Showing posts in the “business” category
Samiha Khanna ·
15 Mar 2010, 10:49 AM ·
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In a follow-up to our cover March 10 cover story, “Gaga for Google’s fiber,” we’d like to update metrics of the involvement of the Triangle’s top three participants.
Durham’s still ahead in Facebook presence, with 2,180 fans on its “Bring Google Fiber to Durham N.C.,” page, while 935 people have signed up for “Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh!”. The western part of the Triangle is not far behind: the Facebook group “Bring Google Fiber to Chapel Hill & Carrboro N.C.” boasts 906 members.
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill, will hold a public forum at 7 p.m. today at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., to receive public comment regarding community interest in the fiber optic trial and how residents would use an ultra-high speed Internet network.
On Thursday, Durhamites hope to make a splash by corralling thousands of locals into the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 11 a.m. Thursday to spell out “We want Google” on the field, to pose for an aerial photograph. More here >>
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, Raleigh, Wake County, business, media, national, news Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Google, Google Fiber, Internet, Raleigh, Triangle
Samiha Khanna ·
5 Mar 2010, 1:52 PM ·
1 Comment
Folks, this is even bigger than the “We Want Oprah!” sign that used to occupy the windows of a converted motel on Corcoran Street downtown.
Durham wants Google. Specifically, Durham residents, businesses, elected leaders and creatives are hoping to lure Google Fiber, an project that Google is embarking on to bring broadband fiber and high-speed Internet access to one or more lucky cities in the U.S. Google has opened the application process to the entire country, and like many cities across the country have demonstrated in recent days, Durham wants in.
To demonstrate Durham’s engagement, a committee has organized an effort to spell the words “We want Google” on the field of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday, March 18, said Sam Poley, a spokesman on Durham’s application for Google Fiber. An aerial photographer will take photos of the display that day and submit them to Google when the application is due, March 26. Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, business, national, news City of Durham, DBAP, Durham Bulls, Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Google Fiber, Internet, technology
Samiha Khanna ·
23 Feb 2010, 4:13 PM ·
2 Comments
From Correspondent Rebekah Cowell, cross-posted from the Indy’s Scan blog:
In a packed Durham City Hall Committee Room early this morning, the Durham County Board of Adjustment voted unanimously in favor of issuing a special-use permit to The Broad Street Cafe.
For the past four years, Broad Street has operated as a nightclub in a district that is zoned so that such a special-use permit is necessary to host music after 10 p.m. Less than one year after the first noise complaint was filed by Clarendon Street neighbor Waldo Fenner, who was not present at this morning’s hearing, Broad Street officially received the green light on amping up their regional music bookings in a space that musicians and business owners says is vital to Durham’s art scene.
“Broad Street Cafe is important for more than just music,” says Melissa Thomas, founder of the Durham-based indie label 307 Knox Records. “It provides a great venue space for music, festivals and family events, as well as a place to eat for locals and visitors. This hearing just showed us today how much we all have built in Durham over the past five-plus years.”
Paul Brock, one of four Broad Street owners, says he’s relieved to finally get the permit. “I was very impressed with the board. They were gracious to us, and they asked very smart questions and got a feel for what we are doing,” explains Brock.
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, arts, business, music, news, politics 307 Knox Records, Broad Street Cafe, Durham, Durham planning department, music, noise ordinance
Joe Schwartz ·
4 Feb 2010, 1:06 PM ·
2 Comments
Gov. Bev Perdue was beaming when she signed the state’s ban on smoking in bars and restaurants into law in March, saying they’d tackled the “big enchilada” after restricting smoking on college campuses and in the legislature.
“This is really in no exaggeration of the word an absolutely historic day for this great state that was built initially on the backbone of tobacco,” Perdue said among a group of health advocates and lawmakers.
“My hat is off to the General Assembly. I have never been as proud of a body in my entire life.”
Her tone also was congratulatory today as she celebrated a $6.7 million expansion of a tobacco manufacturing company in Rockingham County that will create 35 jobs.
“North Carolina is a great location for international companies looking to expand,” she said in a press release. “Our top business climate and our tremendous workforce continues to be very attractive to growing companies.”
That’s the message. Welcome, thanks for your tax money and your jobs. Don’t even think about bringing your products to lunch with you, though.
Kentucky-based Commonwealth Brands Inc. already owns a tobacco plant in Reidsville where 224 people work, and this addition will allow them to manufacture a new line of cigarette tubes.
North Carolina, business, economy, politics Bev Perdue, Commonwealth Brands, job creation, Reidsville, Rockingham County, smoking ban, tobacco
Lisa Sorg ·
27 Jan 2010, 1:34 PM ·
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Ping Fu, Chapel Hill resident and co-founder of Geomagic, a technology company based in Research Triangle Park, will be a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at tonight’s State of the Union speech.
You can read the 23-member list here: [76kb, Word doc] firstladyguestlist
While Geomagic is a highly successful company—from 2000 to 2005, its annual revenue grew to $30 million— Fu’s personal story is even more remarkable. According to Inc. magazine, which named her 2005’s Entrepreneur of the Year,
“Ping attended no school at all between the ages of 7 and 18. Instead of San Francisco, Berkeley, and the Ivy League, she was educated through torture, exile, and imprisonment in her native China during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.”
According to NPR, which broadcast a profile of her in 2006, Fu, once a journalist, spent two years investigating rumors that China’s one-child policy was prompting couples to kill their baby girls. Fu’s student project got picked up by the People’s Daily. Embarrassed, party officials sentenced Fu to prison.
“I was preparing to die,” NPR quoted Fu as saying of that time, “and then I was given a chance to live.”
Read more about the company and Fu below.
Continue reading »
Chapel Hill, business, national, news Geomagic, Michelle Obama, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Ping Fu, Research Triangle Park, Tibbetts Award, U.S. Small Business Technology Council
Joe Schwartz ·
14 Jan 2010, 6:24 PM ·
1 Comment
Almost half of the Chapel Hill’s standing committees and advisory boards served taxpayer-funded food at events from November 2008 to November 2009, receipts show.
We wrote about the Town Council’s meeting munchies expenditures in this week’s Indy. Unlike the council, most of the town’s other food-eating groups only order grub a few times a year.
The Library Board of Trustees spent the most with $345.67 purchased.
Continue reading »
Chapel Hill, business, food, politics Bicyle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Board of Adjustment, Cemeteries Advisory Board, Chapel Hill, Community Design Commission, food expense, Greenways Commission, Historic District Commission, Housing Advisory Board, Human Services Advisory Board, Library Board of Trustees, Mayor's Youth for a Sustainable Future, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, Public Arts Commission, Stormwater Advisory Board, Sustainability Committee, town council
Joe Schwartz ·
11 Jan 2010, 4:26 PM ·
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The News & Observer announced plans to cut 21 jobs today, citing declines in advertising revenue.
“These reductions affect a number of areas of our operation. Some positions will be eliminated through layoffs, and some departments will have opportunities for employees in certain work groups of two or more to accept a voluntary severance package,” Publisher Orage Quarles III wrote in a company memo, a full copy of which can be found on Poynter.
You can find the N&O’s coverage here, and our previous coverage here.
Raleigh, business, economy, media layoffs, News and Observer, Orage Quarles III
Joe Schwartz ·
5 Jan 2010, 3:52 PM ·
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The phone calls from patrons, both long-time and new, come about every 20 minutes at Hookah Bliss these days, everyone wanting to know one thing — are you still open?
Yes, for now, owner Adam Bliss tells them.
The Franklin Street hookah haven is open as usual despite a new statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars that went into effect Sunday making it illegal to sell both food or alcohol and allow tobacco smoke in the same location.
Bliss, with his workers rallying by his side, is staging a nonviolent protest of the new law by staying open in spite of the rule. He knows he gets two warnings before the $200 per violation fines start coming. So far the health department hasn’t been by to visit. No warnings and no tickets.
Continue reading »
Chapel Hill, business, politics Adam Bliss, Hookah Bliss, Orange County Health Department, smoking ban
Joe Schwartz ·
14 Dec 2009, 4:49 PM ·
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An arts gallery will fill the vacant Kerr Drug space on the 100 block of Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, officials announced today.
The space will house a nonprofit group of 25 member artists dubbed Frank, with a lease agreement in place with building owner Michael Brader-Araje.
The artists hope to occupy the 3,400 square foot 109 E. Franklin Street building by early next year. The town along with the Downtown Partnership gave the green light on a $40,000 loan via its Small Art Business Loan Program to fund the project.
Barbara Rich will serve as the director of the gallery, which also plans to feature work from 50 regional and national artists.
The move had long been rumored, and is the latest effort to upgrade foott raffic and revitalize Franklin Street.
Chapel Hill, Orange County, arts, business Barbara Rich, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, Frank, Franklin Street, Michael Brader-Araje
Joe Schwartz ·
24 Oct 2009, 7:21 PM ·
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The historic Varsity Theatre will return to Franklin Street in November under new ownership and will feature $3 movies, a renovated lobby and a children’s party room. The business closed in June.
More information can be found at www.varsityonfranklin.com where the new owners promise a slate of recently released and classic movies, private screenings and lectures, corporate meeting and children’s birthday space.
Chapel Hill, Orange County, arts, business Franklin Street, Varsity Theatre
