Story by Matt Young. Photos courtesy of the Ritter Family.

Cary, NC – One of Cary’s most unique traditions is the Lochmere Christmas Flotilla, started by Former Mayor Harold Ritter in 2005. It’s this Sunday night and we’ll tell you where to go to watch.

Former Mayor Launches a Tradition

Mayor Ritter (served Cary from 1983 – 1987) and his wife Gerry told me about starting the Lochmere Christmas Flotilla in 2005. “It started with two boats and a canoe with a flashlight,” the former Mayor quipped.

Now, it’s a big event with dozens of boats and hundreds of spectators.

There will be lots of sailboats, jon boats, pontoon party boats and even full size skiffs with lots of beautiful lights.

The flotilla (led by the Ritters’ grandchildren, I am told) sing carols as the boats make the voyage around both sides of the lake. Neighbors come and watch from docks all around the lake.

Join the Flotilla

If you’ve got a boat on Lake Lochmere and want to join the flotilla, decorate your vessel and assemble at the Ritter’s dock around 5:15 pm.

Mayor Ritter has even designed a schematic for running Christmas lights on your boat using a car battery and a power inverter. If you’re in need of advice, the flyer says “Ask the Pro – Call Harold Ritter, Flotilla organizer and handyman at 919-851-5444. You have questions, he has answers.”

Event Details for Spectators

Lochmere Christmas Flotilla
Sunday, December 18, 2011
6:00-8:00 PM

Spectators can watch from the dam over Lake Lochmere on Lochmere Drive (Map). Parking may be tight – try Lochmere Swim & Tennis just up the road. Bring some folding chairs, blankets and a thermos of hot chocolate. Or whatever floats your boat.

Cary, NC – On Saturday, after taking a few pictures at the Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade, I wandered over to Winter Wonderland at Waverly Place.

There were snowball fights, sledding, toasted marshmallows, tasty treats and a giant amount of fun.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by K. Joyner.

Cary, NC- The spirit of giving is strong in Cary, and the Heart of Cary Association is harnessing that energy with a toy drive this month. They’ve dubbed their initiative, Share The Season.

The Heart of Cary Association is hosting a toy drive that will directly benefit children in this area. From now til Dec 13, ten downtown businesses (listed below) will be collecting unwrapped toys that will be distributed to two local non-profits : Dorcas Ministries, who recently relocated to the Cary Plaza, 187 High House Road, and the Carying Place, newly moved to Downtown at 301 S. Academy Street.

These organizations work hard to help people right here in Cary, who may be a little down on their luck in these tough economic times.

Here are member businesses that plan to collect toys that will then be distributed at 2 local non- profits to help make a child’s Holiday season a little brighter.

Heart of Cary Members’ Collection Points:

• Apple Insurance -400 E. Chatham Street
• Ashworth Drugs- Corner of Chatham & Academy Streets
• Bliss Realty Group- 115 Dry Avenue
• Cary Gallery of Artist’s – Ashworth Village
• Chambers Arts!-Ashworth Village
•  Cute Buttons- Ashworth Village
• Fidelity Bank- 100 W. Chatham Street
• Frantz Automotive- 410 W. Chatham Street
• MMi Public Relations- 223 E. Chatham Street
• Oakhaven Research -Woodwinds Industrial Park Drive

Other Area Businesses  Giving Back

Cary Crossroads Shopping Plaza
TOYS FOR TOTS
Sunday, December 11, 2011, 12-6pm
Toy donation held in front of Toys R’ Us.
Crossroads Plaza teams up with Mix 101.5 and The United States Marine Corps again this year to collect new, unwrapped toys for less fortunate children.

Second Chance Adoptions

Saturday, 12/17 – 12/24

Annual Pawlidays Gift Wrapping event.  Shoppers can have their holiday gifts wrapped by donating to the organization.  Hours are 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on Christmas Eve.  Located in Crossroads Plaza between Stein Mart and Men’s Wearhouse.   Second Chance is the area’s oldest no-kill animal rescue, saving over 6,000 stray or abandoned dogs and cats since 1989.

Cary Towne Center Mall
Operation Heart Felt Salute
Now through Dec 31
Visit the website for details on how you can donate items that will be shipped as care packages to military stationed overseas. Folks can also nominate personal to be added to the list, and send letters of encouragement overseas. Donations can be made at the Mall Office. All items will be packaged and shipped to troops currently serving overseas.

If you know of organziations that are organizing Giving Events, please post here. With enough entries we will do a follow-up story in December.

Tis the Season of Giving Back.

Cary, N.C – St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church on High House Road held a concert to celebrate the end of the Christmas season on Saturday, Jan. 9.  Church Music Director Wayne Cusher led the many different music groups that are part of this diverse parish.

The children’s choir sang carols in multiple languages to kick off the concert.  The vocals coming from the front of the church were what angels must sound like.

The parish bell choir played some well-known seasonal carols along with some lesser-known but equally beautiful music.

The Spanish choir sang and played Los Peces en el Rio and Rin Rin while the audience clapped and sang along.

The “parish community” that uses the Green Hope High School for services sang some more contemporary selections like an arrangement of Birthday of a King by David Gurecki and Love has Come with a great beat .

Also featured was the Korean group singing traditional Korean Christmas music.

The Teen Choir performed modern/pop songs.  There were some awe-inspiring solos as well as formal chamber-style instrumentals.

You get the idea.

The music was flawlessly performed and the acoustics in the church are amazing.

This concert was not only a celebration of the “Epiphany”, but truly the celebration of a diverse, but united community of Cary.

Cary, NC – The Town of Cary has announced that the post-holiday clean up starts on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The town website had this to say:

To ensure collection, place your tree curbside by 7 a.m. on your regular solid waste and recycling collection day. All non-vegetative material such as tinsel, lights, wire, and ornaments must be removed from your tree prior to pick-up.

You can also drop off Christmas trees through January 11, 2010 at the Citizen’s Convenience Center (a.k.a. the town dump on N. Dixon St.), Green Hope Elementary School, or Oak Grove Elementary School. Leave your tree in the designated area.

Christmas tree collection is a free service of the town. Please don’t throw your Christmas tree in or along a stream. In addition to being a fire hazard, dead trees can block stream flow, which leads to flooding and stream degradation. For more information on streams and buffers, call the Town at 919-469-4038.

Photo by Cote via Creative Commons License on Flickr. Photo re-illustration by Hal Goodtree.

Have a merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday from all of us at CaryCitizen.

Photo Peak Definition from Romanticasheville.com

Cary, NC – Ann Bailey of Cary won first prize in the adult category at the 17th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition™ at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville.

Hundreds of entries from 20 states were considered by a panel of elite judges. Contestants came from as far away as Wisconsin, Texas and New York. More than $12,000 in prizes were awarded.

The top ten prize winning entries will be featured for 11th straight year on ABC’s “Good Morning America” around 8:30 AM on December 24.

Congratulations to Ann Bailey on a sweet victory.

More pix from the National Gingerbread Competition via Flickr ~

Cary, NC – Today I had an “e-conversation” with Don Frantz (Cary Town Councilman District B) over the “controversy” about what we should call the coniferous green thing we cut down from the woods and put ornaments on and light up during the winter solstice.  Our own Cary Citizen Publisher told me he thought the whole thing was just a ”tempest in a teapot.”  Turns out it is.

I did a little sleuth work to see what the buzz was all about in the Cary social media and even in some of the local papers.  Seems a lot of people have the story wrong.  Contrary to what the press and the blogs are saying…this isn’t 21st century Cary political correctness run amok.  According to Don, the Town of Cary has “never officially” referred to the town’s trees as “Christmas trees.”   They have always been called either a “Holiday tree” or “Community tree”.

Don added that his ”request seeks to call Cary’s trees what they really are – ‘Christmas trees’.  Calling a Christmas tree a Holiday tree is like calling the Jewish Menorah a candelabra.  A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree.  In our efforts to not offend anyone we have succeeded at offending nearly everyone.”

He pointed out that even the the White House continues to refer to their trees as Christmas trees.

Don also told me that he wanted to get the word out to make sure folks knew he was sorry “for all the media attention this issue has received” and that it was not his intent. Don had suggested that the subject be discussed in January after the holidays so as not to “put a damper” on everyone’s Christmas and other holiday celebrations.  Don added,  that he  “maybe should have waited until May.”

I’m with Don, let’s call it what it is.  A “Christmas tree”.  Somehow,  I have confidence the council will make the right decision.  But let’s deal with it in May. For now – Merry Christmas!

Matt Young is Managing Editor of CaryCitizen.

Cary, NC – PetSmart will host a very creative charity event for all of you pet lovers on December 19th and 20th. They will be taking  photos of your pets with Santa (and framing them!) for $10.95 –  or $9.95 with PetPerks card. Half of the proceeds will go to PawPrints (pictures taken on December 19th) and Second Chance Pet Adoption (pictures taken on December 20th).

The location is 2430 Walnut Street and the time is 11 am to 4 pm. 

Photo courtesy of PawPrints