5/21/2007 -- Teaching Honors

Recently I was at Cary High School interviewing English and Creative Writing teachers for an award we sponsor through the Cary Chamber of Commerce honoring a teacher of excellence.

This is our fourth year sponsoring a Teacher of the Year Award and it's always so delightful to meet the people who are helping to shape future generations and our country's future leaders.

The great thing about this award is that the teachers are nominated by their peers and administration. All were worthy of recognition and during their interviews, spoke highly of each other. That is a great testimony to Cary High School and the Wake County Public School System.

On May 14, we presented the award to Anne Dailey at a ceremony at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. We admire her attitude towards giving every student a chance to start anew every day and seizing every moment to be a positive influence in their life.

Special recognition goes to teachers Stephanie Jessee, Susan Silver and Katy Wilson who were also nominated for the award and are excellent teachers as well.

Before the school year ends, take a moment to thank a special teacher in your life.

4/5/2007 -- Easter Bunnies

I remember getting a pet rabbit for Easter one year as a child and was a little dismayed to discover how much work and special care they required. We loved our rabbit, but I don't think they are for everyone.

Because area rescue groups and the SPCA of Wake County often see pet rabbits relinquished to them shortly after Easter due to the same dismay, they have started a national campaign called Make Mine Chocolate.

Instead of a real pet rabbit, consider surprising your child or loved one with a chocolate (or plush) bunny this Easter. This makes good sense to me. For more information on this campaign and how to receive a signature pin, a brown bunny and blue ribbon, visit www.makeminechocolate.org.

For more chocolate this Easter, enjoy a good egg hunt at Cary's Fred G. Bond Metro Park on April 6 for the 16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

The morning hunt begins at 10 a.m., followed by a second one at 1:30 p.m. More than 20,000 plastic eggs and nearly 1,000 pounds of candy are expected to be scooped up by children ages 10 and younger during the free egg hunts. Other featured attractions include the Easter bunny, a live magic and comedy show, along with food vendors and exhilarating rides.

Have a wonderful spring holiday!

3/30/2007 -- Take Me out to the Ball Game

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack while I root, root, root for the home team. It's time to root for the Maggy Award-winning Durham Bulls this baseball season only a week away.

Caryites can now get to the game a little easier with a free shuttle ride to the ballpark from the Cary Train Station on the TTA GoBulls Shuttle. The shuttle runs for all home games on Friday and Saturday nights, beginning April 7. 

Get there early because capacity is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis and leaves the Cary train station 45 minutes before game time and returns 10 minutes after the game or after the fireworks.

See you in the baseball stands rooting for the home team! For more information, visit www.ridetta.org.

3/26/2007 -- Full Speed Ahead

In case you didn't know already, the Triangle is growing. If the new neighborhoods, new roads, new schools and increasing traffic didn't tip you off, then take a look at how Wake County is making headlines at CNNMoney.com as one of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States.

According to the Census Bureau, our area is experiencing more boom than most areas in the nation. In fact, we added 35,657 residents from July 2005 to July 2006. Five counties in Texas, two in California, one in Arizona and one in Nevada were also listed on the top 10 list.

As our population continues to expand, so will the Triangle's resume —  adding to our recognitions as one of Money Magazine's best places to live, best places to retire, low crime rate, seasonably warm weather and the strong job market.

Who wouldn't love to live here?

3/2/2007 -- Bridal Bliss

Yesterday was the big day. Our inaugural Elegant Weddings Gala drew more than 250 brides, grooms and their friends and family to Prestonwood Country Club last night for the big event. Everyone came with smiles on their faces ready to celebrate their wedding plans and enjoy the evening.

Inside the ballroom, attendees were greeted by spectacular floral displays, breathtaking bridal couture by Alexia's Bridal Boutique and great live music. Brides- and grooms-to-be explored our themed quadrants - Traditional, Modern, Coastal and Southern - which highlighted unique wedding ideas, while they enjoyed cocktails and a lavish hors d'oeuvre buffet and a dessert bar.

I was pleased to see their satisfaction, knowing that we helped transform what can typically be a very stressful planning process into a fun-filled evening focused on providing couples with the best wedding services in town.

Attendees and vendors alike were full of praise. As folks left for the evening, they took the time to tell us what a wonderful time they had and how grateful they were for the experience. The feedback  was priceless!

There's great satisfaction in seeing months of hard work pay off. Special thanks to all the vendors and businesses that made the event such a huge success. Kudos to everyone at Cary Magazine who worked tirelessly to make sure the event was flawless.

Be sure to visit http://www.carymagazineweddings.com/ throughout the year for more details on our next weddings gala!

Photos by Brian Mullins