The roundabout at Davidson-Concord and East Rocky River roads is open. (Brenda Barger photo)

The new roundabout at Davidson-Concord and East Rocky River roads opened Sunday evening. The N.C. Department of Transportation says some work remains, but traffic is now able to use the new circle.

The busy intersection was completely closed over the weekend. Police were out enforcing the closing after some drivers ignored the closing and tried to go around the construction site. (See “Davidson-Concord Road is closed. Really.”) Read the full story

A national trade association that represents municipal cable and communications systems has named MI-Connection as its 2009 Community Broadband Project of the Year. In announcing the award, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors cited the towns because they “refused to accept sub-standard broadband and cable service and decided to deliver better quality themselves.” Read the full story

A police officer talks to a driver headed toward the closed intersection of Davidson-Concord and East Rocky River roads. (Brenda Barger photo)

Davidson police are now closely enforcing the “road closed” sign at Kimberly and Concord roads. The town’s main east-west route is closed at East Rocky River Road so a construction crew can work on the new roundabout at the busy intersection. The police enforcement comes as some drivers have been spotted ignoring the sign and using the shoulder and a bicycle path to illegally skirt the road closing. Read the full story

Two Cornelius-based arts organizations have completed their long-planned merger to form the Community Arts Project, headquartered in the old Oak Street Mill and offering classes for children and adults.

The organization will host a public reception this evening, Friday, Sept. 11, from 7-9 p.m., for a new exhibit of paintings by artist Manny Rashet. Also below, our calendar of events at local art galleries.
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Davidson volunteer firefighters will be out on Main Street Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon collecting donations for muscular dystrophy research in their annual “Fill the Boot” drive. Read the full story

This weekend brings a variety of big events, from a Saturday outdoor movie and a Sunday concert on the Village Green to the grand opening of the new Cornelius animal shelter and Davidson Homecoming. There’s a parenting festival on the Village Green Saturday morning, and a Shalom Lake Norman Festival Sunday at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius. New River Dramatists’ weeklong Davidson residency began Thursday, with a long list of public events. Davidson College hosts soccer and volleyball tournaments. And Summit Coffee has Davidson alumni playing for Homecoming Weekend. More about those and other events on The Guide.

Books closed on 2008-9 budget, which ended 5.4% lower than it started

Officer Scott Russell (right) gets help from his kids as Mayor Woods swears him in. More photos below.

Davidson’s Town Board on Tuesday approved a $314,600 budget increase for this year that adds proceeds from a loan to buy two properties on Beaty Street.

The board also approved an adjustment that closes the books on last year’s budget (for the year that ended June 30, 2009) before it goes to the town’s auditors. The latter amendment adds $139,795 for a 60-month lease/purchase contract for five photocopiers.

The board also adjusted the 2008-09 budget for roadwork and affordable housing. Those amendments, plus two earlier ones, cut a total of $417,000 from the spending plan the Town Board adopted in June 2008. Altogether, reductions during the year trimmed 5.4 percent from the $7.8 million spending plan the town adopted in June 2008. Read the full story

Know Your Farms LLC, a Davidson start-up company that helps link consumers with local meat and produce, will host its first Farm Tour on Saturday, Sept. 19. Nine farms within 30 miles of Davidson have agreed to open their barn doors to the public from 2 to 7 p.m.

The self-directed tour is open to the public, and you’re free to choose which farms to visit and in what order. Organizers from Know Your Farms say it will be a day to “soak up the beautiful countryside, and take a hayride with the kids, get to know our local farmers.” Read the full story