Hi all,

I have started my new job at The Augusta Chronicle in Georgia as a general assignment reporter. So far, so good.

I plan to revamp this blog in the next month or so with a slightly different focus (more on me, journalism and my work).

If you want to reach me, leave a comment or e-mail me at ezureick@gmail.com.

Thanks!

This week I am going with the sentimental yet witty song by country artist Brad Paisley. It’s called, “Welcome to the Future.” Enjoy!

The Lee County Board of Education decided Tuesday to continue to bank with BB&T, which is based in Winston-Salem. The finance and personnel committee made the recommendation after meeting last month.

The bank will renew the contract with no changes for the coming year.

The Lee County Board of Education posted this morning its agenda for tonight’s 6 p.m. meeting at the Lee County Government Center. There are several items of interest.

• Superintendent Jeff Moss will give an update about the district’s allocation of state money, as well as talk about a planned partnership with Progress Energy to apply for an energy-savings grant.
• Some items on the consent agenda include a contract for Hite Associates for the design plans of renovations and construction at Lee County High School. That contract would have to gain further approval from the Lee County Board of Commissioners. It would compensate the firm 7 percent of the cost of renovations and $600,000 for the new classroom building.
• An agreement with Paxton/Patterson to expand the school district’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program to all three middle schools.

OK, so I know most of you probably will roll your eyes, but I think this new Miley Cyrus song, “Party in the USA” is very catchy. So at least try it out.

The Lee and Chatham county Girl Scouts troops will be recruiting new members with events planned for this month.

Chatham’s event is planned for Sept. 12 from noon to 5 p.m. at Shakori Hills. Girls and their parents are invited to come make a recycle-themed craft and sign up to join a local Girl Scout troop.  The activity is free for the general public. You can visit here for more information.

Girls and adults in Lee County can stop by the main branch of Lee County Library on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Jenny Barrow, membership coordinator for the counties, at jbarrow@nccoastalpines.org.

The Lee County Board of Education’s high school curriculum and instruction committee will hold its first meeting of the year at 3:30 p.m. today at Lee County High School in the culinary arts room.

The committee is slated to discuss:

• The Boys & Girls Club of Lee County/Sanford. Director Bo Hedrick will give a presentation
• Instructional Update
• Beginning of the year update from high school principals
• Class size update

With the summer season winding down, here is a good beach song to put you in the mood for Labor Day: The Zac Brown Band’s newest song, “Toes.”

Chatham County Schools has implemented several administrative changes as the new school year opened this week.

There are five schools with new principals in the 2009-10 school year:

• Bonlee School – Daniel Haithcox moved from principal of SAGE Academy to Bonlee.
• Chatham Middle – Tracy Fowler moved from principal of Bonlee to Chatham Middle.
• Perry Harrison – Janice Frazier moved from principal of Silk Hope to Harrison.
• SAGE Academy – Kim Taylor moved from assistant principal at Virginia Cross                 Elementary to SAGE.
• Silk Hope – Chad Morgan moved from assistant principal to principal at Silk Hope.

Chatham County Schools is soliciting input for help naming its new middle school in the northeast corner of the county. Ideas will be accepted until Oct. 1.

The following criteria should be used for suggestions:

• The name may be that of an educational or community leader of prominence; priority will be given to the names of educational or community leaders who have directly or indirectly helped students in this school attendance zone to succeed;
• The name may specify the geographic locality or description of the school.
• The school, which the district plans to open in the fall of 2010, will be located off Andrews Store Road in northeastern Chatham County.

Applications can be sent to one of these three places:

• Chatham County Schools, P.O. Box 128, Pittsboro, NC  27312, c/o Beth McCullough, Public Information Officer
• North Chatham School, 3380 Lystra Church Rd., Chapel Hill, NC  27527, c/o Wendy Phillips
• Perry Harrison School, 2655 Hamlet Chapel Rd., Pittsboro, NC  27312, c/o Kim Harris