Home Care In Carrboro, NC

These days, if you see a spread of cheeses you know you’ve found a party.

Building on the momentum of all things cheese, a Carrboro Cheese counter is set to expand with its first full restaurant.

The Cheese Shop, one of the Triangle’s top cheese evangelists, will open a new 1,800-square-foot restaurant next year in Carrboro.

Currently, The Cheese Shop exists as an 80-square-foot counter inside the Carrboro wine bar Glasshalfull.

Owned by married couple Steve and Michelle Webb, the new Cheese Shop space will be built in the Carolina Car Wash building at 100B Brewer Lane in Carrboro, near Chapel Hill. The space also includes Belltree Cocktail Club.

“We are especially excited about this location inside the Carolina Car Wash Building, which puts us in a part of Carrboro with a very rich history,” Michelle Webb said in a release. “Most importantly, it puts us squarely next to one our strongest partners and supporters — Belltree Cocktail Club — where we intend to continue fostering one-of-a-kind events and opportunities for cheese-lovers.”

Originally from Great Britain, Stevie Webb moved to the United States in 2006 and has a background training as a cheesemonger at Brooklyn’s Greene Grape and as a chef at Leiths School of Food & Wine in London.

In general, cheese is having a bit of a moment, with lavish spreads of bloomy, funky, gooey, sharp and salty cheese varieties beamed across social media by people who appear to be dining like royalty.

Opened as a pop-up in 2022, The Cheese Shop has stepped into that excitement and delivered cheese experiences with perspective. The Webbs started the brand selling cheese at the Pluck Farm Farmer’s Market and created a cheese-based supper series. Now you can find curated Cheese Shop packs at a half dozen Orange County breweries and wine bars.

“Opening our first standalone location is a dream realized for us,” said Stevie Webb, co-founder and head cheesemonger in a release. “It’s not just about expanding our business; it’s about creating a haven for cheese lovers where people can explore, savor, and celebrate the rich world of artisanal cheeses.”

The new restaurant will feature a massive cheese counter where wheels and blocks can be sampled and cut to order. The menu will include rare and odd cheeses, worldwide favorites and local standouts, plus sandwiches, soups and snacks. The space will also feature a 15-seat cheese bar for tastings and special meals.

The owners say to expect the new and expanded Cheese Shop to open summer 2024 and that the Glasshalfull residency will continue indefinitely, at least until next fall.

This story was originally published November 1, 2023, 9:58 AM.

CARRBORO, N.C. (WNCN) — By one vote, the Carrboro Town Council passed a resolution Tuesday night calling for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and Gaza.

The resolution was passed by a vote of 4-3, with Mayor Damon Seils and Council Members Sammy Slade (who proposed the resolution), Danny Nowell and Eliazar Posada in favor. Mayor Pro Tem Susan Romaine and Council Members Barbara Foushee and Randee Haven-O’Donnell opposed.

The Raleigh News and Observer reports that the town is the first municipality in North Carolina to call for a cease-fire. The vote came after nearly an hour of public comment and over half an hour of discussion among town council members.

Much like the council, members of the public spoke out on both sides.

Kathy Kaufman, who has immediate family in Israel, said calling for a cease-fire sent Israel a couple of messages.

“You’re telling Israel two things: You’re telling Israel not to go in and defeat Hamas but to leave Hamas in place, and you’re telling Israel that you don’t care about the 240 hostages that they do very much care about,” Kaufman said.

A.T., a member of the Jewish community who was born in a former Soviet state, had a different view.

“The State of Israel does not make me or my Jewish community any safer. The indiscriminate killing of over 11,000 Palestinian people by that state, including thousands of children, does not make any Jewish people anywhere safer,” A.T. said.

A.T.’s sentiment was shared by Mayor Seils.

“It is, in my opinion, necessary to have a cease-fire in order to save lives, but also in order to address what we know is a growing tide of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in our own communities here at home, which is only enflamed by continuing violence,” the Carrboro mayor said.

All three women on the council voted against the measure, voicing the feeling that passing it as a council was more divisive than unifying.

“At a time when the emotions feel so raw, when feelings are so conflicted, and when the history of this region is so complicated, I don’t believe we should be considering this resolution,” Mayor Pro Tem Romaine said. “It does not feel possible to speak with one voice right now as a council … I worry that a resolution would further divide us and make some of our community members not feel welcome here.”

Arche McAdoo, the finance director for the Town of Carrboro, announced his retirement on Nov. 6 after 13 years working with the Town.

Throughout his career, McAdoo has worked in public and nonprofit agencies. He has held several senior-level financial management positions, including at the Baltimore City Solicitor’s Office and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center at Research Triangle Park.

He said the role of a financial officer has evolved throughout the course of his professional career.

“I think initially when I started in my career, the role of the finance officer was strictly debt, limited to all the financial transactions and things," McAdoo said. "Over the years, as the markets changed, and as they changed the management, the finance officers evolved into more strategic planning, policy elements and impact, in addition to all the other financial aspects."

McAdoo, an Orange County native, also received a master’s degree in business administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC.

He said one of his proudest accomplishments was expanding Carrboro’s enterprise resource program so more people could access it by creating a comprehensive online approval system. He was also a part of the initial implementation of North Carolina’s Community Development Block Grant Program for non-entitlement cities.

Randee Haven-O’Donnell, a member of the Carrboro Town Council and one of McAdoo’s longtime co-workers, said that because Carrboro does not have the commerce and tax base that their regional partners do, having a fiscally-wise and professional expert is critical.

“He is exceptional at understanding the fiscal challenge and how to build resiliency and creative opportunities for the use of general funds within the Town,” Haven-O'Donnell said.

Haven-O'Donnell said he provided a steady, assured hand during the most trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown amid economic uncertainty.

“The reason Carrboro stands on two legs is because of the finances,” Haven-O'Donnell said.

They also said McAdoo was key in planning and outlining the finances with Orange County on the collaborative 203 Project.

The 203 Project is located on Greensboro Street in Carrboro on a municipal parking lot near the center of the town, and is set to open in June 2024. The project will create a three-story facility containing a library and several Town governing entities.

“When you think of the importance of a library to a community, we live in a time when people are narrowing the scope of a library and Carrboro is building a library," Haven-O’Donnell said. "That makes quite a statement about the value of public education and the commitment of Carrboro to provide free public access to not only library materials, but computers and a teen center and a skill center.”

Damon Seils, the mayor of Carrboro, said McAdoo’s legacy of conservative budgeting has served Carrboro well and helped the Town achieve its goals.

"Arche’s approach to budgeting has helped new and experienced council members understand how to do Town budgeting — he knew how to explain things to those of us who are not finance experts in a way that we could understand,” he said.

With McAdoo as financial director, the Town’s Annual Budget Report and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report has been recognized with awards of excellence from the Government Finance Officers Association.

“He's leaving big shoes to fill, but he has definitely earned his retirement," Seils said. "I think it's safe to say that he stayed because we liked him so much, and we kept talking him into staying for so long. I'm really happy that he's finally gonna get some time to relax and enjoy retirement."

McAdoo said that, in his retirement, he is most excited about having free time for himself.

“I guess to have time to do some things for myself that I want to do, that by working full-time you just don’t have enough energy nor time to do some of those things, such as travel,” he said.

CARRBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two lockdowns at UNC Chapel Hill within the first few weeks of the semester have impacted a high school not far from the university.

On Wednesday, August 28, armed officers were seen swarming the campus in search of a graduate student later charged with murdering his adviser.

A few weeks later, on September 13, there was a gun scare inside the student union.

Both situations triggered a lockdown at Carrboro High School just three miles up the road. Shania Stockmans, a junior at the school was in ceramics class.

"The announcements came on and Dr. Thomas said we are going into secure mode," said Stockmans. "I was feeling just a little bit nervous. They didn't release if they were looking for someone or how close the person was to the school."

One month later those thoughts remain. Mental health specialist Dr. Ashley Freuler said the incident led to many needing extra support.

"Post lockdown we did see a number of students who needed to process what had happened. A lot of them had parents working at UNC or family friends at UNC," said Freuler.

She told ABC11 that school lockdowns can cause and even trigger PTSD. That's why she and other staffers work to equip students with ways to build resilience like in small groups.

"Any time after we experience something like that we put out something to the teachers so they can facilitate conversations around processing what happened," she said.

School district leaders admit while it has been a rocky start to the school year there have been lessons learned from the two lockdowns. There's already a drill planned for this week.

"That alerts the teachers. That alerts the students that they need to ensure the door is locked and take cover. Lock the door and make sure they are out of sight. If someone was to walk by they shouldn't see anyone in the classroom," said Carrboro High School Principal Helena Thomas.

Students like Stockmans feel prepared should another incident trigger a campus shutdown in the future. Although, there's a sad reality she lives with.

"I don't know if you can always be 100 percent. Things are so unexpected," she said.

READ MORE

Carrboro voters will elect a new mayor and fill three open seats on the Carrboro Town Council in November. At least two Town Council members will be new. Early voting in the nonpartisan Nov. 7 election starts Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 4..

Expand All

Once considered the blue-collar alternative to Chapel Hill and its flagship university, Carrboro has long since come into its own, with a funky, creative vibe and a tolerant attitude that invites residents and visitors alike to “feel free.”

But beneath the surface are tensions, over the future of a greenway; taller buildings downtown; and town budgets that strain already high property taxes.

The town’s population is now more than 21,300 inside of 6.5 square miles, making it one of North Carolina’s most dense towns. Infill development is happening in many neighborhoods, further driving up housing prices to a median of over $500,000. Challenges range from stormwater and climate change to equity, and the future of just a handful of tracts suitable for large commercial development.

This year, the town will elect a new mayor — current Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee is running unopposed — and three council members.

The new council could fill Foushee’s vacant council seat next year. She will replace Damon Seils, who ends his first term as mayor in December.

The only council incumbent running for re-election is Eliazar Posada, a community advocate and the state’s first out LGBTQ Latino official, who was elected in a 2022 special election. His opponents are accounting software consultant Catherine Fray, former bike shop owner Jason Merrill, business development professional April Mills, and IT systems analyst Stephanie Wade.

Carrboro voters can register through 5 p.m. Oct. 13 to vote in this year’s elections, or register during early voting, which runs Oct. 19-Nov. 4. Voters can cast a ballot at any Early Voting site.

People voting on Election Day — Tuesday, Nov. 7 — can only vote in their precinct. Orange County voters can find their polling location at tinyurl.com/4p3tvhhe.

The deadline for most voters to request an absentee, or mail-in, ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 31. However, active members of the military, their spouse and dependents, and U.S. citizens who are overseas have until 5 p.m. Nov. 6.

Request a ballot online or submit a request via mail at PO Box 220, Hillsborough, NC 27278, or in person at the Orange County elections office, 208 S. Cameron St., Hillsborough.

More information about the 2023 election can be found online at orangecountync.gov/1720/Elections.

The News & Observer asked the mayoral and council candidates five questions about the town’s priorities and their ideas. Follow the links below to see how each candidate responded.

? Barbara Foushee