Cary, NC – Lots happening this weekend in Cary with multiple art openings and receptions on Friday, July 30, 2010.

Professional Art Quilters Alliance

Page Walker Art & History Center
6-8 pm

The Professional Art Quilters Alliance/South (PAQA) will debut a show entitled “No Fear” at the Page Walker Arts and Culture Center on Friday, 7/30/2010 from 6-8 pm.

PAQA is a group of professional artists from across the southeastern United States who come together to promote innovative art quilts, art cloth, and art garments.

Jordan Hall Arts Center, 908 N Harrison St

Scott Mais
Medium: Photography
Reception: 6-8 p.m.

Cary Senior Center

Student, Teacher & Staff Show
Medium: Mixed
3-6 p.m.

All participants in this exhibition are students, teachers or staff from the Cary Senior Center.

Herbert Young Community Center

Jennifer Weinberg: In My Backyard: NC Landscapes
Medium: Photography
Artist reception 6-8 p.m.

Jennifer Weinberg Graver has been studying North Carolina landscapes since 2005.

Town Hall Main Gallery

David Kevin Bass: Color Fusion
Medium: Acrylic Painting
Reception: 6-8 p.m.

This body of work is described as bold, filled with brilliant color and comprised of abstract organic shapes.

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Top Left: “Purple Passion” by Rosile Baker. Top right: “A La Orange” by Beth Gilbert.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Cary Courtyard by Marriott and Cary Residence Inn by Marriott.

Booth Amphitheatre and the Town of Cary announce Shakespeare plays for August 26-28

Cary, NC- That’s right! We will have our own experience of “Shakespeare in the Park” right here at Koka Booth Amphitheatre this summer running the same weekend as Lazy Daze (Aug 26-28). Local actors and technical staff have already been chosen for Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and “What You Will”.

“It was always a part of the amphitheatre’s original design to host other types of performing events,” says Lyman Collins, Town of Cary Cultural Arts Manager. “The decision to present Shakespeare actually fulfills one of the venue’s original goals which was to include theatrical elements as well as concerts and festivals.”

The Amphitheatre got its start as the summer home of the NC Symphony and each year its offerings have expanded. The Triangle area has come to expect great nationally recognized musical acts, but also wonderful cultural festivals like Diwali. The Shakespeare plays will hopefully be the first of many theater performances to grace its stage.

The date for this event was carefully chosen to complement Cary’s biggest annual event: Lazy Daze. The Town will be offering packages with hotel stays and tickets so that people from out of town can take advantage of both events that weekend.

For complete event information go to www.boothamphitheatre.com or call (919) 462-2025.

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Cary, NC – Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is warning consumers about the latest ‘phishing’ scams that are making the rounds on Facebook.

“Phishing scams are designed to lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims, and can lead to identity theft,” said Beverly Baskin, President and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina.  “By targeting Facebook users with phishing attempts, scammers can reach a large group with the potential to steal information from more than 500 million users on one site.”

BBB is warning about two types of scams that have emerged on Facebook, which use familiar brand names to steal your personal information.

Free Gift Card!!

One message appearing on Facebook claims that users can receive a free gift card for clicking on a special link. Consumers are instructed to click on the button labeled “LIKE” to get the free gift card from Subway.  BBB has verified with Subway that this is a scam and it is not affiliated with any Subway promotion.

More recently, consumers have found this same site to offer a free Starbucks gift card to anyone who follows the same steps.

Once a user clicks on the special link included in the fake offer, they are taken to a site that asks for personal information including credit card numbers and other information that should not be provided to an unknown source.

OMG!! Did you hear …?

Some Facebook messages are using the name of familiar companies including Coca Cola and McDonald’s along with enticing headlines including:

• ‘I am part of the 98.0% of people that are NEVER gonna drink Coca Cola again after this HORRIFIC video’
• ‘OMG!! McDonald’s might soon shut down because of this! Warning: Your jaw will drop to the floor!’

Seen these? The often appear on a friend’s status update. It means your friend has been hacked.

Both of these headlines include links that take the user away from Facebook to another site. If you click on the links, you are told to take a survey that asks you for personal information.

Don’t be fooled.

Advise on Staying Safe Online

 Be especially wary of requests for your:

• Social Security number
• Bank Account info
• Credit Card numbers

My Rich Aunt

Most of this is common sense.

For example, a company in Russia continues to advise me that they have $324,518,671 left to me by a wealthy aunt and that they will eagerly deposit it in my account if I just give them my bank ID.

I have no rich aunts in Russia.

In Summary

In the case of the scams identified above, the BBB warns:

1. Sensational – Do not click on suspicious links online disguised as sensational information, even if the link comes from one of your Facebook friends.
2. Who’s Asking? – Do not give out personal information online unless you know with 100 percent certainty that the recipient is a secure, encrypted site and you know for what purpose the information will be used.

Fight Back

The digital revolution can empower communities, individuals and the economy in 21st century America. But we have to protect our assets.

If you think a link is phishy, tell your friends. You can also click on the ‘Report’ button or ‘Flag’ – both of which alert Facebook to suspected activity.

Fight back against cyber-criminals, be safe and continue to help build our online community in Cary.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Ashworth Drugs.

US Embassy in Iraq

Cary, NC- For the second year, Iraqi teens were sponsored by the American Embassy to visit the U.S.A. On July 6th, seven of the teens met up with four Cary Teen Council members and Director Cindi King.

This group of mostly juniors and seniors in high school visited Washington DC, then spent a week in North Carolina staying with host families. They went on trips to Wrightsville Beach, Kids Voting in Durham, The Boys and Girls Club in Wake Forest, and Stop Hunger Now where they packed food for some hands-on charity in action.

Next, they headed to a camp in Virginia and finished up with a trip to New York City.

How Was This Trip Arranged?

Leila Bekri, Program Director of the  International Affairs Council, located in Raleigh, coordinated this trip months in advance with the Embassy. Host families were screened and secured. Students had to have a mastery of English, in addition to displaying solid academics and leadership skills.

What Is The Goal Of The Exchange Program?

Ms. Bekri said their mission “is to promote civic education and leadership skills and to teach the importance of volunteerism and it’s impact” on society.  Peace building through understanding each others’ culture is also a goal.

The Extra Benefit

Leila went on to mention that a result of this exchange is to “break the stereotypes on both sides. In their short lives, these kids have seen a lot and it takes a lot of courage and confidence” to be able to come to the States for this program.

Getting Together With The Teen Council

Cindi King led them on a tour of our Town Hall and they loved the gardens at Page-Walker.  They also visited the Page-Walker Cultural Arts and History Center as well as the traffic control center in the Police Building on Town Hall Campus.

Cindi King said:

“The funny thing the coordinator and I laughed at was how they just meshed.  They talked and laughed as we walked around like they had known each other for a long time.  It was great!”

In fact at the end of the visit, the students were all exchanging their names so that they could “friend” each other on Facebook.

The program has proven to be very popular with Iraqi students and is planned again for next year.

LORD Corp, of Cary, is donating their Cessna Citation to airlift Special Olympic Athletes

Cary, NC – LORD Corporation, headquartered here in Cary, will transport Special Olympians as part of Cessna’s Citation Special Olympics Airlift.

The Airlift is coordinated by Cessna Aircraft Company, the world’s leading general aviation company based on unit sales. Participating Citations will transport athletes to the Special Olympics National Games, which will take place at the University of Nebraska Campus in Lincoln, NE on July 17 and 24.

Donating the use of their company-owned Cessna business jet, LORD Corporation is a proud participant in this year’s Games. LORD Corporation’s aircraft will transport up to eight athletes plus a coach or sponsor on each trip. LORD not only owns a Cessna, but is a key supplier of vibration, motion and noise control solutions to Cessna.

“We are proud to support this great cause,” said Joe Marotta, President, Americas Region, LORD Corporation. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to provide this experience for some for these athletes.”

The Airlift is an impressive effort, with a Citation touching down every 60 to 90 seconds over a 12-hour period. Trip times are expected to range 90 minutes to three hours. Transporting approximately 800 athletes to and from the Special Olympics National Games, more than 160 Citations will be flown out of the Lincoln Municipal (LNK) airport.  As their sixth Special Olympics National Games and the second to be held in the United States, Cessna encourages other Citation business jet owners to participate in this great cause.

For more information or to participate, visit www.airlift.cessna.com.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Chick-fil-A Waverly Place.

Kangaroo Express has announced a $200,000 donation to Victory Junction Camp – a summer camp founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their late son Adam, dedicated to providing life changing experiences for children dealing with chronic medical conditions.

The money was raised through an in-store promotion with partnership support from Coca-Cola, the North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers and the South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores.

“Thanks to Kangaroo Express and all our corporate partners, dozens of children will enjoy a wonderful summer camp experience in the company of others who are enduring the same frustrations.”  Victory Junction Camp, located in Randleman, N.C., has welcomed 13,000 children and families since opening in 2004. “The Victory Junction camping experience empowers children by giving them a sense of independence. Thanks to the generous donations and hard work of our sponsors, we are blessed to be able to help make a difference in these children’s lives,” said Kyle Petty.

Kangaroo Express Vice President of Operations Brad Williams commented, “Kangaroo Express is extremely proud to participate in programs and events that make such a huge difference in the communities we serve.”

The cost of sending a child for one week to Victory Junction Camp is $2,500.

Cary, NC – On Wednesday, June 30, people around the world will be celebrating the first ever Social Media Day. Cary’s in on the action with an informal Meet-up at Rallypoint.

#SMday is organized by Mashable, the bible of all things social media. If you’re into Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Tumbler or one of dozens of other social media platforms, come join us.

@Mashable invites you to celebrate Social Media Day on June 30: A day to celebrate the revolution of media becoming social.

Social Media Day Meetup

Wednesday June 30, 2010
8:00 PM
Rallypoint
1837 N Harrison Ave, Cary, NC‎

Meetup link

Facebook Event

Cary, NC – The local Knights of Columbus (Council 6650) will do their anuual Adopt a Highway trash pickup this Saturday, June 26th. They will meet in the early hours at the Burger King on Walnut Street and will provide bags, vests from the NC DOT and work gloves. 

The Knights

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal, service organization. Their guiding principles are Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. The Knights of Columbus members in North Carolina number more than 12,000.

Adopt a Highway

The Adopt-A-Highway Program (AAH) was established in 1988 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in response to growing public concern regarding litter along the state’s highways. The AAH Program is administered by the NCDOT Office of Beautification Programs, and is a joint effort between community volunteers and the NCDOT. Its purpose is to decrease the amount of litter on North Carolina’s roadsides and improve the beauty and quality of the environment.

Cary, NC – Mark your calendars for a fabulous wine tasting and some lively conversation at “What’s Up Downtown” sponsored by the Heart of Cary Association.

June 30, 2010
5:30-7:30 PM

Roma’s Pizza
203 N. Harrison
Downtown Cary

Cost: Free

Donna MacDougall, known around town as The Wineslinger, will be pouring the grape and explaining the nuances of flavor.  Michael Pelz-Sherman, one of the most talented keyboardists in town, will be caressing the ivories. Sources tell CaryCitizen that there may even be door prizes.

Of course, the Heart of Cary Association is all about promoting and revitalizing downtown. That’s where the lively conversation comes in. Come and add your voice to the discussion.

Drop Doc Thorne a note if you have any questions.

From 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, Cambria Suites at RDU Airport will be sponsoring a public charity event with Music4Hope.

The Music4Hope Foundation brings music into the lives of children and their families who are experiencing life threatening diseases, including cancer.

Our mission is to bring music into the lives of children and their families experiencing life threatening diseases, you have come to the right place. Our first charity project last year benefited the NC Children’s Promise which raised over $1,000,000.00.

If you are a musician, songwriter, area business owner, you are welcome to contribute in any way possible to make a difference for a child or family member in need. – Music4Hope website

Food & Drink

Free food and drinks will be available and all donations will go directly to Music4Hope, which supports Duke Children’s Hospital and UNC for children with cancer.

Music & Prizes

There will also be live music by Rush Street as well as several prizes given away by Cambria Suites, including a romance package, bed & breakfast package and a weekend night stay with a bottle of wine.