities facing the Town.  Our volunteers (across the Town) are advocates for this great community, and their participation makes Cary a better place to live. By volunteering your precious time to participate in one of our boards and commissions, you give us the information that we need to make decisions.

We have seven boards and commissions right now at the Town and each of them provides a vital and important role to staff and Town Council.  By participating on one of the boards, you are giving us your “citizen recommendations” for all types of activities, events, and policies throughout the town, on issues that impact our entire community.  Whether you provide input relying on a unique skill or set of experiences, or based on your personal interests – your active involvement makes Cary a better community.

What will you do if appointed?

Each of the boards and commissions has a set of guidelines and focus areas.  Although some of the boards are looking for specific skills for some roles, the basic requirement is your active participation.

• Each board has a set meeting schedule and you are asked to attend these meetings in person.
• Different boards/commissions have various work plans, time committments  and schedules.
• Some “homework” may be involved.
• Your input and feedback is key to continuing our great quality of life.  You’ll develop new relationships, share your concerns, opinions, and help us solve problems,  and you might even have fun!

Apply

The following boards and commissions will have openings this year:

1. Environmental Advisory Board – 3 positions
2. Information Services Advisory Board  - 2 positions
3. Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board – 3 positions
4. Public Art Advisory Board – 3 positions
5. Planning and Zoning Board - 3 positions
6. Town Center Review Commission – 1 position  (This board is being sun-setted)
7. Zoning Board of Adjustment – No positions open for 2012

Please review the Board and Commissions guidelines before applying, to ensure you don’t have any conflicts of interests associated with the board for which you would apply.

Applications must be received by June 30, 2012.

Play a part

Pick a board or commission that has a mission that is near and dear to your heart or perhaps one of your passions.  From the Environmental Advisory Board, to the the Information Service Advisory Board, to Parks and Recreation – there are many to choose from. YOU are what’s best about this town that we live in, and we need your help.

I look forward to seeing your application, and thanks for helping to keep Cary great!

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Featured picture by DonkeyHotey.

Cary, NC – It was another busy week in the office of the Mayor.

Red Light Camera Errors

Monday started with several inquiries from the media about Cary’s red light camera system. Cary’s system is under review by staff since 31 errors were discovered because of incorrect citations on flashing yellow left turns. The following is the information to date on the system:

• Cary has 17 cameras total at 15 different intersections (some intersections have more than one)
• Cary has turned off eight cameras with left turns because of the latest malfunction
• The issue with the 31 incorrect citations has been resolved. 12 never received the tickets and 19 were dismissed or refunded.
• After the investigation has been completed this summer, council will have the option to: 1) leave the system as is, 2) change the system, or 3) eliminate the system

I prefer to make my decisions and give my opinions once all information has been provided. However, it will be a challenge to keep running the red light program the way it is currently running.

Honor a Teacher

Later Monday, I attended the Cary Chamber’s Honor a Teacher Program that recognizes teachers that go above and beyond the call of duty. There were over 130 teachers nominated for 27 awards. Council member Smith and I presented two awards.

The first Civic Education award went to Carolyn Dalecki of Cedar Fork Elementary. The second Civic Education award went to Joe Nixon of Mills Park Elementary. God Bless all the teachers and nominees for answering the call to educate our kids and shape our future.

2013 Cary Budget

Tuesday was a long day for me. Our first work session on the 2013 fiscal year budget started in the afternoon and went well into the night. The proposed budget has no tax increase and no new debt. Council will hold another work session on the budget after public hearings on May 24th and June 14th. Highlights I noted from the budget included:

• A total budget of $232 million with no tax increase
• One penny on our tax rate is equivalent to $2.1 million
• An operating budget of $118 million which is a 2.7% increase
• A capital budget increase of 4.9%. Note: staff recommended delaying many vehicle replacements.
• General fund revenues increased 2.6%
• Debt service is down $725,000 which leaves us with a capacity of $150 million using our 15% cap. A referendum this fall will ask for $80 million.
• The town’s health costs were $14 million. The town covers over 80% of employee health costs.
• Seven new employees are proposed this year which would give the town 1167 employees or 8.2 employees per thousand residents. This is one of the lowest in the state.
• One detective will be hired this year with drug forfeiture money. The town is expected to have $700,000 in total forfeiture money this year.
• There will be a 6% increase in utility rates. Most of that increase is to pay for construction of the Western Wake Wastewater facility.

The council also discussed several issues including grant matching for Black Creek Greenway, a study for a safety town in downtown, and whether or not to keep $25,000 in the budget for community gardens. It was decided that these issues will be addressed after public hearings. After the public hearings we will have all requests for modifications to the budget and will make a decision then. The council did make some key decisions at the work session that included:

• Approval of a new sewer impact fee schedule that will be based on actual use rather than tables in the N.C. Administrative Code. This will result in much lower fees and an estimated loss in revenue of around $500,000.
• Approval to continue with studying “unique” road improvement alternatives for Cary Parkway and High House. The town has received a $700,000 grant to study initiatives such as the jug handle intersection that was vehemently opposed by residents about a year ago. But continuing a study would keep the grant funding until the council makes a decision about what to do with future road improvements at that intersection.
• Likewise the council approved two roundabouts in downtown on Chatham Street because of a $700,000 grant. The total cost of both of those roundabouts will be around $2 million. Construction will begin in October.

After going over the budget the council went into closed session to discuss the performance of our direct reports: the town manager, town attorney, and town clerk. We reviewed and summarized their performance and made decisions on merit pay. This will be part of the budget and will be made public then. The council also makes decisions on its own pay. We will not have a pay increase or an expense increase.

CAMPO

On Wednesday I attended a meeting of the Capital Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Advisory Committee which is referred to as CAMPO. Actions taken that are of the most interest to Cary include:

• Moving ahead with a study of the NC54 corridor. Mayor Holcombe wanted presented information on the web. I offered Cary’s web site as a host.
• The Wake Transit Financial Plan has been completed. They are now receiving feedback from staff of the municipalities making up CAMPO.
• CAMPO staff presented information which would expand the organization north and south including Clayton.
• A resolution giving “unwavering support” for the construction of the Wake Outer Loop was passed. This is in a response to a March letter from the federal government threatening to pull future funding of I540 if study requirements were not met. The study of future routes virtually stopped when the legislature supported Garner in removal of the “red” route. Now new routes are being considered.

In the NCDOT report it was stated that there is no intent for the state to pass roads on to the county as part of legislation. That is good news!

A poll was done by Fallon Research about the half cent transit referendum. Here are some of the results:

• 76% do not use public transportation
• 50.2% favor a way to pay for expanded transportation, 43% oppose, and 6.8% are unsure. In 2011 it was 51%, 45.1%, and 3.9%. In 2010 it was 55%, 41%, and 4%.
• 55% would not vote for a sales tax increase for transit even if gas was $5 per gallon.

The CAMPO meeting lasted approximately 1 ½ hours.

Career Champions

Due to a cancellation, I only had one meeting on Thursday. I met with the President of Career Champions to talk about their services which include career transition, professional development, and employee engagement. We met for about an hour and had a great conversation.

White Plains Children Center

Saturday started by attending the 30th Celebration of the White Plains Children Center. This is a non-profit development day, childcare, and preschool. The school serves children with and without disabilities, and is the only school of inclusion in western Wake County.

Cary is fortunate to have had this invaluable resource for so many years. Parents of children with disabilities come from all over Wake County. I had the honor of giving greetings from the town. The ceremony lasted for about two hours and included several tearful testimonials.

God Bless the White Plains Children Center and the work they do.

Cary Swim Club 50th Anniversary

Next I headed over to the Cary Swim Club for their 50th Anniversary celebration. This club is not only the first swimming pool in Cary but the first competitive swim team in Cary. It was actually the first swimming pool I ever swam in. In the early years people of Cary gathered at the club for July 4th celebrations with fireworks after watching little league baseball games and participating in other games like the “greased pole” challenge.

It was a fun event and the ceremony lasted a little over an hour.

Ritmo Latino Festival

My final event of the day was the Ritmo Latino festival in downtown Cary. This was the 8th Ritmo Latino festival in Cary and another great celebration of Cary’s diversity.

In my comments to the crowd I mentioned, as I have before, that it is through events like this that we get to know the values, experiences, and talents that each of us have to offer. And it is only through understanding and mutual respect that we can reach the full potential of our community.

This event went on for several hours but I was only able to stay about an hour.

National Tennis Championship

Sunday I gave welcoming comments to the NCAA Division III National Tennis Championship participants. There will be a team competition Monday through Wednesday and then individual competition the rest of the week. It is important to understand that Division III athletes are not scholarship players.

This championship had eight women’s and men’s teams. For the women those included Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Carnegie Mellon University, Claremont Mudd Scripps, University of Chicago, Emory University, John Hopkins University, and Williams College. For the men it included Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Claremont Mudd Scripps, Emory University, John Hopkins University, Kenyon College, Washington University in St. Louis, and Williams College.

In my remarks I talked about our excellent facilities and staff and being one of the NCAA Championship cities.

Town Council/Chatham County Commissioners Meeting

In news this week, the joint subcommittee made up of members of the Cary Town Council and the Chatham County Commissioners met this week. Some of the highlights from that meeting include:

• Committee members unanimously endorsed the Joint Land Use plan for adoption by the governing boards. The committee discussed a framework for an Interlocal Agreement to be adopted by the Cary Town Council and Chatham County Commissioners
• A framework for Interlocal agreement documents was presented at the meeting. After minor changes it will go through departments, legal and boards/councils.
• The committee stated a goal of approving the Joint Land Use Plan by respective boards/council before June 28th.

In other news there will be a Citizens Informational Workshop for the Proposed Improvements to Morrisville Carpenter Road from West of Davis Drive to East of Old Savannah Drive in Morrisville held on Monday, May 21st from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Morrisville Town Hall.

Health Fair at Hindu Society of North Carolina Temple

The Triangle area Hindu temples and Triangle Area Indian Physicians are conducting their annual Health fair at Hindu Society of North Carolina Temple at 309 Aviation Parkway Morrisville, on June 23rd. This health fair is free and open to the public. This is a great service provided to citizens in the area.

Emails

Emails this week included complaints about the Cary Christian School proposed ball field lights from the adjoining neighbors, a complaint about our bio solids proposal for the new waste water plant, a complaint about red light cameras, several complaints about a crime in Amberwood Apartments, complaints about the proposed ninth grade center for Panther Creek, and requests for chickens in Cary.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, May 27th. Please feel free to email me with a comment. Email all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org. Email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Story by Matt Young. Photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – A Carolina Railhawks (0-5-4) full house hosted the first place Puerto Rico Islanders (5-2-1) Saturday night. It was not easy to tell who the NASL’s number one team was.

In the end, the RailHawks left WakeMed Soccer Park with yet another tie. The crowd was vocal with rival fans representing both teams making lots of noise.

I even saw two kids with defenseman Gale Agbossoumonde mohawk hair-dos.

Islanders Rematch

The RailHawks were beaten in Bayamón, Puerto Rico at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium by a score of 3-1 on April 21.

This time the RailHawks dominated. The line-up got a shake-up in this game with midfielder Austin Da Luz from Wake Forest starting for the first time. Midfielder Breiner Ortiz from Columbia started for the first time this season as well.

First Half

The RailHawks had four corner kicks in the first 10 minutes – in the 9th minute, the Railhawks’ Cary native Zack Schilawski almost scored off a corner kick.

While most of the play early in the first half was in the Islander’s end, in the 13th minute, RailHawks GK Ray Burse was forced to make a spectacular save on a push-ahead pass to the small, but speedy Islanders’ forward line.

A pesky Jonathan Faña was to have several near misses like this throughout the game.

David Foley in the 34th minute was given a free kick near the left corner flag. Needham headed it to Jonathan Faña who chested it in giving the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

RailHawks Come Back

The RailHawks played well in an exciting second half to the delight of the crowd.

Nick Zimmerman made a spectacular over the head kick to assist on a Shriver volley kick for a goal in the 49th minute.

Zimmerman, Schilawski and Da Luz made several standout plays in the second half.

In the 77th minute Ackley just missed what would have been the go-ahead goal with a header that went wide right.

A Visit from the Galaxy?

The RailHawks have a special match on Tuesday, May 22nd to face PSA Elite at 7:00 PM ET for the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup.

With a victory on Tuesday, the RailHawks will host reigning MLS Champions, L.A. Galaxy on May 29th at 7:00 PM in the Third Round of the competition.

Tickets for the Tuesday match can be purchased online at www.CarolinaRailHawks.com or by calling the Box Office at 919-459-8144.

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photos by Brooke Meyer.

Cary, NC – Last week, the B-52s headlined a Band Together benefit at Booth Amphitheatre that raised $552,000 for charity.

Band Together at Booth Amphitheatre

From Band Together:

Nearly 4,000 music lovers came together for good music, good times and a good cause at Band Together NC’s annual charity concert on May 12 at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre. Iconic cosmic rockers The-B-52s, also known as the World’s Greatest Party Band, headlined this year’s event which raised $552,000 for Urban Ministries of Wake County. All proceeds from the May 12 event go to fund Urban Ministry’s Open Door Clinic, which aims to provide physician visits, prescriptions and lab work for many of Wake County’s uninsured residents battling poverty.

This year marked record highs for the annual event, which featured headliner The B-52s along with regional favorites Southern Culture on the Skids and BIG Something, winner of Band Together’s 2012 Last Band Standing competition. Event highlights from this year included:

• $552,000 raised in 2012 – most money ever raised for a nonprofit partner
• Almost 4,000 attendees
• More than 190 sponsors
• Nearly $25,000 raised through a special silent auction, “wine grab,” autographed guitar raffle and text-to-donate option
• Almost 1,300 VIP attendees, who were treated to premier stage-front viewing, an artists’ village with live painting, a photo booth to capture the evening’s festivities, mobile device text-to-give and online silent auction bidding and a host of other VIP attractions.

Open Door Clinic

The $552,000 raised from this event will help Urban Ministries of Wake County’s Open Door Clinic treat an additional 420 new patients over the next two years, providing all physician visits, lab work and prescriptions. In 2011, the Open Door Clinic provided 7,000 medical visits and filled 52,000 prescriptions to Wake County residents in need.

The Clinic helps keep people healthy, working and better able to support their families. Their services keep patients out of emergency rooms and costly inpatient stays, which can save the community more than $6 million a year.

“In Band Together’s 10 years, we have been able to raise more than $2 million dollars for Triangle-area nonprofits,” said Matt Strickland, executive director of Band Together. “We are grateful for the generosity of businesses and individuals in the Triangle. Without their support, this year’s record-setting sum would not be possible.”

B-52s Rock Cary

Booth Amphitheatre in Cary may be the perfect place to see a concert. It certainly felt that way on Saturday, with perfect weather and an enthusiastic crowd.

The B-52s played for about an hour and a half, rocking the crowd with a set list of favorites:

1. Mesopatamia
2. Private Idaho
3. Lava
4. Give Me Back My Man
5. Funplex
6. Roam
7. 52 Girls
8. Love in the Year 3000
9. Too Much to Think About
10. Hot Corner
11. Whammy Kiss
12. Love Shack
13. Planet Claire (encore)
14. Party Out of Bounds (encore)
15. Rock Lobster (encore)

The B-52s released their first single in 1978. 34 years later, they still had it for their show in Cary.

Sparkling harmonies, call-and-response vocals and tight, danceable tunes – they put on a great show. It was a big sing-along, with the crowd on its collective feet for the entire show.

Fred Schneider still fronts the band, strutting and camping across the stage, engaging the audience and effortlessly blending with the smooth harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.

Keith Strickland, originally the drummer, now handles lead guitar for the band, backed by a small combo of bass, drums and keyboards. For a smallish ensemble, they still generate their signature big wall of sound.

A tongue-in-cheek homage to the Sixties still rings through in the music and the stage show – Kate wore fringe and Cindy sported leopard.

Fred continues to be a force of nature, but Kate’s vocal range and stage presence was the most riveting aspect of the show. Her solos on Roam and 52 Girls fired up the crowd. Her vocalese on Planet Claire and Party Out of Bounds still evokes chills with it’s cosmic inflections. At 64 years of age, Kate is still at her peak as a performer, looking and sounding 20 years younger. Maybe it was the red wig.

Cindy carried the vocals for one of her signature tunes, Give me Back My Man. Her husky voice still has magic and blends easily with Kate to create the iconic B-52s sound.

Southern Culture on the Skids

Southern Culture on the Skids warmed up for the B-52s, playing a long set of their ironic southern rock.

They were a good match for the B-52s, sharing Southerness, humor and songs rooted in strong hooks.

Warm-up bands have a hard task, but the crowd at Booth contained a large contingent of SCOTS fans.

Big Something

The first band on stage was BIG Something, winner of the Band Together talent contest.

Their eclectic funk-rock reminded me of The Dave Matthews Band. Although they were an unknown act to most of the crowd, their performance drew an enthusiastic response and a big ovation when their set was over.

Faces in the Crowd

Half of the fun at Booth Amphitheatre is the crowd. All photos by Brooke Meyer.

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Music coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Booth Amphitheatre.

Cary, NC – Green Kangaroo is an e-commerce custom stationer with a store front in a new Downtown Cary location. Unlike other businesses in our local market, they don’t rely on foot traffic to do business. When they opened in March, I was curious to learn what resided behind the frosted windows down the street from our CaryCitizen office.

Green Kangaroo – Everyday Magic for Weddings

What I found behind the sign was a quietly intense work space of graphic designers who create magic every day for brides all over the country.

Owner Kristen Klett started the Green Kangaroo in 2002 inside her home where she designed custom ideas for weddings and other events. Her stationery goes way beyond pretty invitations, to include  placecards, signage, logos, menus and wedding program designs.

The Green Kangaroo moved to the new location after several years in offices within Ashworth Village’s second floor shops. The new space has given her greater visibility and the opportunity to grow in the future with a second floor. Design, production, order fulfillment, customer service and shipping take place in the Cary office. Printing is handled locally in a separate location.

Real People Behind the Website

What makes her business different from other invitation shops is the ability to accommodate special request items. Many times a customer may see a design they like, but it might be square or a shape that will require additional postage when mailed. Her shop can redesign the invitation to a rectangular shape at no extra charge. Another plus for the online customer is that there are REAL people that can be called to discuss any questions.

Kristen notes that “Brides pay special attention to all the details of their weddings, and don’t want to feel as if they have settled. ” The Green Kangaroo lets them have the detail of design that they can carry through the entire wedding. Many designs are even translated onto the wedding cakes.

Every Color in the Rainbow

Designs range from custom monograms to floral designs and type.  She keeps a large supply of  colored papers and special folded envelopes for use as samples. The office is lined with shelves bursting with samples of every shade in the rainbow.

Orders take about 2 days to receive a proof and after approval, production can be as fast as 5-7 business days. Complex custom orders may take as long as 15-20 days.

More than 90% of the Green Kangaroo’s business is done outside of this area. But local folks should know that Kristen is only a phone call away for personal appointments and consultations. There are no walk-ins.

Weddings and More

Although weddings make up the bulk of the business, Kristen also designs holiday cards, birth announcements, thank you notes and more. A good portion of her customers are satisfied repeat clients.

Why Green Kangaroo?

Kristen explained that as a child she and a friend were middle children in their families. The Judy Blume book “And the One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo” stuck with her. She liked that imagery and decided to use it in her business. She also uses the initials TGK Designs as an abbreviation.

So there you have it, another Cary Business revealed.

Cary, NC – Top posts this week include our coverage of National Train Day in Cary, the closure of Circus Restaurant on East Chatham Street and our event post for the Preston Walk Block Party that took place on Wednesday.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

• Don’s Blog: Temporary 9th Grade Center?
• Spring Garden Guide II
• Dining: Hurricane Grill Opens Near Trader Joes
• Saturday: Cary Swim Club 50th Anniversary

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

• Anti-Bullying Program in Cary Wins Chamber Excellence Award
• White Plains Children’s Center Celebrates 30 Years
• The Cary Soccer Advantage: RailHawks Summer Camps

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

• Pictures: National Train Day in Cary
• Cary’s Biggest Zumba Dance Party
• Events: Ritmo Latino Brings Rhythm Downtown

Monday, May 14, 2012

• Harold’s Blog: Local Ninth Grader Wins C-SPAN Award
• Read & Feed 2012 Capital Campaign
• Book Review: North Carolina’s Favorite Food – Barbecue

Sunday, May 13, 2012

• Education: Take The Magnet School Survey
• Business: Meet 17 Year-Old Entrepreneur Connor Bernstein at CIC
• Technology Video: Fibonacci Numbers

Advertisers

CaryCitizen is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors and advertisers. This week, we’d like to thank:

• Paisan’s Italian Ristorante
• Garden Supply Company
• Heart of Cary Association
• Carolina Railhawks
• Tri-Properties

For more information about promoting your business or organization on CaryCitizen, please contact Jimmy.Orban@CaryCitizen.com.

From the blog of Don Frantz, District B Representative on Cary Town Council. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – I need your input. It’s about schools, and development.

“Temporary” 9th Grade Center Proposed

WCPSS has asked the Town of Cary for approval to construct a “temporary” modular school site as a 9th grade center to alleviate overcrowding at Panther Creek High School.

The proposed site is a 45 acre parcel south of the Alston Ridge Elementary School which will house the future M16 middle school campus.

The 9th grade center campus would include 7 modular buildings and one steel building.