Wake County Public Schools' new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays

From the WCPSS Press Office:

In its meeting today, the Board of Education approved the 2009-10 bell schedule including a change for the use of time to support learning and teaching, developing techniques for strengthening and enriching students’ skills.

2009-10 Bell Schedule

The new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays. On six of those Wednesdays, school will release 2.5 hours early.

2009-10 Early Release Days

The new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays. On six of those Wednesdays, school will release 2.5 hours early.

This will provide time for teachers to meet for an hour on Wednesdays in professional learning communities, or learning teams. In these teams, teachers meet across grade level or subject area to review instruction and look at ways to better meet the needs of individual students. Schools will continue to use the six 2.5 hour sessions for schoolwide faculty professional development.

The schools that have the earliest start times have added the additional ten minutes at the end of the school day. The schools with the latest start times have added the additional ten minutes at the start of the school day. You can check the bell schedule here to see school bell schedules for 2009-10.

The board established the six 2.5 hour sessions as common early release days. The school system had been providing four early release days for schoolwide faculty professional development.

School administrators and representatives of the Time Committee say the changes will provide the desired status of:
Common understanding and expectations for professional learning teams;
Consistent, structured time for all WCPSS K-12 educators;
All staff participating in professional learning teams; and
Community understanding of the value of the learning teams’ work.

Representatives of the 40-member Time committee that includes school administrators, principals, teachers and parents told the school board’s Student Achievement Committee that they’ve been studying the issue for two years as schools have worked individually to figure out ways to create time for teacher learning teams to meet. Schools are at different stages in putting learning teams to use across grade levels and across subject areas.

The Time committee representatives recommended the school system provide a more uniform system that provided all schools the time for learning teams to work.

Superintendent Burns said learning teams will allow educators the time to collaborate that will help the school system improve student academic performance. He said the school system has already been studying the implementation of learning teams and will continue to look at ways to use learning teams effectively.

Time committee members said the drivers for their recommendation were the Board of Education goal for all students to graduate from high school; the need to provide time for collaboration; the need to increase student achievement; the opportunity to close academic achievement gaps among groups of students; the chance to provide job embedded professional development; and the need to provide equal opportunity for all teachers to participate in learning teams to help students achieve.

More on Time Discussions

TV’s Golden Era Was Black & White

Thought I'd share another column from writer Tom Poland, aka my dad. Wouldn't it be fun for our kids to see some of these old TV shows?

Across the Savannah
TV’s Golden Era Was Black & White
By Tom Poland

Remember the first TV you saw? I do. A small, boxy TV that had a pink cabinet. It just caught two stations ’cause that’s all there were back then. For a long time, we caught just two stations through a rickety antenna strapped to the chimney: WRDW 12 and WJBF 6. TV was pretty simple back then. No color to adjust and just three knob functions: on, off, and channel changer.

We’ve come a long ways since then what with color, UHF, cable, satellite, digital TV and high definition. No more test patterns on all night but no more “Star Spangled Banner” either as stations signed off. Maybe that’s when patriotism began to wane.

Yes we’ve come a long ways but it’s a downright shame the quality of programs hasn’t progressed as much. It seems to me the programming geniuses went for volume instead of quality. The Time Warner programming guide for my area lists an astounding 1,234 channels. Not programs but channels! Thousands and thousands of shows are out there but few worth my time. I feel like the parched Ancient Mariner on Coleridge’s ship.

“Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”

I see shows and shows everywhere and most make my brain shrink. Thousands and thousands of shows but few make me think. For solid programming, I watch “National Geographic,” the “Discovery Channel,” and “The History Channel.” That’s it.

I am no fan of reality shows. My life is reality show enough for me. And those marathon infomercials hyping diets, real estate, and get-rich-schemes disgust me. It makes me long for the good old days. I can’t speak for you but it’s hard to beat the TV shows I grew up with. They seemed genuine in ways today’s shows do not. They resurrect memories today’s shows will not.

Here are but a few I loved to watch growing up, shows whose characters seemed real. Remember “Lost in Space?” That stowaway, Dr. Zachary Smith, was quite the cad wasn’t he. And even now I can see Chuck Connors, “The Rifleman,” spinning his Winchester Model 1892 rifle.

“Leave It To Beaver” brought the naïve Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver and his idealized suburban family into our homes. Eddie Haskel and his fawning ways were always good entertainment. “You certainly look nice today, Mrs. Cleaver.”

“Captain Kangaroo” brought the mischievous Bunny Rabbit into our lives. That rabbit always managed to trick the Captain into giving him carrots. Mr. Moose would pose riddles to the Captain and a wrong answer brought hundreds of ping-pong balls cascading down on his head. I never could figure out that Green Jeans guy, though. He probably deserved a lot of space. I mean what kind of guy would call himself Mr. Green Jeans?

Bob Keeshan who played the Captain was the first Clarabelle the Clown on “Howdy Doody,” yet another memorable show. Our childhood stars were human. Keeshan left Howdy Doody, by the way, over a salary dispute and later became Captain Kangaroo. Any of you remember how Buffalo Bob would ask, “Say kids, what time is it?” And the kids in the Peanut Gallery would resound, “It’s Howdy Doody time!” Howdy, a marionette, had 48 freckles, one for each state. If he ever comes out of retirement, he’ll need two more freckles.

“The Patty Duke Show” aired from 1963 to 1966, the heart of my high school years. The show featured two identical cousins. One was from Scotland and worldly; the other was a New York City innocent, if that’s possible. The two cousins clashed, setting a tone and many a plot. Patty Duke became a star but suffered a troubled adulthood. I met her in December 2006 and was immediately struck by her short stature, five feet even. I told her I watched her show as a kid. She thanked me and told me she found Southerners “warm, accommodating people.”

My family and I vacationed in Florida once and one of our destinations was Silver Springs, a shooting locale for “Sea Hunt.” This program followed the adventures of scuba diver, Mike Nelson, played by Lloyd Bridges. An ex-Navy frogman, Nelson rescued people from drowning and salvaged things such as a missile from beneath the sea.

What great shows we had in the days of grainy black and white TVs, rickety antennae, and no remote controls. (If you wanted to change the channel, you could make junior do it or get up off the sofa.) We had “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “I Love Lucy,” “The Twilight Zone,” and later on “The Flintstones,” a cartoon version of Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners.” “The Flintstones” made history as the first prime-time show with two people of the opposite sex in bed together. Fred and Wilma, hang your heads in shame!
The Western thrived back then. We had “The Cisco Kid,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Zorro,” starring Guy Williams who later starred in “Lost In Space.” And “Rawhide” gave us the consummate cowboy, Clint Eastwood, who parlayed his role as Rowdy Yates, a hotheaded ramrod, into the “Dollars Trilogy/Spaghetti Westerns” and superstardom. Frankie Laine, you’ll recall, sung the theme song, later made infamous by the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd).

“Cheyenne,” starred Clint Walker, a twin by the way. His good looks caught the eye of Cecil B. DeMille who cast a part for him in The Ten Commandments. Soon, he had a show of his own.

The list goes on ... “Andy Griffith,” “Flipper,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Dr. Kildare,” “The Outer Limits,” and others. I suppose the young people of today could argue their shows are just as good but I don’t think so. The difference is simple but huge. We, the babyboomers, not only grew up with TV but more to the point, TV grew up with us. We were part of TV’s Golden Era. The fact that it was black and white is part of the glory to me.

Progress marches on and sometime it’s ruthless. All across this country landfills hold the remnants of bent and broken TV antennae that once sprouted from every rooftop. Someone said the TV antennae of yesteryear looked like the product of a wild night between a towel rack and a steam radiator. They ruined the looks of neighborhoods but no one cared for those skeletal-like contraptions snatched the signals from WRDW 12 and WJBF 6 right out of the air. They brought us laughter, entertainment, and legends. They brought us a lifetime of memories and there’s not a landfill on Earth that will ever hold those.

Email Tom with feedback and ideas for new columns.

Track 4 Families: Here are 45 Things You Can Do During Your Track-out Break!

Track 4 are you ready for this? You've got 45 different activities taking place for kids across the Triangle to choose from during your track-out break. Here's our list of fun track-out activities through April 19. We'll add more as we come across them.

1. There are 11 different Easter egg hunts in the Triangle starting this weekend and extending through April 11. Click here to see the list.
2. There are 20 different museum events taking place between March 28 and April 19, from pirate craft-making to musical performances. Click here for the list.
3. Raleigh Little Theatre Presents "Wiley and the Hairy Man"
Through March 29
4. Town of Cary Annual Kite Festival
March 28, 2009
5. Triangle Mothers of Twins and Triplets Spring/Summer Clothing & Equipment Sale
March 28, 2009
6. The Sandbox Kids and Family Fun Band Performance
March 28, 2009
7. Chatham Kids Consignment Spring/Summer Sale
April 3, 2009
8. Home Depot Kids Workshops: Window Birdhouse
April 4, 2009
9. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
March 31, 2009 at 8pm to April 5, 2009
10. Spring Break Cooking Camp at C'est si Bon!
April 6, 2009 at 9am to April 8, 2009
11. Trail Tails on the American Tobacco Trail: "Jump, Frog Jump!"
April 9, 2009
12. Scrap Exchange One Bag Workshop at University Mall in Chapel Hill
April 11, 2009
13. "Happy Days" Musical
April 14, 2009 at 8pm to April 19, 2009
14. North Carolina Symphony Announces Auditions for the 2009 North Carolina Symphony Youth Concerto Competition
April 18, 2009
15. Wake County PAGE Super Saturday
April 18, 2009
16. Family Fun and Fitness Walk
April 18, 2009

Triangle TRACKS Spring Membership Drive Kicks Off April 6!

Last fall, we kicked off our first membership drive. As a result, our membership increased by more than 50 percent and we were able to share our content and mission with even more Triangle parents. Now, we’re ready to do it all over again! Our Spring Membership Drive is April 6-27. All members who join before April 6 are eligible to participate. It’s easy! Just invite all your friends to join Triangle TRACKS and the top three members who yield the most joined invited members will win great prizes. Members who have been with Triangle TRACKS since our fall membership drive can also count any friends who have joined as a result of invitations sent after Nov. 12, when our fall membership drive ended. View a list of the prizes here. Good luck, and thanks for being a part of Triangle TRACKS!

Hurricanes Open Practices: Free Fun for the Kids!

Check out our Sports TRACKers' post on the Carolina Hurricanes' open practices, which are free to the public and give fans the opportunity to see the guys practice up close and personal! Click here to read it!

Shorter Day Once a Week for Wake Schools Being Considered

The N&O published an article today summarizing the Wake County School Board's preliminary show of support Tuesday for releasing schools early once a week to give teachers more planning time. The proposal would allow ALL schools to dismiss an hour early one day a week, and elementary and middle schools would also add two more half-days a year. The board will take a final vote on this issue March 31, and the changes could be implemented in July. Read the full story here.

Of course, this could be an expensive problem for working parents whose children attend after school care. What do you think?

"Summer Days Gone By," by Tom Poland

Tom Poland, age 8

I'm posting a column written by a professional writer based in Columbia, S.C., who also happens to be my dad. His "Across the Savannah" column appears regularly in his hometown newspaper, "The Lincoln Journal," the newspaper for Lincolnton, Ga. This particular column caught my eye because, like my dad, I spent every waking hour playing outdoors during summer vacation. Whether in my grandparents Athens, Ga., creek swimming or catching minnows with a strainer and bits of bread, climbing the magnolia tree behind my greatgrandparents home, or spending hours at the pool with my dad and sister, I was brown as a berry by summer's end and stocked with a fresh supply of summer memories to carry me through the school year.

My kids attend year-round school here in Wake County, and I often wish they could have a long summer break filled with carefree, schedule-free outdoor fun like my sister and I did. We fortunately have a small creek behind our house that the kids have made my husband and me promise never to move away from, and we spend a great deal of our track-out time visiting family so our kids can experience the outdoors we grew up loving. As a matter of fact, our kids have all climbed the same magnolia tree I used to climb, and have visited the creek I used to enjoy. The only difference is their feet aren't worn enough to scurry down the creek path barefoot from my grandparents' house, like mine used to be. And you know, that's really too bad.

So here is "Summer Days Gone By" by Tom Poland. I hope you enjoy it.

Across The Savannah
Summer Days Gone By
By Tom Poland

With winter’s end near, some nostalgia might get us through the last few cold days. Was there a more exhilarating high than school’s last day? Stepping off the school grounds for the last time, you felt weightless. The trees seemed greener, the air fresher, and the sunshine more liberating than ever. You faced a summer of freedom, sunshine, and adventure.

Back then, we didn’t have malls, fun parks, and electronic games galore. We were left to our own devices. When I wasn’t reading The Hardy Boys and Reader’s Digest, the summer break meant green, leafy days exploring the woods behind home. Sure there were trips and vacations to look forward to but the long summer days with time to burn were the best. Every day was a Saturday and every day was an adventure.

Back then, a boy’s best friends were his bicycle, BB gun, and slingshot, and I was no exception. So armed, I could conquer most anything, especially a Campbell’s tomato soup can. Hearing a BB ding against a can was music to my ears and popping a Coke bottle? Well, that was big game, though that broken glass was not good.

Armed with packs of copper-clad BBs, my Daisy, and a pouch of gravel for my slingshot, I roamed the woods. The ultimate quarry were the red-and-white fish bobbers hung in trees along the banks of the old manganese mine pond on the property. I’d try my luck fishing, too. Some of my best moments as a boy took place with an old Zebco reel and a fiberglass rod in my hands.

I spent a lot of time alone as a boy, but I don’t recall being bored. There was always plenty to do. Making a fort from saplings and boughs provided a base camp from which I’d wander into deeper woods. Quietly exploring the banks of the old manganese mine pond provided glimpses of Wood Ducks and Great Blue Herons, and shiny, slithering snakes. I explored with caution.

There were days when my explorations turned up finds worthy of the Discovery Channel. One day I stumbled across a strange box with wires and gizmos unlike anything I’d seen. A crashed UFO? No. Turns out it was the business end of a weather balloon, fallen from the heavens. On another occasion I came across the crumbling remnants of an old still. Whether it had been abandoned or raided, I never knew.
Some days I found real treasure: arrowheads. Even as a boy, I could grasp the fact that the last hand touching these chiseled, symmetrical stones belonged to the true Native American. Pottery shards, too. I was reaching back in time and walking in Cherokee and Creek Indian’s footsteps. About lightning bug time, I’d ease back home, clutching a newfound arrowhead like it was a $100 bill.

Watching fireflies at dusk never proved less than enchanting, and catching them and putting them in a mayonnaise jar was not some myth dreamed up by a writer. Handling lightning bugs gave my hands a strange musty, though not unpleasant, smell.

Insects played a big role in my summer entertainment. During those sun-splashed days, I’d catch June bugs and tie sewing thread to their legs and let them buzz around my head, like some airliner waiting its turn to land. Down on Granddad Poland’s farm, I’d search for wasp nests to knock down. One careless moment, and a red wasp would nail me good. For a small boy in Lincoln County, that kind of danger provided a thrill akin to hunting Cape Buffalo in Africa.

Up near Pistol Creek at Granddad Walker’s place, my cousins and I would cut bamboo and fashion peashooters from bamboo sections. We were never bored and nothing we did required batteries. Heck, if it had, we’d been out of luck. Money was short but the best thing about summers back then was the fact that you didn’t need the green stuff.

Looking back, I guess I’m lucky to be alive and have both eyes. Today’s kids have to wear all kinds of safety gear. Riding a bike means you need one of those helmets that makes you like those magpies, Heckle and Jekyll. Shooting a BB gun means protective goggles, making you look like the creature from the Black Lagoon, and catching lightning bugs and June bugs probably requires an environmental permit, as would damming creeks.

What danger I was in. I was lucky to survive those golden summer days, but I was even luckier for another reason. The summers between the first grade and the ninth grade were some of the best days of my life. The grueling two-a-day football practices had yet to arrive, and I’d never heard of a place called Vietnam. I was green and innocent.

Had I been able to look forward into time, I’d seen the sad day coming when I no longer had time for the woods of my youth. Nor, it seems, would many of today’s boys. The modern brand of boy prefers to watch TV and play high-tech games. How many boys today, I wonder, can make slingshots from an old inner tube, a shoe tongue, and a forked Dogwood limb? Not many I’d wager. Maybe woods and slingshots are considered toxic in these sterile times when people are all agog about eliminating risks from life.

Not long ago, the wooded days of my youth returned by proxy. I was thrilled to see my grandsons playing in the creek and trees behind their home. They even had a small cave to explore though going into it is off limits, their dad’s wise rule.

No, we didn’t have Gameboys, Nintendos, and a summer beset with planned activities when I grew up in Lincoln County. We did have Zebcos, BB guns, slingshots, woods, fishponds, and creeks. We had to find our own entertainment as best we could, and looking back, I’m convinced we’re better off for it. We were connected to the land and nature in ways most kids today are not.


Email Tom with feedback and ideas for new columns.

TRACKers cover this year's WCPSS School Board Reelections and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Check out the latest from our TRACKers here and here.

Triangle TRACKS Covers New Dora Doll and "Raggs" TV Show

Check out our latest blogs on toy trends. We focus on the new Dora doll here and "Raggs TV" here. We've also discovered the official Star Wars blog.

Should Sex Ed Classes Change for 7th and 8th Graders in North Carolina Public Schools?

On March 11, 2009, the News & Observer reported on a House committee proposal that would enable schools to let parents of 7th and 8th graders choose between letting their children take a comprehensive sex education course, or attending classes that focus on abstinence. The bill still has to travel through another House committee before it goes to a full House vote, then, if it passes in the House, it will go to the Senate.

In 1995, the NC legislature passed a law requiring a focus on abstinence until marriage in NC schools, but the classes also covered information on the effectiveness and failure rates of various forms of birth control. Read the full story here. You can read Wake County's Healthful Living Education policy here. What do you think? Should the policy change to encompass both choices or should the government stay out of this issue? Take our poll on the Triangle TRACKS home page to weigh in.

TrendTRACKer: Bella Sara Releases New Series

Our Trend TRACKer, Janel Bunten, reports on the new series of Bella Sara cards at this link. This card series inspires imagination for little girls and the price is right. Check it out!

Students Can Submit Questions for STS-119 Astronauts

From NASA for Students' Website:

Channel One News is thrilled to offer students the opportunity to pose questions to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during their upcoming mission, STS-119.

There are two ways to have the chance to get your question answered: submit a text-only question or send us a video of your question to play on the show. The questions are due to be answered on the show during the mission which is set to launch on March 11th.

Just go to http://www.channelone.com/news/space-station-q-a to submit a text or video question!

Track 1 Families: Here are 24 Fun Things to do During the Next 3 Weeks!

1. Lemony Snicket Comes to Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, March 9.

2. Consignment sales!
Upsale Resale Spring/Summer Consignment Sale, March 13-14.
Just for Kids Consignment Sale, March 15-20.
Carolina Kids Consignment Spring/Summer Sale, March 16-23.
Kids Everywear Consignment Sale, March 24-27.
Triangle Mothers of Twins and Triplets Spring/Summer Clothing & Equipment Sale, March 28.

3. Raleigh Little Theatre Presents "Wiley and the Hairy Man", March 13.

4. N.C. Museum of Art Presents Family Fun Saturday: From the Eiffel Tower to Ireland, March 14.

5. Robot Rumble Event Spectacular at the Museum of Life and Science, March 14.

6. Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 14.

7. A World of Music from the North Carolina Symphony, March 14.

8. Marbles Kids Museum Year-Round Camp: Water World (for Track 1), March 16-20.

9. Attention Dancers: Be a part of the Carolina Hurricane's first ever Jr. Storm Squad! March 16

10. "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Durham Performing Arts, March 17-22

11. Trail Tales on the American Tobacco Trail: “Owly” by Mike Thaler, March 19.

12. Museum of Life and Science Presents "A Visit to Lilypad Pond", March 19, 26 and 28.

13. American Girl Fashion Show, March 21-22.

14. Marbles Kids Museum Presents Wild Water Weekend, March 21-22.

15. Easter Portraits with chicks! March 21

16. N.C. Museum of Art Presents Family Fun Saturday: Creative Birds, March 21.

17. Cary Ballet Company Spring Gala, March 21-22.

18. Free Family Day at the Nasher Museum, March 22.

19. Go to a movie. "Monsters vs. Aliens" IMAX® Film Opens at Marbles Kids Museum, March 27. Visit Movie TRACKS for more info.

20. The Sandbox Kids and Family Fun Band, March 28.

21. Spring Fling Egg Hunt at Womble Park in Holly Springs, March 28.

22. N.C. Museum of Art Presents a Children’s Performance: Sounds Crazy with Al Simmons; Drop-In Crafts Follow, March 28.

23. Town of Cary Annual Kite Festival, March 28.

24. Easter Egg Hunt at Holding Park in Wake Forest, March 28.

Local Cary Mom Uses Music to Heal Hospital Patients

Dawn Graff, a wonderful musician and good friend of mine who has two beautiful daughters and lives in Cary, has been involved with UNC Hospitals' Door to Door program for 5 years. She knows music can heal. Nevermind the fact that hundreds of articles support it. She has seen the proof herself.

UNC-CH's Daily Tar Heel recently reported on Dawn's many contributions to the Door to Door program--and to the lives of sick children and adults. She is quoted in the article as saying: “I have this great faith in the power of music and the arts. But to actually witness it with such a dramatic transformation was very moving.”

People like Dawn who take the time to help make a sick child's day a little brighter, make this world a little nicer. I couldn't be prouder to call her my friend. Thanks for all you are doing, Dawn!Read the full story here.

Attend the 2nd Annual Peak of Fashion Show March 13 in Downtown Apex and Help End Violence Against Girls and Women

This effort could help girls and women who are victims of abuse and/or assault. Please read this and attend if you would like to help the cause. Here is the press release with all of the details:

Six Apex businesses have joined forces to host the 2nd Annual Peak of Fashion Show March 13th at Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa at 106 W. Chatham Street in Apex. The event is free and kicks off with 6:30 p.m. cocktails before the fashion show starts at 7 p.m., which will highlight spring’s vibrant fashion trends, harmonious hair blends and fresh makeovers. Sponsors include Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa, Nativa, My Girlfriend’s Closet, Laura Kelly Designs & Licensing, Pure Expressions Photography and Anne Clay Photography.

But this is much more than a fashion show. It also honors V-Day 2009, a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play, “The Vagina Monologues,” and other artistic works. Fantastic door prizes will be offered and donations for V-Day will be accepted.

The funds raised will be used by the Apex Police Department to build a safe house and comfortable retreat for local women who have been abused or assaulted. Currently, the Apex Police Department does not have a private safe house. Since the Apex police station is undergoing remodeling, owners of businesses hosting the Peak of Fashion Show feel this is the perfect time to raise funds for the construction of this room.

Cheri Kinney, owner of Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa, is excited about this year’s show and encourages anyone planning to attend to bring all of their friends. A DJ will be there, and tents and heaters will be on hand in case of bad weather. “As part of this fashion show, we’re proud to support V-Day 2009. We had a great show last year, with over 150 attending,” Kinney says. “We look forward to a huge crowd again this year so people can see what’s going to be hot in fashion, hair and makeup. We’re very excited to help further the Vagina Monologue’s cause and encourage others to do the same.”

Learn more about V-Day at http://events.vday.org/2009/Community/Apex_(TVM).

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Learn more about the sponsors of the 2nd Annual Peak of Fashion Show at these links:
Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa: www.hairbodyandsolespa.com
Nativa: www.nativaboutiquepr.com
My Girlfriend’s Closet: www.mgcboutique.com
Laura Kelly Designs & Licensing: www.shoplaurakelly.com
Pure Expressions Photography: www.pureexpressionsphotography.com
Anne Clay Photography: www.anneclay.com

Erik Cole is Back! Popular Carolina Hurricanes Player Returns to the Triangle

I don't normally blog about sports, but I couldn't resist the chance to post my family's excitment about the return of a very popular Carolina Hurricanes player so many local kids loved: ERIK COLE. That's right, he's back! The News & Observer reported the following in today's paper:

In a deal that took some by surprise Wednesday, the Canes used a three-way trade involving the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings to obtain Cole. In exchange, Carolina dealt away oft-injured forward Justin Williams, another fan favorite who has been sidelined 33 games this season with a torn Achilles tendon and more recently a broken hand.

I met Erik in June 2006 after the Stanley Cup win when the magazine I was editor for at the time, Wake Living, featured Erik in an article written by our very own Sports TRACKer, Kurt Dusterberg. I even got to hold on to his hockey sticks during the photo shoot (see below photo). I also met his lovely wife, Emily, when I interviewed her and some of the other Hurricanes' wives for an article in the following issue of Wake Living. They are both warm, wonderful people and I'm certain our community will welcome them back with open arms.

Read more from the N&O here.

Above: Stu Weiss (CEO of Weiss & Hughes Publishing), Erik Cole and me!
Below: Me holding Erik's famous hockey sticks.
Photos taken by Gregory Georges.

Triangle TRACKS Snowman Photo Contest

We've received several adorable photos of snowmen and other snow creations our members' kids built. Therefore, we've decided to hold a Snowman Photo Contest!

Submit photos of your snow creation to epshugg@triangletracks.com for a chance to win a family pass to the Museum of Life and Science, offering admission for up to 5 family members. We'll set up a slideshow and voting system for all Triangle TRACKS members to participate in after we've received the entries. We can't wait to see the snow creations you and your kids made during this rare March snow day!