May 2012

They Cary Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 50th anniversary with a program at the Cary Arts Center on May 22. Bigwigs from the Chamber's history gathered to share memories and look ahead to the future of the Chamber.

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Barbecue can be a polarizing issue in North Carolina.

While not everyone agrees on the Eastern-versus-Western debate, any pulled pork lover can enjoy a plate dished up to help a good cause. And this weekend, there are two ways to get your grub on.

The Pig Pickin’ in the Park, now in its 26th year, raises funds for the James Atkins Memorial Scholarship and Humanitarian Fund of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club. It will take place this Saturday from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Cary Senior Center at Bond Park. Dine in or pick up a plate to go.

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The dog days of summer may officially be a few weeks away, but consider kicking them off early along with your four-legged friends.

The Dog Days of June will be in full swing on Saturday, June 2, at Bond Park field 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A clinic running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. offers rabies vaccines for just $5 and microchips for $10. Cats are welcome for the clinic, and must be in cages. Dogs must be leashed.

No experience is necessary for the Skyhoundz Dog Disc Competition. Pups will face off for a battle of distance and accuracy. All breeds are welcome to compete, and entry is free. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and the competition begins at 10 a.m.

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1. Military-Inspired Watches
Newly available in the Triangle, Bell & Ross timepieces hark back to the classic, functional styles worn by aviators from the 1920s through 1940s.
Ross Simons, available at The Streets at Southpoint location.
ross-simons.com

2. A Good Smoke

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Never say summer is boring — from family outings to stars on stage, there’s something for everyone coming our way soon.

Check out this sampling of upcoming events for your to-enjoy list:

Be a Star
Hey teens! Clayton Youth Theater will hold auditions this weekend for its summer musical, Hairspray.

If you’re a rising seventh through 12th-grader, or a 2012 high school graduate, you are eligible to audition. Directors are seeking a racially diverse cast of singers and dancers.

Auditions will be held at The Clayton Center, on June 1 at 6 p.m. and on June 2 at 10 a.m. Click here for more details.

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Take a sneak peek into the lives of these four notable men of 2012!
 

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To find a local business with a lot of personality, look no further than your closest craft brewery. Fortunately, the national craft beer movement has caught on strong in North Carolina, and a growing number of purveyors are choosing to settle in Western Wake. From classic brews to out-there experiments, they offer a pint to fit any palate.

Aviator Brewing Company

Aviation enthusiast Mark Doble had a little space left in his hangar at Triple W Airport after he built his kit plane, Mustang II. With a solid background in homebrewing, starting at age 16 (rest assured, he was in Holland then), he bought a few dairy tanks and used them to make some beer.

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Summer is definitely the best time of year to travel — the kids are out of school and there are plenty of opportunities for things to do. And you don’t even have to leave North Carolina to have a great vacation!

Our fantastic state has places of interest for travelers wanting to take any type of vacation, from a romantic getaway to a kid-friendly trip. Read on for some of our favorite North Carolina vacation spots that we hope you get the chance to visit this summer!

Active: Waynesville

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No one turns down an invitation to Matt and Karen Posner’s backyard pizza parties, in their new outdoor living area, complete with a wood-burning brick oven and beautiful screen room addition.

Nestled into the yard’s natural area, the pizza oven is part of a low-maintenance lifestyle that the Cary family, including 13-year-old son Wyatt, will enjoy not only this summer, but year-round.

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Gold medals, world records, and his face on a new Topps trading card — it’s a good life for swimmer Tucker Dupree.

A 2007 honors graduate of Garner Magnet High School, Dupree soon heads to London as a favored competitor in the 2012 Paralympic Games, projected to win as many as five gold medals.

Photo Caption: “Just because you’re disabled doesn’t mean you can’t succeed,” says Paralympic athlete and Garner High graduate Tucker Dupree. Favored to win multiple gold medals in the upcoming Paralympic Games in London, he’ll compete against other athletes with physical disabilities. Photo courtesy of Ken Bland

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Looking for ways to boost your family fun? Check out these ideas from Take a Child Outside, an initiative of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences that encourages children’s exploration of their environment.

Nature Bracelet: Wrap a length of 2-inch wide masking tape around your wrist with the sticky side up. As you stroll the yard or park, pick up small items to stick to your bracelet — flower petals, fallen leaves, sand and seeds work well.

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Hopscotch and kite flying — summer’s upon us, time to head outdoors for recreation that builds relationships and life skills.

July is National Park & Recreation Month, and local parks are just the places to maximize fun.
“We love the park,” said Jennifer Jamison of Garner, mom to Reya, 8, and Ella, 6. “We play on the playground, look for flowers and butterflies, and have even taken night hikes to look and listen.”

Photo Caption: Looking for fun? Roll a log! Environmental educator Joanne St. Clair of White Deer Park in Garner helps Reya and Ella Jamison discover nature’s treasures beneath, including a roly-poly they’ll feed to the Nature Center’s resident turtle.

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Every spring I make a mental list of all the ways I want to enjoy the warm weather and sunshine during the summer months.

And every fall I seem to realize I didn’t check much, if anything, off my list. So here are four great ways to celebrate summertime in Cary while getting a bit of exercise, culture, entertainment and good food. Don’t let summer pass you by.

1. N.C. Symphony Summerfest Independence Day Concert at Koka Booth Amphitheatre

The N.C. Symphony Summerfest includes eight shows in the 2012 season, but the one concert that must make your family agenda is the Fourth of July.

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The No. 1 way to make this working mom jealous? Interview several stay-at-home dads about the joys of spending every moment with their sons and daughters.

“There’s never a missed first step, never a missed first word. I knew the day would be here because I’m with him every single day. I watched him practice. I knew when to have the camera out because I knew that today was going to be the day when he tried to go from the couch to the coffee table,” said Austin Dowd, stay-at-home dad to 2-year-old Emory.

Sounds awesome.

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As its name implies, a typical daylily opens lily-like blooms during the day that fade away in the afternoon. However, there are also the garden oxymorons — night-blooming daylilies. These daylilies refuse to flop their flowers with the setting sun and, instead, remain in full floral regalia deep into the night.

Need examples? “Extended” daylilies are classified by the American Hemerocallis Society as selections with blossoms that remain open 16 hours or more. Most daylilies don’t begin showing off until midmorning, so add 16 hours of extended bloom time, and you have flowers that aren’t strangers to midnight.

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Five-year life plans aren’t for everyone.

At age 19, Michael Dorman decided one Wednesday afternoon he wanted to join the service. On Monday, he was a Coast Guardsman. He thought he’d do four years and move on to something else.

Twenty years later, he retired. He dabbled in retail for a few years, but longed for something greater. Reflecting on his time in the Coast Guard, he felt driven to give back to other service members. He decided to start an organization that would offer support to both current military members and veterans.

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Once again, the editors at Cary Magazine presented the food writer with a grueling assignment: Go find and write about the best frozen treats in the area. Ten thousand calories and many pounds later, here are five places worth sating your sweet tooth.

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Independence Day represents the peak of summer’s seasonal festivities. School’s out for many families and the grill master has been practicing since Memorial Day. It’s a great time to open up your home to friends and family for a dinner party. Get started with this fresh and colorful menu from Raleigh Chef Alvin Cotto, owner of We Cook For You catering company. Impress your guests with a meal that combines Southern tradition and Caribbean flair.

Menu

Hors d’oeuvres
Cool Cocktail Shrimp Shots
Seasonal Fruit Skewers with Guava Cream

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A smile has the power to light up a room. But sometimes that smile needs a little bit of work.

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When Andrew Chadwick received an email from ESPN saying that he’d been selected as the ESPN High School Soccer Coach of the Year, he was shocked. “It was totally unexpected,” he said. “Out of all the teams and coaches in the whole country, I don’t know how they chose me.”

Of course, Chadwick won’t take the credit for the award. “It’s nice to be recognized, but soccer is a player’s game,” he said. “Most of it has to do with the players and the success they’ve had over the last 10 years. And winning the state championship probably helped.”

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You may not recognize the face (although that bald head and beard are pretty distinguishing features), but you’ll certainly recognize the voice. Bob Dumas is the headlining member of G105’s radio show Bob & the Showgram, heard every day for the last 20 years from 6 to 10 a.m.

He’s been through multiple co-hosts, rants, raves and life-altering events, like a brain tumor and the death of his father, all heard over the Triangle airways. Dumas makes no apologies for the person he is, and he won’t tiptoe around any issue. “I’m kinda like a black or white guy. I have no gray, which is good and bad,” said Dumas. “There’s a lot of people that don’t like me, and that’s OK,” he said.

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It’s a rare family who never needs assistance, says Craig Chancellor. As president and CEO of United Way of the Greater Triangle, he’s spent a lifetime helping to provide it.

“Doing something that really makes a difference in people’s lives is very attractive to me,” said Chancellor. “I’ve been fortunate to be in a position to help other people, and that’s made me happy.”
This year, as United Way celebrates its 125th anniversary, Chancellor is winding down his 37-year career.

A stuffed bear named Walter, in memory of his late mentor Walter Tarpley, holds a prominent seat in Chancellor’s office, a reminder of his 1975 start in Columbus, Ohio.

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Band Together NC's annual charity concert was held May 12 at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre, where the iconic cosmic rockers The B-52s headlined the evening. This year's event raised $552,000 for Urban Ministries of Wake County, Band Together's 2012 nonprofit partner. All of the proceeds will go to fund Urban Ministry's Open Door Clinic, which aims to provide physicians visits, prescriptions and lab work for many of Wake County's uninsured residents battling poverty. Band Together is a nonprofit organization of business and community leaders and volunteers from across the Triangle that uses live music to raise funds and awareness for local nonprofits.

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Flags will fly high in Cary this Memorial Day weekend. Many families will head for the beach, or fire up the grill at home. The Triangle Wind Ensemble will put on An American Celebration on Sunday, May 27, at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, where patrons are welcome to bring picnics and enjoy orchestral classics from the wind symphony.

But in addition to honoring fallen veterans, several organizations in Western Wake are devoted to honoring and serving living veterans and active duty military members throughout the year.  

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Choice is one of the benefits of life in Western Wake. Pick any subject — housing, restaurants, entertainment — and an array of options are at your fingertips.

Increasingly, parents are discovering choices in education. Traditional or year-round calendar? Which school? And now, what learning style is right for each child?

We profile three different styles of education available here in For the Love of Learning.

One of the schools, White Plains Children’s Center, marked a milestone this weekend, celebrating its 30th anniversary with a program that brought together the school’s founders, graduates, parents, supporters and friends.

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Veterans or not, we can all be patriots. The key is remembrance.

Bring your lawn chair to the park this Memorial Day for an opportunity to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our American freedoms, as the Garner Veterans’ Memorial Committee Inc. and the Town of Garner host a special observance.

The event will take place at the site of the future Garner Veterans Memorial, at Lake Benson Park, on Monday, May 28 at 1:30 p.m.

“What our veterans put on the line, especially those that gave all, is a debt we can’t pay,” said Harold Annis, chair of the Garner Veterans Memorial Advisory Board. “We should, at the very least, recognize and honor them.”

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Popular show The Wheel of Money is all fun and games ... until somebody gets murdered.

To find out whodunit, you’ll have to visit If Momma Ain’t Happy, a murder mystery production put on by the We Act for You theater company this weekend.

Audience members even have the chance to participate, as “index card extras” — named characters who get to say a few lines.

“Murder mystery theater is a play, but the audience becomes part of a play,” said Artistic Director Cindy Verian. “For example, in August we had a wedding. Guests come in and are greeted like they’re attending the wedding. You might be Aunt Mary, and you’d have a card with your lines.”

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Lively, committed and making a difference — the Garner Police Department Auxiliary is all of the above.

The Auxiliary’s latest project is hosting the second annual Police Officer’s Ball, set for Friday, June 1 from 8 to 11 p.m., at the Rand-Bryan House in Garner.

The ball offers the community the chance to dine and dance with Garner’s finest, while raising funds to meet community needs.

“There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres served, and a DJ will be playing a mix of music from oldies to some current top 40,” said Spring Zuidema, Auxiliary president and wife of Police Chief Brandon Zuidema. “Last year we danced all night!”

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Choo-choo-choose to spend your Saturday at the first National Train Day celebration in Cary.

On May 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Downtown Cary Amtrak station will offer an array of activities, vendors and more.

The first 200 children who attend will receive a train whistle courtesy of the North Carolina Railroad Company. Visitors of any age will receive a conductor hat from Amtrak.

One family of four will even win a trip to anywhere Amtrak travels on the East Coast.

The Page-Walker Arts & History Center, a former railroad hotel near the station, will offer free tours. More lessons on Cary’s railroad history will be taught by a guide dressed in 19th century period costume.

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TONIGHT! The lively and popular Band of Oz kicks off the 2012 Music off Main Downtown Concert Series in Garner, from 6 to 9 p.m.

One of the best known and most successful beach music bands in the Southeast, the Band of Oz was formed in 1967, playing across the South. In 1977, the band hit the road full-time, gaining a following that had led to the group performing as a guest on most of the major beach concerts in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia.

Featuring a full horn section, the eight-member group performs more than 200 shows each year.

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The award-winning Broadway Voices concert series wraps up its season this Saturday, May 5, with a one-night-only performance by J. Mark McVey and his wife, Christie Tarr-McVey.

Critically acclaimed for his long-running role as Valjean in Les Miserables — more than any other performer at some 3,200 shows — McVey opened the first Broadway Voices series in December 2010 at the Garner Performing Arts Center, and now returns in an encore show to concludes its second season.

Tarr-McVey is also a Broadway star, having performed in The Who’s Tommy, Jekyll & Hyde, and Annie.

The couple will offer a full concert of classic duets in Garner,

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Cary really stands for Creating Active Retirement Years, if you ask the folks at the Cary Senior Center.

With nearly one-fifth of Wake County residents age 55 or older, and a plethora of amenities supporting area seniors, Western Wake is tops for those looking to live it up after retirement.

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Hilliard Forest
221 Hilliard Forest Drive, Cary
Near: Thomas E. Brooks Park
Builder: Ryan Homes

Location, location, location — a mantra often repeated during the search for a new home. It’s rare you’ll find an area that fits that philosophy as well as west Cary. “You can be in a metropolitan area but it doesn’t feel like that. You look out and you’ve got a beautiful park right next door. It’s a huge park with big baseball fields and there are natural trees everywhere. The neighborhood and this area has a lot of natural character,” said Jim Cappellett, sales manager for Ryan Homes.

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