Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 08:12:07 -0500
From: Forrest Greenslade
Subject: Excellent food — exciting photography at the Pittsboro Carolina Brewery

Good morning folks:

Last night (Saturday) Carol-Ann and I had dinner at the Brewery. I guess in honor of Mardi Gras season, one of the specials is Shrimp PoBoys. They were really good. The beer is always really good. A new exhibit has been organized by the Chatham Artists Guild, featuring photographers Mark Bashista and Roy Lindholm. If you enjoy wonderful images wonderfully displayed, stop for a really good meal and see the art.

Regards,
Forrest
Open to anything — Skeptical of everything
Forrest C. Greenslade. PhD, DTM
Artist, Writer, Speaker
Past President, Chatham Artists Guild
919-545-9743
sculptor@forrestgreenslade.com
http://www.forrestgreenslade.com
http://chathamartists.blogspot.com/

Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:24:58 -0500
From: Gene Galin
Subject: Last Week’s Hottest Chatham Online Bulletin Board Topics

1. Liberal Progressive Pittsboro NC Town Council Denies Children’s Christian Academy  (Read 8800 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24900.0.html

2. Who is this woman ripping down signs for Haw River Christian School in Pittsboro  (Read 7764 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24985.0.html

3. Team Pittsboro: Another Randolph Voller scam to get credit for others’ efforts  (Read 6543 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,23786.0.html

4. Pittsboro General Store Cafe status?  (Read 3444 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25016.0.html

5. Preston’s plans for 7,000 acres in Chatham  (Read 3300 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25029.0.html

6. N&O – Artsy Pittsboro cafe closes  (Read 2393 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25035.0.html

7. 70 Pittsboro businesses butt heads with 4 anti-business town officials  (Read 2210 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24993.0.html

8. Mayor responds to Christian School concerns  (Read 1195 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25033.0.html

9. Stop Using Voller as a Scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in Pittsboro  (Read 1107 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25082.0.html

10. Don’t be afraid of change! Do it for the children  (Read 829 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25018.0.html

11. Chatham County Schools budget survey  (Read 828 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25104.0.html

12. Mayors Randy Voller & Charles Johnson want to raise your taxes  (Read 785 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25081.0.html

13. New Park on Big Woods Road  (Read 741 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25048.0.html

14. Whinning  (Read 685 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24981.0.html

15. Should tax cheats be able to govern in Chatham County?  (Read 650 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25058.0.html

16. NC Main Street Program supports the new downtown Pittsboro school project  (Read 417 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25092.0.html

17. Once again Ms. Black speaks out  (Read 273 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25076.0.html

18. Joe Hackney Announces Retirement  (Read 252 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25097.0.html

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:15:44 -0500
From: Joy Hewett
Subject: sad for Pittsboro General Store

It is sad to see the demise of the current General Store and I can only hope it will come back in another incarnation soon–it has been a store at a different location, a grocery/eatery over the years, and this restaurant under different owners–so we can hope the front at least could come back in business somehow.

I have fond memories of drinking coffee in the window watching autumn leaves and people passing, have had several birthday lunches, enjoyed music, story telling, films before they moved to Faerrington, burrito bashes and even luncheon dates to grade school work there! I’ve enjoyed their beet salad, chicken salad and a host of soups and sandwiches. Trilogy’s Christmas singalong has been an annual favorite there.

It has been the hub of the downtown community and I do hope it isn’t really gone for good!

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:25:29 -0500
From: Gene
Subject: Last Week’s Hottest Chatham Online Bulletin Board Topics

1. Liberal Progressive Pittsboro NC Town Council Denies Childrens Christian Academy (Read 7665 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24900.0.html

2. Educator joins Beer Parlor to Block Children’s’ School In Pittsboro (Read 7133 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,23749.0.html

3. Who is this woman ripping down signs for Haw River Christian School in Pittsboro (Read 5031 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24985.0.html

4. Preston’s plans for 7,000 acres in Chatham (Read 2284 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25029.0.html

5. Pittsboro General Store Cafe status?  (Read 2067 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25016.0.html

6. 70 Pittsboro businesses butt heads with 4 anti-business town officials  (Read 1640 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24993.0.html

7. CJ – Time to put Chatham County government on a diet  (Read 1557 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,19219.0.html

8. New Thread to discuss picture ID for voters  (Read 1440 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24746.0.html

9. N&O – Artsy Pittsboro cafe closes  (Read 1366 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,25035.0.html

10. Great Update on the Small Business Incubator!  (Read 992 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24800.0.html

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:11:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Tina Meeks
Subject: Our Last Day…

Our last day of operation was January 31st. Thank you everyone who supported us and allowed us to serve them over the last two years. You have made our adventure worth it!
 
If you have an un-redeemed gift certificate, please mail it to PO Box 110, Siler City NC 27344 and we’ll issue you a full or partial refund. Don’t forget to include your full name and mailing address.
 
Cheers,
Shot of Spro Mobile Espresso
(919) 663-5796
info@shotofspro.com
www.shotofspro.com

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:26:29 -0500 (EST)
From: Doug Lorie
Subject: General Store Passages

I was taking a hiatus from teaching and had just injured my shoulder while working as a punch-list carpenter. I was in a familiar place emotionally, feeling at a dead end about my options for work. That was precisely the time when Mimi Sharpe asked me to be a guest chef at The General Store. Two weeks later we had negotiated my temp position into a full time job. If there ever existed a thing like serendipity or synchronicity or the unviverse giving you something that was wanted or needed….for me that job was it.

Having lived in New Mexico and having fallen in love with a certain Green Chile Burrito, I knew that it was the first thing I wanted on the menu. The 2nd thing was a Middle Eastern Platter. It dind’t take long for all of my favorite vegetarian dishes to make it onto the menu, Pesto Pasta, Foccacia Pizza, Palak Paneer and J erk Tempeh. The folks who bought The G eneral Store from Mimi, Richard McGough and Becket Royce, became such amazing bosses.. While their personal savings were being depleted they allowed me to have the most satisfying work experience of me life. T he kitchen back then was configured in such a way that I could see my customers and connect with them while I was cooking. I could never be one of those chefs cloistered away in the hot confines of a kitchen that was totally disconected from the people coming in  to eat.  It was very hard, deadline rich and physical work, but I als o played like a kid spoofing MacDonald’s by counting every Green Chile Burrito I made and sold. Richard and B ecket went way beyond the call of duty by taking over for me in the kitchen while I took two separate trips to Peru and India. I will forever be grateful to them for the ways they sacrificed for me.  This job remains for me the best job of my life.

Vance and Joyce took the business to another level , constructing a performance theater , building a state-of-the art kitchen and providing space for local artists. I charge someone to tell me which 2 square inches of space in The G eneral Store C afe  were not being used to help artists sell their work.

I don’t know how anyone makes a profit in the restaurant business or keeps from getting totally burnt out. The hours are gruelling and  the overhead is huge. I often think that the only sure money makers are fast food stores. But with any of those places you have to sell your soul and merge all semblance of personal identity into the collective identity of the franchise. T he General Store Cafe was…and I am sad using the past tense…a brilliant magnet for community. I am happy to have had a small part in being able to give something to Pittsboro and  facilitating a bit of  that community experience. Among the wonderful things that Joyce and Vance sold over the years….their soul wasn’t one of them.

Doug Lorie

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:21:59 -0500
From: Cherie Ernest
Subject: Major disaster – General Store Closing

The General Store has been part of my and my family’s life for so many years! Just the Saturday before they closed, we had a wonderful meal, promising each other to try each others orders next time around.  I had commented on how superior the all the components of my Mediterranean platter had been.

Best wishes to the Vances.  I hope you know (I’m sure you’ve heard!) how much you and your staff and the ambiance has meant to us diehard fans all through the time you’ve tried so hard to meet the various needs of the customers and friends.  I had to laugh – with a wince – at the phrase in the News and Observer that quoted someone as calling it “that communist place.”  In the sense of “community,” it certainly has been.

Cherie Ernest

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:07:53 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: Denise Dunn
Subject: Coupon Swap

This Saturday, February 4th we will have a coupon swap at Courtyard Coffee and Soda Shoppe in Siler City. We meet at 9:00 a.m. Please bring any coupons you can’t use in an envelope or box.

If you are attending a coupon swap for the first time, here are some swap basics:
* Bring your coupons already cut out in an envelope.
* You don’t need to sort them by product type unless you really want to
* The group usually site in a circle and passes around the envelopes to the person to the right. Take the coupons you want out and put the rest back in to pass on to the next person.
* Once you get your envelope back, you know you have been through all the coupons.
* In really large groups, usually folks sit in groups of 5 to 8 people to swap
For more information contact Denise at dunn1956@gmail.com

Denise Dunn
Realtor, Buyers Agent
Selling homes in the Chatham County and Surrounding Areas
919-548-3458 or 919-548-9477

Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:57:01 -0500
From: Debbie Roos
Subject: Register now for Ginger, Galangal, & Turmeric Workshops!

For complete details and registration information for these workshops, visit the Growing Small Farms website at http://bit.ly/qb7UB.

I am excited to be teaming up again with Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger to offer more specialty crop workshops for growers!

Please note that the March 7 workshop was previously announced (in an earlier “save the date” email) as being on March 6 but the date was changed based on facility availability. The construction of the new Chatham County Justice Center has severely restricted parking during the day time at our Ag Building so it made more sense to move it out to Silk Hope which has a bigger facility. I apologize for any inconvenience this date change may have caused.

February 29, 2012: Introduction to Ginger Production

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a ginger production workshop as part of its Enhancing Sustainability Series on Wednesday, February 29, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. Presenter Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger will give a thorough overview of edible ginger production and talk about its growth as a specialty crop for North Carolina growers. Registration deadline is February 17.

March 7, 2012: Galangal and Turmeric Production (with Ginger Growers’ Roundtable)

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a galangal and turmeric production workshop as part of its Enhancing Sustainability Series on Wednesday, March 7, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. Presenter Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger will give a thorough overview of galangal (Thai ginger) and turmeric production and talk about their potential as specialty crops for North Carolina growers.

The workshop will conclude with a roundtable for ginger growers (folks who grew ginger in 2011). Susan will present observations from the 2011 season in North Carolina and discuss strategies to improve crop performance with input and Q&A with growers. Registration deadline is February 24.

For complete details and registration information for these workshops, visit the Growing Small Farms website at http://bit.ly/qb7UB. Please follow the directions on the website to register.

Save the date for these upcoming workshops:

March 28, 2012: Using Smart Phones and Tablet Computers in Direct Marketing
7:00-9:00 pm
Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC

November 8, 2012: Piedmont Medicinal Herb Production Workshop
9:00 am-5:00 pm (tentative)
Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC

Details and registration information for these two workshops will be released later. We are not yet taking registrations for the March 28 and November 8 workshops.

Have a great week!

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center

North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms
All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which are sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:08:59 -0500
From: Lisa Piper
Subject: Small B&B Cafe

Color me tired and scattered. I forgot to tell folks where we’re located. We’re at 219 East St. in Pittsboro. Just 2 blocks east of the courthouse.  Open 7:30 to 2 p.m.Wednesday thru Sunday except Christmas Day.

Lisa Piper/Dave Clark