Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Sean Davis.

Cary, NC – Here’s a story that caught our eye: Sierra Nevada, one of America’s best-loved and fastest-growing brewers, has chosen North Carolina for the location of their first East Coast brewery. 

Something Big is Brewing in NC

Sierra Nevada started in Chico, California in 1979. Over the years, they have come to be considered the premier craft brewer in the country. But they still brew the beer in Chico, CA.

Not for long.

Sierra Nevada CEO Ken Grossman joined North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today in announcing the new brewery in NC. “After carefully looking at more than 200 sites east of the Mississippi, Sierra Nevada is pleased to locate our second brewery in Henderson County,” said Grossman.

According to the Governor’s office, the company plans to create 95 full-time jobs. In addition, Sierra Nevada expects to hire another 80 part-time employees and expects to create about 60 construction and mechanical jobs during its 24-month building phase.  The jobs will be created in gradual phases starting in mid to late 2012 and continuing through 2013.

The State of Beer

“North Carolina is home to more craft breweries than any Southern state – 21 brewpubs and 28 production breweries – with western North Carolina being particularly strong,” according to the Governor’s office. Who knew?

“We are proud that Sierra Nevada, with its tradition of innovation, stewardship and quality, chose to tap all the great things North Carolina had to offer,” said Gov. Perdue.  “This announcement enhances a burgeoning craft beer industry in our state.   The investment, jobs and brand recognition Sierra Nevada brings will be a boon to this region and help confirm North Carolina as a destination for innovation.”

Everyone Raise a Glass

The announcement today was a good illustration that bipartisanship continues to function in North Carolina.

“Sierra Nevada knows that North Carolina is a place where the business climate will help them grow and thrive,” said Sen. Tom Apodaca, of Hendersonville. “I’m sure my sons are looking forward to buying some of the first bottles brewed here.”

“This terrific news is a perfect example of leaders at the state and local level, and from different political parties, working together to bring jobs to the people of North Carolina,” said Rep. Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville.

Apodaca and McGrady are Republicans; Perdue is a Democrat. I’ll drink to that!

Spending One to Get One Hundred

As readers of this space know, we’re not in favor of government giveaways to lure business relocations. In fact, no one really likes them (except companies that benefit from the largess, of course).

Sierra Nevada is receiving a modest $1 million grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The company plans to invest $107.5 million during the next five years in Henderson County.

The Green Economy

I don’t know if the new brewery in Mills River, NC will have solar panels, recycled water or reclaimed brick. It might. But this is not that kind of a green project.

This facet of the green economy is about saving energy and lowering the carbon footprint. According to Ken Grossman, “We felt the most responsible thing to do was to build a brewery on the other side of the country, to lessen our impact on the environment while continuing to place great craft beer into the hands of our consumers.”

Sierra Nevada has a history of support for conservation and environmentalism. Even their name, Sierra Nevada, was inspired by Grossman’s love of hiking in the wild mountains of California.

Who Wants to Make Beer?

The note from the Governor’s Office ended with this tidbit:

For more information about Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. including job opportunities, please visit SierraNevada.com.

Pale ale, anyone?

Story from staff reports. Photo by apbailey.

Cary, NC – In another positive economic bell weather for the area, the Governor’s Office reported today that revenue collection is $150 million above forecast for the current fiscal year.

Better Than Expected

The better than expected revenue was explained by three factors:

• Businesses did particularly well in December, with corporate and franchise collections reaching 14.5 percent above budget that month and ending on target for the first half of the year.

• Individual income tax collections finished December two-percent above budget expectations and remain above forecast for the first half of the fiscal year.

• Sales collections reflected the modest success of retailers this season, ending 3.8 percent above budget projections in December but slightly below budget for the first half of the year.

From the Governor’s email:

State economists report that the recent economic data remains upbeat. A stronger business confidence, stronger consumer spending and stronger housing starts suggest the economy gained momentum as 2011 closed. Challenges still exist, however, as consumers still face high debt levels, home prices are still falling and the financial situation in Europe remains worrisome. In addition, the most volatile revenue sources are collected during the second half of the year.

The combination of a first half with collections modestly above forecast, combined with recent upbeat economic news has improved the overall revenue outlook for the second half of the fiscal year.

The kids touched a lot of stuff in the Naturalist's Room, tucked away on the 4th floor.

Story and photos by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC – The kids are home, vacation is into week two and the “I’m bored” chant is heard in every home.

But a short drive from Cary is the NC Museum of Natural Sciences where you can touch cool stuff like stuffed birds, real fossils and live butterflies. I saddled up my daughter, Emma, and her pal Rachel.

The Naturalist’s Room

The Museum District in Raleigh is about 20 minutes from central Cary. The trip was abreeze and we found cheap and easy parking.

Forgoing the Grossology exhibit, we decided to start at the top floor (the fourth) and make our way down one floor at at time. By accident, we stumbled onto The Naturalist’s Room. The door was open and we had never been inside before.

It looked a little like a back room at the Smithsonian or the British Museum. Specimens of natural science were tucked everywhere – stuffed owls and eagles, foxes, possums, fossils, shells, rocks, insects and fish.

We signed in and a gentleman explained how you can touch the taxidermy specimens, pick up the minerals and fossils and look at the items displayed in pull-out drawers.

My young scientists were enthralled for over an hour.

The Living Conservatory

Next , we explored the Living Conservatory indoor habitat and discovered 3 turtles hiding. Emma “caught” one of the butterflies. We witnessed the sloth actually move to eat his lunch. The museum guide explained that hardly anyone ever sees him actually move (slothful indeed!)

Each floor held the kids’ attention, (NC Native snakes, bird, bugs). The highlight is the Acrocanthosaurus exhibit.  This large dinosaur fossil was discovered in North Carolina and the room features soaring pterodactyls and interactive displays.

Picture from NC Museum of Natural Sciences

The kids insisted on exploring every inch of the museum, even though my daughter’s friend used to visit twice a year with her magnet school. That’s what quality you can expect in this museum, kids enjoy coming back for more- no matter how many times they’ve already visited. I was actually the one begging to sit down, my feet were so tired.

We had a lovely lunch at the Acro Cafe in the museum for less than $14 for the three of us (even featured a veggie Black Bean Burger)!

We will  go back downtown this week to catch the History Museum (across the street) because I hear there is a wonderful exhibit about George Washington, on til Jan 30 . That museum is free too.

Getting There

Raleigh seems so far away, but from my house in central Cary, downtown Raleigh is an easy 15-20 drive.

Simply do the 64/40/440 loop heading toward Benson/ Raleigh (the Outer Beltline) and exit at South Saunders Street. Continue up on McDowell until you hit Jones, hang a right and look for  parking right past Wilmington Street.

There’s a big parking lot and they charged me only $2 for 4 hours. The museum is about a block away.

NC Museum of Natural Science
11 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Map Link

Butterfly "caught" at the museum's habitat area on the 4th floor

Cary, NC – Editor’s Notes: Imagine my surprise to get an op-ed request from North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. I immediately suspected it was the popularity of Mayor Harold Weinbrecht’s blog here on CaryCitizen.

Actually, the Governor’s office sent out the op ed to newspapers across the state. Few will likely print it.

Here at CaryCitizen, when the Governor has something to say to our readers, we’re ready to publish it.

Wanted: Your Suggestions to Prune State Rules & Regs

The gist of Governor Perdue’s note is that she is calling on citizens to tell her about any rules and regulations in state government that defy common sense. The more input she receives from North Carolinians, the better able she will be to streamline government rules and regs.

Op Ed from Governor Perdue

The gentleman from Greenville (let’s call him Mr. B) was direct and to the point: “I hope this is not a political nothing.”

His was one of more than 600 responses received the first week at www.setgovernmentstraight.nc.gov, the website devoted to bringing common sense back to the rules and regulations that pepper North Carolina state government. I can understand Mr. B’s hesitation. State government has been bogged down by red tape and needless bureaucracy for decades. Many rules set forth by state agencies are ancient and haven’t been reviewed for years, if ever. Even as Mr. B typed in the web address, he must have been thinking to himself — this sounds like a good idea, but is anyone really listening?

Let me assure you – yes, we are.

The global recession that descended on North Carolina has presented us with a choice: keep doing things the same old way and remain depressed, or innovate, grow, change and emerge from the recession’s dark cloud stronger, leaner and better. Here in the Tar Heel state we’ve chosen to push forward, as is evidenced by businesses, communities and families across the state who have made tough choices, thought outside the box and found a new way to survive. Because of that perseverance, North Carolina is recognized as the No. 1 place in America to do business, and we are leading the country out of the recession with the second highest job growth nationally.

Keeping that forward momentum is crucial. State government must continue to be a jobs-creating partner with private businesses. Any unnecessary red tape only serves as a road block to economic growth. So I’ve directed all my cabinet agencies to review all rules currently in place and to slow down any new rules. I’ve asked the rest of state government to do the same. And, most importantly, I’m asking you, citizens, business leaders, community leaders and state employees, to identify rules that defy common sense. Tell me what regulations keep business from moving forward. Show me the red tape that may slow our progress or hinder our ability to remain the best place in the U.S. to live and work.
That’s what setting government straight is all about.

Mr. B didn’t just write in to offer his political commentary. He also submitted a suggestion to eliminate a program. The result, he believed, would do exactly what we’re looking for: “create more construction, more competition, less bureaucracy and more cost effective organizations.”

I don’t know yet whether that suggestion will work. We have already amassed more than a thousand recommendations, and before we can act on them, each and every one must be reviewed. But what I do know is that by the time the General Assembly gets into full swing next year, I will have a list of rules and regulations that don’t make sense, and I will ask my agencies and the General Assembly to fix them, tweak them, or eliminate them altogether.

Send you thoughts to SetGovernmentStraight.NC.Gov. Tell us what we need to change. We are listening.

Bev Perdue

There you have it. Our first op ed from the Governor. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

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Photo by Hal Goodtree

Story by Hal Goodtree, Publisher of CaryCitizen

Cary, NC – Here’s a milestone we couldn’t let slip by: you are reading our 1000th story on CaryCitizen.

Before you go any farther, we’re going to ask you to donate at the bottom of the page. Prepare yourself.

1000 Stories: Iconic Covers

We’ve indeed been fortunate to attract a crop of wonderful photographers. Here are some of our best cover pictures from the first 1000 stories on CaryCitizen.

Thanks to our crack photo department and contributors including Chris Adamczyk, Karl Fisher, Tom Mousseau, Reed Mangino, Zach Hayes, Suzie Wolf, Stephen Blackwelder, Brooke Meyers, Gina Wilcox, Joshua Steadman, Ray Pfeiffer and all the writers and civilians who have hoisted a camera on our behalf.

We live in an amazing town.

A Little History

CaryCitizen started in July 2009.  It’s built on WordPress, an open-source program that is the world’s most popular blogging platform.

Here’s a chart of our readership growth:

For those of you who like numbers, here are some stats since our launch in July 09:

• 243,185 – total page views
• 144,462 – email opens
• 99,370 – unique website visitors
• 723,560 – ad impressions

Why So Popular?

I never really imagined we’d get over half a million reads a year. Why has this happened?

We have nice pictures and good stories, proper links and a good hookup with the search engines. All that stuff is fine, but I don’t believe it’s the reason we’ve become so popular.

My theory: people are sick and tired of bad news from old media. There, I’ve said it.

Every town has problems, challenges and set backs. But, overwhelmingly, Cary is a good town and a good place to live.

Media is a mirror of the community. I think people like the reflection they see in CaryCitizen.

Our Biggest Asset: Readers and Contributors

A big shout out to all our readers for caring about the community, sharing our work with friends and sending us feedback on making CaryCitizen a better news source. Loyal readers are our greatest asset. Subscribe by email and get it every day to your inbox. Share it with friends.

I’d like to also thank our growing community of contributors, more than a two dozen regular correspondents and photographers in sports, events, arts, business and news – all working for the CaryCitizen gratis.

Special thanks to the management team: Lindsey Chester, Matt Young and Leslie Huffman. I’m humbled when I think about how many hours these people have put into this enterprise.

Finally, grateful thanks to all our many sponsors and advertisers. CaryCitizen can’t exist without your support.

Donate

You can help CaryCitizen continue to tell good stories about Cary and the surrounding communities every day. Every little bit counts.

We’ve put a Donate button in the sidebar, but it’d be great if a few people let us know they like what we’re doing on the anniversary of our 1,000th story.

Got Stories?

If you have news of the community, send it to stories@carycitizen.com.

Raleigh, NC – This is not particularly a Cary story. But it is remarkable news for North Carolina. Governor Bev Perdue announced today that Facebook, the world’s leading social networking service connecting more than 500 million people, will locate a multi-million dollar data center near Forest City in Rutherford County.

“We are proud that Facebook chose to make North Carolina a ‘friend.’  The feeling is certainly mutual,” said Gov. Perdue.  “You can’t pick up a newspaper, read a magazine or flip on the television without hearing more great news about our state.  The investment and jobs at the data center will be a boon to that region of the state, and will help confirm North Carolina’s distinction as a global business destination.”

Perdue said the state has been working with Facebook’s representatives for about a year to help bring together the land, utilities and incentives to make the project a success.  North Carolina has become a destination for data center projects including previous announcements by Apple, Google  and IBM.

More Green

In keeping with North Carolina’s growing reputation for environmental leadership, the building will be designed to LEED gold standards. In addition, Facebook will employ innovative cooling and power management technologies to make the facility one of the most energy efficient data centers in the United States.  Facebook is also a leading pioneer in efficient software and facility will use technologies developed by Facebook to rely on fewer than half the computing power (and related energy consumption) that a similar data center would have required only a few years ago.

“This is a shining example of the public and private sectors working together to create new opportunities for North Carolina communities,” said Lt. Governor Walter Dalton, a native of Rutherford County.  “As the national press has indicated, North Carolina is helping to lead the nation out of the Great Recession. When it comes to this growing field and so many others, North Carolina is open for business.”

Cary, NC – Last week’s storms brought much needed rainfall and wonderful cooler temperatures to our area. It is finally feeling like fall. The question is, when will it start looking like fall?

Colors In Cary And Surrounding Area

Some areas are experiencing browning and premature leaf drop due to weeks of dry conditions. The recent rain helped to slow the quick browning of the leaves. Most areas are still predominately green, with the slightest cast of yellow peaking through.

Look for our peak color to appear toward the end of the 3rd week and early into the 4th week of October. While waiting for fall foliage to paint the town landscape with orange, yellow, red and purple, enjoy the blaze of yellow provided by tickseed, sunflower, goldenrod and other roadside wildflowers.

Peak Season In The Mountains

The best colors come when we have sunny days and cooler nights. It looks like right now everything is perfect for a spectacular show. There is some leaf color showing mostly above 3,500 feet elevation in the mountains of North Carolina right now.

The cold front passing through this week will really help move fall color along. This coming weekend should be very good. The first areas expecting to see color are along the flanks of mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Leaf colors will begin to change rapidly this week.

In the higher elevations this week should be peak colors. By next weekend, expect full color at elevations around 3,000 feet.  If you can make your trip on a weekday, you will probably enjoy less traffic and more solitude.

So if you are planning a trip to the mountains to view the fall foliage, plan to go next weekend through the next two weekends. Make sure to bring your camera and enjoy!

Where in Cary?

The picture at the top was taken last autumn. It shows a fiery red pear tree with a sculpture in the foreground. It’s at the corner of….?

Let’s see how well you know Cary.

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Info from the North Carolina Department of Tourism

Morrisville, NC – As part of our Go Local initiative, we’re happy to offer CaryCitizen readers a coupon for 25% off Martin’s Curry Rice.

Owner Martin Shresta contacted us touting his new restaurant in the Park Place shopping center at the corner of Cary Parkway and Chapel Hill Road. We said “when can we come down for a taste?”

He answered that he would “be here to personally welcome you and treat you to a meal that will spice up your day,” and created a 25% coupon specially for CC readers.

About the Food

Martin’s Curry Rice is a great new concept from Japan, married to the flavors of India and prepared in a style similar to Mongolian Barbecue. Pick your ingredients, pick your flavors and shazam: fresh curry rice just the way you like it.

More reasons to try Martin’s:

• Spices ground and sauces prepared daily
• Curry rice cooked to order, served steaming fresh
• Local seasonally available farm fresh ingredients
• Weekly produce from Western Wake Farmer’s Market

Owner Martin Shresta has a great story:

My Curry Rice concept is based on what I experienced while visiting Japan. At every railway station, small little stores were churning out hot streaming curry rice… Being Indian I was amazed at how the Japanese had taken Curry and Rice, simplified it, and made a multi billion dollar industry. The Japanese have made it so simple that it is the first thing a Japanese kid is taught how to cook.

Now, after living in the US for 16 years, I have learned that America loves choice. I remember my first meal in Alabama, the waitress asked me 20 questions about 1 dish I ordered… which dressing, what sides, how I wanted it cooked, etc etc… I figured that the Mongolian Grill serving style would work well and so the idea of Build-Your-Own Curry..any way you want it…

According to Weather.com concentration of pollen grains in the air this week are very high and will be increasing even further into the extremely high range.

The predominant pollen out there is tree pollen mainly from pine, oak, birch, cedar, juniper and maple trees.  Based on past pollen counts and expected weather conditions, pollen levels for Monday will be increasing over the pollen levels on Sunday and continue to rise.  Since the weather has a major influence on pollen dispersal, the cause for the rising pollen levels is higher temperatures and the lower dew point.

ALLERGY FACTS

The medical community has traditionally thought that allergy and asthma attacks are typically not caused directly by exposure to pollen alone, since particles needs to be small enough to actually enter the lungs in order to bring on symptoms, and pollen tends to be just over the threshold in size to meet this requirement.

Pine pollen (the thick yellow stuff) is so heavy that it usually falls to the ground rather than being carried in the wind. Because of this, pine pollen is usually not aspirated like the lighter wind-borne pollens that cause allergic reactions.

If you experience sneezes and wheezes when pine pollen covers the cars and sidewalks, it may be that other plant pollens are causing your symptoms.  Oak, hickory, Bermuda grass, fescue grass and ragweed are more likely to cause an allergic reaction or hay-fever than the yellow stuff.

But it’s still ugly.

Information from weather.com & weather.weatherbug.com

Morrisville, NC – This is not history or even fiction. This is fact, as remembered by a participant, Cary’s own Andy Dawson.

The time is 1941. War is rolling across Europe, but the U.S. is still on the sidelines.

Winston Churchill asks Juan Trippe, president of Pan American Airlines, to open a route across Africa to Egypt. British forces are under pressure from Axis Armies.

Ten weeks later, 19 year old Andy Dawson is performing aircraft maintenance in Khartoum as Pan Am ferries warplanes to Cairo.

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More than 50 years later, Andy and co-author Tom Culbert have revealed a little-know chapter in the history of World War II – the secret operation to reinforce the British in Egypt before the U.S. had entered the war.

Tom did the writing while Andy tracked down other veterans of the operation, official documents and historic photographs. The result is PAN AFRICA :Across the Sahara in 1941 with Pan Am.

A documentary drawn from this epic tale is in production for The History Channel. Andy appeared with a roughcut of the film at Cary Senior Center earlier this week.

I had the good fortune of meeting co-author Andy Dawson on a plane a couple of years ago. He is a fascinating man, and got me interested in this very important story of early air logistics in the opening days of World War Two. The book does not disappoint. It is short and concise, but well written, well illustrated, and complete. – Robert H on Amazon. Rated *****

If you’re a history buff, be sure to get your hands on Pan Africa by Morrisville’s own Andy Dawson.

Thanks to Robert Adams for help on this story.