Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 08:26:26 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
From: Denise Dunn
Subject: June Activities at Goldston United Methodist Church

Goldston United Methodist Church is getting ready for June and the start of Summer!  We will be having “SKY” our VBS from June 10 – 13 – the VBS Kick-off will be Sunday June 10 watch the Chatham News for the time.  Then we will be having VBS Monday through Wednesday.  We hope you will join us for our first summer event.  Chatham County JAM (sponsored by GUMC) will have Summer Camp June 18th – 22nd, this camp will feature learning musical instruments, guitar, banjo,
fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer.  Plus many hands on projects in the afternoons, hollern’, pottery, weaving, water games, songwriting and much, much more.  The camp will take place at the Silk Hope

Heritage Farm Park.  Visit www.chamjam.org for more information and applications.  Seniors, we will be having our monthly Senior Lunch on June 20th the Jubalee Choir will be joining us we start at 12:00 p.m. You can call Denise at 919-548-3458 for more information on any these activities.

Denise Dunn
Goldston United Methodist Church
919-548-3458 or 919-548-9477

Date: Sun, 20 May 2012 06:10:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jennifer Gillis
Subject: This Week at Chatham County Public Libraries

All Chatham County Libraries will be closed Saturday, May 26 through Monday, May 28 as we remember and honor our veterans. Thank you for your service!

Library branches will reopen as follows:

Tuesday, May 29
Chatham Community Library 9 am to 8 pm
Wren Memorial Library 10 am to 6 pm
Goldston Library is closed on Tuesdays and will reopen on Wednesday, May 30 at 10 am

While libraries are closed, remember that you can renew and request materials online by going to www.chathamlibraries.org, selecting “library catalog,” and going to patron account. In the first box, enter your 14-digit library
card number. Your PIN is the last four digits of your library card.

Chatham Community Library, Pittsboro

Tuesday, May 22

9:30 am: Infant/Toddler story time with Miss Beth
10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
4 pm: Fan Fiction workshop
4:30 pm: Blues Guitar Workshop

Wednesday, May 23

3 pm: Internet Basics (sign up at the front desk or by calling 545-8086)

Thursday, May 24

9 to noon and 1 to 3: Genealogy volunteers will help with family research
3 pm: Getting started with e-books for Nook & Sony readers
(registration required, call 545-8086)
4 pm: Aspiring Authors Workshop (AAW)

Friday, May 25

10:30: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
7 pm: CCL Film Club Classic Movie

Wren Memorial Library, Siler City

Wednesday, May 23

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Goldston Library, Goldston

Thursday, May 24

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:37:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jennifer Gillis
Subject: This Week at Chatham County Libraries

Monday, April 23 is World Book Night. Look for librarians giving away free copies of Tim O’Brien’s masterpiece, “The Things They Carried,” around Chatham County. World Book Night promotes the joy of reading.

Chatham Community Library, Pittsboro

Tuesday, April 24

9:30 am: Infant/toddler story time with Miss Beth
10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Thursday, April 26

9 to noon; 1 to 3 pm: Genealogy volunteers will help with family research
3:00 pm: Intro to NC Live (to register, contact the reference desk at 545-8086)

Friday, April 27

10:30 am: Preschool story time

Saturday, April 28

Central Carolina Community College celebrates its 50th anniversary! Come on out–activities for all ages! Hot air balloons, story times, and much more!
Free and open to the public

3:30 pm: Spanish book discussion club

Wren Memorial Library, Siler City

Wednesday, April 25

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Goldston Library, Goldston

Thursday, April 26

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 3. Author Georgeann Eubanks will present a program on her latest book, “Literary Trails of the Piedmont,” at 7 pm in the Holmes Meeting Room at Chatham Community Library. A brief business meeting of the Friends of the Library will precede the program for the election of new officers. Refreshments will be served and copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Have you written YOUR Chatham County haiku yet? Enter in person at Chatham Community Library or online at www.chathamlibraries.org. Haiku will be collected into a booklet and authors will be invited to read their Haiku at the second annual poetry slam to be held Friday, May 3 at 7 pm.

Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:38:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jennifer Gillis
Subject: This Week at Chatham County Public Libraries

Chatham Community Library, Pittsboro

Tuesday, April 17

9:30 am: Infant/toddler story time with Miss Beth
10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
5:00 pm: Getting Started with e-books for Kindle (pre-registration is required)

Thursday, April 19

9 to noon: Genealogy assistance available for those researching family history
1 to 3: Genealogy assistance available for those researching family history
6:30 pm: Coupon Exchange

Friday, April 20

10 am: Common Thread (library crafters’ group, newcomers welcome)
10:30: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
7 pm: Chatham Community Library Film Club

Saturday, April 21

9:15: Microsoft Word Basics (pre-registration required)

Wren Memorial Library, Siler City

Wednesday, April 18

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Goldston Library, Goldston

Thursday, April 19

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:56:04 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
From: Denise Dunn
Subject: Chatham County JAM – taking applications

Our next session of the Chatham County JAM starts April 26 – 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Chatham County JAM education program introduces children (from 3rd to 8th grade) to the music of their heritage through small group instruction in instruments common to the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina.  Instrument, dance and vocal instruction are augmented by stringband classes providing children opportunities to play and perform in small and large groups.

We offer lessons on guitar, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mandolin, rhythm and bones.  Enrichment classes include voice and mountain dance.  Lessons are $5.00 per lesson.  Beginning, intermediate, and advance classes are offered in all instruments.  Classes take place at Goldston United Methodist Church, 185 Hillcrest, Goldston, NC

Applications are available on www.chamjam.org or you can call Denise Dunn 919-548-3458 for more information.

Please checkout our Summer Camp – info on website.

Denise Dunn
Goldston United Methodist Church
919-548-3458 or 919-548-9477

Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 21:27:02 -0400
From: momopom
Subject: McManus

I had a solicitation from McManus [asking for a donation] sent to my email inbox. It was addressed to me personally, calling me by my first name.

Does anyone know how a candidate gets email addresses?

To unsubscribe you cannot just click on a button, but have to fill out several lines of personal information first.

As with those automated calls around election time, this unsolicited email makes me less likely to endorse a candidate.

Cindy.

: Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:36:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jennifer Gillis
Subject: This Week at Chatham County Public Libraries

Spring has arrived! Check out the excellent selection of books about gardening at your local library; they are located beginning at 635 in the non-fiction section. Need help? Ask a librarian!

Chatham Community Library, Pittsboro

Tuesday, March 27

9:30 am: Infant/toddler story time with Miss Beth
10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
5:00 pm: Doing More with Excel (pre-registration is a must; call the reference desk at 545-8086 to sign up)

Thursday, March 29

9:00 am to noon; 1:00 pm to 3:00  pm: Genealogy volunteers available to help with your family history search

9:00 am to 7:00 pm: Friends of the Library Book sale–first day is full-price day with a 20% discount for purchases over $200

Friday, March 30

9:00 am to 7:00 pm: Friends of the Library Book sale–1/2 price day except for items in “collectors’ corner”
10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Saturday, March 31

9:00 am to 4:00 pm: Friends of the Library Book sale–”bag day”–fill a large grocery bag with books for $5

Wren Memorial Library, Siler City

Wednesday, March 28

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth

Goldston Library, Goldston

10:30 am: Preschool story time with Miss Beth
5:30 pm: Friends of the Goldston Library meeting

Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2012 16:27:35 -0500
From: Mia Munn
Subject: CCS budget reduction suggestions

Mr. Logan sent out the list below of 40 suggestions to reduce the CCS 2012-2013 budget deficit. These were suggested by the district’s senior leadership team, the Budget Advisory Committee, and the Chatham County Association of Educators.  These suggestions will be shared with the board of education at the meeting Monday, March 5.

The CCS staff will estimate the savings from these suggestions this week and present the numbers to the budget advisory committee at the Thursday, March 8, meeting.  The suggestions will then be used to develop scenarios for the BOE to discuss on Monday, March 12.

If you have any additional suggestions, send them to Mr. Logan by 5pm Monday so they can be included in the discussion Thursday. If you want to give feedback on this suggestions, you can also email me directly.

Mia

•    Increase class size:  Present teacher/pupil ratio in Chatham County Schools is better than state teacher/pupil allocation formula.  By increasing class size, teaching positions could be decreased and savings realized.
•    Redesign alternative school: SAGE has been designed and staffed to serve our 9-12 at-risk population.  The state requires each LEA to offer an alternative program, not an alternative school.  Several approaches exist which would allow the school district to continue SAGE under a different design which would save cost.
•    Reduce specials (art and music programs).
•    Reduce instructional support: curriculum coaches (9), instructional facilitators ( ), and instructional technology facilitators (3).
•    Delete high school testing coordinators (3).
•    Reduction of Teacher Assistants: could reduce by grade level, by hours of employment, or by days of employment.
•    Mr. Hamm requested last March that we ask Surry County how they manage with a low level of central office staffing. Research this issue.
•    Benchmark against counties of similar size. Ask how they are staffed, and how they are dealing with the budget cuts (for next year and in the past 3 years). Some of this has been done, will share with budget committee..
•    Review staffing against state and local staffing guidelines. Eliminate anything in excess of those guidelines.
•    Examine out-sourced contracts – could the work be better done in-house? An example – do we still need Safelle contract, or could we handle that ourselves now that the custodians know what to do (we could
keep the token reward system). Have custodians handle lawn care instead of outsourcing.
•    Consider bringing the AVID program coordination in-house, at employee cost (or part of an employee) instead of consultant cost. Consultants typically are much more expensive than employees.  Total cost of AVID needs to be reviewed.
•    Some assistant principals could cover more than one school…esp. elementary, due to the fact that there may be fewer after school and evening extracurricular activities that would require principal’s attendance.
•    Eliminate assistant principals (above state-funded levels) (7 state paid, 6 locally paid). Have APs teach one or more classes a day.
•    Cost out what could be saved after transportation by closing one of the small schools. How long would bus rides be?
•    Add a staff member to look for efficiencies.
•    Look at a 4 day school week.
•    Are there any recently-created positions (past 5 years) that we once did without, and could do without again?
•    Reduce Administrative Assistants. In business, it is unusual for directors or small (<50) departments to have an administrative assistant.
•    Look at Other Professional Staff. What positions are of lowest value?
•    Homebound teacher for county. Other teachers used to be given extra pay to deliver home bound instruction. The position was created more recently.  The district has 1.2 positions designated for fulltime home bound service and has been in place for years.
•    Set up a “share your ideas” web page – ask the community for ideas. The budget survey was intended to gather community input.
•    Across the board pay cut (ask the commissioners if they would consider reducing the supplement).
•    Reduce local salary for employees on contracts being renewed this year.
•    Can the testing coordinator positions at the high schools be eliminated and be assigned to a central office employee?
•    Eliminate Testing Coordinators (suggested three times).
•    Eliminate Instructional Facilitators (suggested two times)
•    Librarians/media specialists could cover more than one school (esp. small schools and lower grade levels). Volunteers can do some library duties.
•    Curriculum coaches…we have not had them until recently. We can do without them.
•    Do away with curriculum coaches.  That position is a bonus – not mandatory. (suggested 3 times).
•    Could the schools generate money (grant writer or other sources)?
•    Limit buying new technology – we don’t have to have as many computers as we do.
•    Investigate if some preschool programs need to find space in other facilities (such as local church buildings). There are a variety of different programs and funding for them could be complex. Unless the cost of keeping them on main campuses is already completely funded via other means (such a federal funds), it’s possible that schools still pay to have them occupy space…esp. if schools have extra mobile units due to limited space. More classroom space for k-12 can amount to fewer mobile units.
•    Reduce the number of sports (high school and middle school). Charge a participation fee.
•    Change the Instructional Facilitators to shared positions at the high school level, possibly 1/2 teaching load + 1/2 Instructional duties.
•    Shifting financial responsibility for Driver’s Education to parents. Is this an area that is instructionally necessary?
•    In the past apparently, CCS used to hire folks before/after EOCs and brought in a Testing Coordinator just for that time. Other times of the year, counselors performed those duties. Counselors perform those duties at the elementary level, so do we need TC in the secondary schools?
•    We discussed that if sports were cut, that would impact funds received from the PTA Thrift Stores.  For example, not all teachers volunteer, but they do benefit from funds generated by cheerleaders who work, etc.
•    Discontinue paying the cost for duel enrollment courses at CCCC.
•    Discontinue paying cost of AP courses at high schools.
•    Discontinue paying the cost of PSAT for those not paid for by the state.

Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:49:59 -0800 (PST)
From: Jennifer Gillis
Subject: This Week at Chatham County Public Libraries

Love your local library–stop in this week and enjoy one of these programs!

Chatham Community Library, Pittsboro

Tuesday, February 14

9:30 amInfant/Toddler story time with Miss Beth
10:30 amPreschool story time with Miss Beth
6:30 pmFamily movie night: Willie Wonka (original version)

Wednesday, February 15

9 am to 11 amComputer lab closed to the public for a class
4 pmMicrosoft PowerPoint (registration required)
7 pmChatham Community Library Writers’ Group (ages 16 and up)

Thursday, February 16

4 pmBoys’ Book Club
6:30 pmCoupon Exchange

Friday, February 17

10:30 amPreschool story time with Miss Beth

Saturday, February 18

4 pmSpanish book discussion club

Wren Library, Siler City

Wednesday, February 15

10:30 amPreschool story time with Miss Beth

Goldston Library, Goldston

Thursday, February 16

10:30 amPreschool story time with Miss Beth

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:08:02 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: Denise Dunn
Subject: Chatham County JAM

Chatham County JAM starts its next session this Thursday, January 19th.  Please note our new time from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 

We offer lessons in Guitar, Banjo, Fiddle, Mandolin, Lap Dulcimer, Dance, Voice, Rhythm and Bones.  Please visit our website at www.chamjam.org for more information.  The classes are held at Goldston United Methodist Church, 185 Hillcrest, Goldston. 

Please note we have lowered our cost to $5.00 per class, we hope to have you come and join us!

Denise Dunn
Realtor, Buyers Agent
Selling homes in the Chatham County and Surrounding Areas