• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 📰 News: Hurricanes Return to Stanley Cup Final
• 📰 Scrollback: Most of Us Aren't Seeing More Snakes — But Those Who Are Have Stories to Tell
• 📰 Scrollback: Cary Readers See Room to Improve
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Start Your Day with a Smile
• ❤️ Some stories are worth revisiting: Thank You For Your Gift
• 📅 Events: Weekend Events Preview (Top Picks)

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Question: Kazumura Cave is the longest cave in which state?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

Event starts today. Looking for inspiration for your own garden — or just a beautiful weekend activity in Cary?

Marie Martin discusses the first-ever Cary Garden Tour featuring 13 stunning private gardens, gardening tips, raised beds, and community connection.

Catch the full conversation and discover how this event supports two meaningful local organizations. Where to get tickets, your map and more…

Start here: https://www.caryspotlight.com/p/cary-garden-tour

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Click the button below to feature your event and make it impossible to miss.

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Carolina advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with a decisive 6-1 victory over Montreal on Friday night. The Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead in the first period and never allowed the Canadiens back into the game, finishing the series with four straight wins after dropping the opener.

The Hurricanes have been one of the NHL's most consistent teams under Rod Brind'Amour, but repeated conference final losses had kept them from reaching the championship round. This season, they finally broke through thanks to a balanced lineup, strong defensive play and outstanding postseason consistency.

Carolina has lost only one game during the playoffs, making this one of the most dominant postseason runs in recent league history. Goaltender Frederik Andersen and a deep group of scorers have helped the Hurricanes control games throughout all three rounds.

The victory sets up a Stanley Cup Final matchup against Vegas, while Montreal's impressive playoff run comes to an end after a postseason that exceeded expectations for one of the league's youngest teams.

Read Full Story

We’re rewinding the feed to spotlight a standout moment, story, or snapshot from Cary’s past. Let’s scroll back and see…

From Cary Spotlight Issue #946

Reader Poll: Have You Noticed More Snakes Around Your Neighborhood Lately?

With the Triangle's dry spell driving snakes closer to homes and waterways in search of water and prey, we had a hunch this question might hit close to home — maybe even literally. Turns out, our readers are a divided bunch when it comes to slithery neighbors. Here's how the votes shook out:

🚫 No snakes spotted near me — 41.67%
🐍 Yes, definitely more than usual — ~36%
🐍 A few sightings here and there — ~22%
🔥 I avoid anywhere snakes might be hiding — ~11%
🦎 I went to Repticon instead of finding them outside — ~0%

Despite the headlines, the most popular answer among our 36 respondents was a reassuring "No snakes spotted near me" — nearly 42% of readers are living blissfully serpent-free. Still, more than a third said they're definitely seeing more than usual this season, which lines up with what wildlife experts are reporting across the Triangle.

Dry conditions are pushing snakes — copperheads, rat snakes, king snakes, and water moccasins alike — toward neighborhoods as they follow their prey to wherever the water is. One reader got up close and personal with the trend:

Actually only one! I was removing weeds in my garden, and some, when pulled out, lifted the landscape cloth underneath and there was this cute maybe 5 or 6" beige colored snake! He scurried off to find a more protected area & I did not see him again!"

And for the reader who found one in a patio plant? We sympathize completely:

"Yes. There was one last week in a plant on my patio. I was sort of terrified!"

Wildlife officials remind everyone: most species are nonvenomous, many are protected by law, and all of them would really rather not meet you either.

From Cary Spotlight Issue #949

📊 Reader Poll Results: What's the Biggest Challenge to Keeping Cary Looking Its Best?

Cary takes real pride in its appearance — but keeping a growing town polished isn't always simple, as one Chatham Street resident recently discovered firsthand. After weeks of trying to get an overgrown, furniture-strewn stretch of roadway addressed through official channels, it took a CBS 17 inquiry to finally get crews on site. So we put the question to readers: what's really standing in the way of Cary looking its best? With 24 votes cast, one answer ran away with it.

✏️ Litter and illegal dumping — 37.50%
👍 Cary is generally well maintained — ~33%
🌿 Overgrown landscaping and vegetation — ~13%
🟡 Lack of coordination between agencies — ~13%
🚧 Slow response to maintenance issues — ~8%

Litter and illegal dumping topped the list by a wide margin, with more than a third of readers pointing to it as Cary's biggest aesthetic headache. But the second-most popular answer tells an equally interesting story: roughly a third of readers chose "Cary is generally well maintained" — a genuinely optimistic showing that suggests plenty of residents still feel good about their town's upkeep, even amid the frustrations.

Overgrown landscaping and lack of agency coordination tied for third, a pairing that maps neatly onto the Chatham Street situation, where overlapping ownership between the town, the state, and a railroad right-of-way contributed to months of delay.

One reader had a very specific stretch of road in mind: "All along Hwy 55 is overgrown!"

The Chatham Street cleanup — prompted by resident Carol Aupperle's persistence and a CBS 17 follow-up is a good reminder that community voices matter, even when official channels move slowly.

Cary says it will keep up with the signage area going forward and has flagged additional nearby trash to Raleigh officials. Here's hoping the improvements stick and that Hwy 55 is next on the list.

Just curious…

What’s faster than word of mouth? Cary Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.

Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few great ways to enjoy the weekend:

• Saturday: The Soccer Tournament ALL DAY
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Cary Garden Tour 10AM-5PM
• Sunday: The Soccer Tournament ALL DAY
• Sunday: Cary Garden Tour 1PM-5PM
• Monday: The Soccer Tournament ALL DAY

But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar