Cary Spotlight | Issue #157

Good Friday Closures & UNC's AI Literacy Drive | NC's Betting Success & Cary's Tennis Courts Update

In this Cary Spotlight Issue…

💭Spotlight Hook Trivia

☀️ Cary NC Weather

📅 Lots Of Events This Week

📰 Town Hall and Facilities to Close for Good Friday; Essential Services Unaffected

📰 UNC Chapel Hill Introduces AI Literacy to English Curriculum

📰 NC Hits the Jackpot: $200 Million Bet in First Week of Legal Sports Wagering

🏆 Cary High School Sports: What’s Streaming This Week

📣 Real Talk: Town of Cary Responds To Cary Tennis Court Access Question

🎁 Social Offer: Cary Spotlight Merch Store Launch

😀 Viral Meme

🏛️ Support Cary Local Businesses

Dear Reader,

We look forward to sharing news, spotlights of businesses and events that make our vibrant community a great place to live, work and play. We need your help.

Do you know of an outstanding Flooring Company that you would like to introduce to the subscribers of Cary Spotlight?

Simply hit reply or have them contact me at [email protected].

We are currently opening four spots for Flooring Companies who can help people interested in the installation of carpet, tile, hardwood or epoxy flooring.

They don’t have to be expert in all types of flooring. They just need to be good at what they do to deserve your personal recommendation!

Chris Coetzer
Founder/Publisher
Cary Spotlight

P.S. Thank you for those of you who sent in your recommendations yesterday. It was very helpful.

Question: Who is the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic?

A) Amelia Earnhart B) Dale Earnhart C) Hedy Lamarr

(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

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Town Hall and Facilities to Close for Good Friday; Essential Services Unaffected

The Town of Cary has announced that it will be observing Good Friday on March 29 by closing most of its staffed facilities, including the mainstay Town Hall. This temporary closure, however, will not affect the town's curbside collection services, which are slated to proceed without any changes for the week of April 1-5.

The Citizen’s Convenience Center is an exception, as it will remain closed on the holiday. For those relying on public transportation, GoCary will maintain its fixed-route schedule, ensuring that mobility within the town is not hindered.

The Door-to-Door service will still be available, but only under the Tier I operation level, adjusting for the holiday schedule while aiming to meet the essential transportation needs of its residents.

UNC Chapel Hill Introduces AI Literacy to English Curriculum

Love to Learn | Instagram: @timmossholder

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational settings, specifically within its English department.

This initiative, termed "AI Literacy," seeks to equip students with the skills to effectively utilize AI in their academic endeavors, fostering an understanding of both its advantages and potential drawbacks.

Spearheaded by Professor Daniel Anderson and supported by teaching librarian Dayna Durbin, the program emphasizes critical thinking and ethical considerations in the use of AI for research and writing. The approach not only prepares students for the current digital landscape but also aims to keep them adaptable to future technological advancements in AI.

NC Hits the Jackpot: $200 Million Bet in First Week of Legal Sports Wagering

North Carolina's foray into legalized statewide sports wagering has kicked off to a strong start, with nearly $200 million in bets placed in the first week alone.

This surge in betting was likely driven by the excitement surrounding the college basketball season, particularly with the men’s Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament. 

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which now oversees sports betting operations, unveiled these figures, pointing to a robust initial engagement from the public. Notably, the state stands to benefit from substantial tax revenues generated from these activities.

This development is part of a broader legislative move to expand gambling in the state, which now includes the future potential for in-person wagering and live horse racing.

The successful launch parallels digital gambling advancements, demonstrated by the popularity of the lottery's new "digital instants" games, which have significantly exceeded sales projections and engaged a large player base. Read full story.

Town of Cary Responds To Cary Tennis Court Access Question

Note from Editor: Two weeks ago we broke from our usual Local Business Spotlight format to amplify this message from a local Cary resident and newsletter subscriber.  (Read Cary Spotlight #143 for original article and Cary Spotlight #150 for Readers Poll Results and Feedback)

We reached out to the Cary Parks Department for comment and here is what the Town of Cary 311 representative (Sean Ferreira) had to say on this matter. We published his statement without edits or additional comments.

“Thanks for your time yesterday. Per our discussion I wanted to send you information in writing about reserving tennis courts in Cary.

Currently individuals can reserve courts at the Cary Tennis park by either purchasing hours of court time (hourly passes) or purchasing an annual pass. Cary’s satellite courts, (Annie Jones, Dunham Park, McCrimmon Park, Goldbold Park & Middle Creek Park) are currently available for citizen walk up play. This walk-up play is balanced with other citizen programs such as youth and adult tennis leagues. This is not much different from how soccer fields, picnic shelters, sand volleyball courts, and gymnasiums are programmed in Cary.

Last summer Cary began offering online court reservations to individuals that had hourly and annual passes at the Cary Tennis Park. Our staff is currently working internally on the potential to expand online reservations to satellite tennis courts in the near future.

Thanks again for your time and let me know if you have any questions.”

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Cary Spotlight Merch Store Launch

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The origin of the name Cary Spotlight Maverick has its root in the term “100 Milestone Mavericks” or “Milestone Mavericks” which refers to a special group of subscribers that have read 100 editions of our daily newsletter.

Of course, I think of a Maverick as someone who sees things in a new way. They are open to questioning old ideas and working with others to achieve great things.

We currently have 1,098 Milestone Mavericks and we are so proud that this group is growing! Stick around we have more ideas for enhancing your experience and engagement with our community.

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Cary High School Sports: What’s Streaming This Week

The NFHS Network, offers live and on-demand streaming of high school sports across 27 different sports. Learn more and stream events.

You can save time and use our link to events for the next 7 days:

  1. Cary High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  2. Panther Creek High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  3. Green Level High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  4. Green Hope High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  5. Cary Academy (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  6. Anthens Drive High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

  7. Middle Creek High School (Upcoming Streaming Events)

Vote for your favorite local high school

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Upcoming Local Events

Looking ahead to events happening in Cary, NC for the rest of the week.

March 28th (Thursday)

March 29th (Friday)

The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇
A) Amelia Earhart Link to Bio

You can’t make a list of the most famous women in history without this legend! Growing up in Kansas, Amelia Earhart pushed against gender norms. She played basketball, took auto repair courses, and enrolled in college before leaving to pursue a career as an aviator. She earned her pilot’s license in 1921 and became not only the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic but also the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. During her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, Earhart disappeared somewhere over the Pacific. The wreckage was never found.