I really enjoyed learning more about the Afghan people and the relations between them and the U.S. soldiers who have been in their country for so many years. I was fascinated by Saima’s role in Afghanistan, and enjoyed learning about how she came to be the person she is today. When she was born, her father declared, “I promise that my daughter will prove she is better than many Pashtun sons, and will do more for her people than one hundred sons combined.” Reading this memoir, I felt that Saima has spent her life living up to this promise in her father’s honor.

This is a very easy-to-read memoir. It’s written in an easygoing manner, and I felt that Saima was being honest in her feelings and descriptions of events. I will say that it’s clear she is still conflicted in her own personal life, struggling to balance her Afghan roots with her American citizenship. She shares a couple examples of relationships that were casualties to this struggle.

Overall, this was an incredibly informative memoir that helped me better understand the point of view of the Afghan people, and the role of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I think it would make for an excellent book club selection, and a great choice for anyone who is interested in learning a bit more about Afghan culture and the U.S. presence there.

Timothy J. Lavallee | Destination Wake Forest

Hugh Grant lends his voice in the latest animated film from the people who brought you Wallace & Gromit. The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a story about a relatively tame and wildly unsuccessful pirate named Pirate Captain, and his crew who are equally inept. Every year the Pirate King who is dressed like Elvis, gives an award to the pirate who brings in the most booty. Pirate Captain who’s crew sincerely adores him are excited when he explains since he always loses this year by default is his year to finally win the trophy. While he’s ready to submit his application we see who he’s up against. Cutlass Liz voiced by Selma Hayek as the hot but deadly and more dangerous female pirate. Black Bellamy known as the best pirate out there and voiced by Jeremy Piven, is showy but its clear everyone thinks he’s number one.

In his quest to get the most booty, he by chance since he’s such a bad pirate end up meeting Charles Darwin and his monkey BoBo. Charles is madly in love with the Queen Victoria Regina who hates pirates with a blazing passion.

The writing is smart the storyline is good and its funny. We did see it in 3-D and it was respectable. Probably since its animation its easier to film and actually have things feel 3-D on the screen. I don’t think it was needed, but it was at least done well enough. I laughed quite a few times, but found myself smirking more because of the jokes.

I give this movie a Matinee. It’s a kid’s film at its heart that’s the target audience and it’s a good film for the age 7 and up since there is potty humor. younger kids should sit through it fine as it clocks in around 90 minutes, its a dialog heavy film but still a silly funny in parts there weren’t too many children at the screening so i heard a ton more adult voices. As a parent if you find a Wallace & Gromit episode acceptable, this is OK as well.

Pirates! Band of Misfits is Rated PG.

Students from Heritage High School in Wake Forest recently learned valuable life lessons about energy conservation through an AP Environmental Science project in which their local electric cooperative, Wake Electric, took on an unexpected role.

Their teacher, Molly Bostic, assigned a personal home energy audit requiring students to monitor their electric usage for a 10 day-period and then determine their average daily electric use and cost. Students were also asked to evaluate their homes and consider areas where reduced consumption would result in monetary savings, as well as changes that could be made on a personal and household level that would be reflected on their energy bills.

Students whose families are Wake Electric members were able to utilize its new Monitor & Manage program to help track and evaluate their electric use. The Monitor & Manage program is an online energy monitoring system that utilizes Wake Electric’s “smart grid” communications network to collect monthly, daily and hourly energy data reports from each home. Students who are Wake Electric members could log in to their parents’ accounts and see firsthand the energy consumption at their houses, whereas students whose families get their power from other electric utility companies had to read their electric meter daily instead and record the values, making the project a little harder and not quite as accurate.

“It was exciting for us to hear that our new Monitor & Manage program was an unexpected tool in the classroom,” said Scott Poole, manager of customer service. “We are glad our latest technology was an aid in learning and we hope all of our members will use the program to measure their energy consumption and change their everyday energy habits to make a difference on their monthly electric bills.”

“The students in my class who used the Monitor & Manage program seemed to have a better, more comprehensive understanding of their energy usage, since there was more precision and accuracy when it came to calculating their daily energy usage,” said Bostic. “As I spoke to the students who used the Monitor & Manage program, they had a higher level of understanding of their energy usage, and their conclusions were deeper and more reflective.”

“I am not a Wake Electric member, so I had to read the meter on the outside of my house instead of using the online program some of my classmates used,” said Meredith Autry, a student in Bostic’s class. “I think it would have been much easier to monitor my energy consumption with the Monitor & Manage program because of all the graphs and data you get through the online program. ”

As part of the project, students also had to do a home inspection and report on items such as the amount, location and quality (type and R-value) of insulation, the amount of shade provided by trees and shrubs, the condition, composition and color of the roof, the tightness of the doors and windows, the color of outer walls and whether or not they absorb or reflect heat, and the amount of air circulation in an attic. During his home inspection, student Christian Hampton determined his attic had no air circulation, so he encouraged his to dad put a fan in the attic.

“My dad was not aware that air circulation in the attic could help the efficiency of the whole house,” said Hampton.  “Now that we have a fan in our attic, I will continue to monitor the temperature of the attic to see if it affects our electric bill.”

“The aspects of the home inspection were good conversation starters to have with my students, who are 16 and 17 year-olds,” said Bostic. “In five or six years, these students will be making their own decisions when it comes to energy consumption and I hope they will take this lesson with them as they grow into adults.”

Students also had to make daily notes on the patterns of electric use in their household, particularly of large appliances, such as the usual settings for the air conditioner and water heater, the amount of cooking done, the type of lights used and the amount of laundry done. Students also had to monitor aspects of weather that may affect heating or cooling.

“Students that used the Monitor & Manage program for this project were able to go online the very next day and notice things such as, ‘Hey, we ran four loads of laundry yesterday, and look how many more kilowatt hours we used,’” said Bostic.

Wake Electric learned about this project when student Alisha Teresko contacted the co-op to ask about its energy portfolio. Part of the project required students to determine the amount of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide released by their electricity consumption each month, and to calculate that, students had to consult their local power utility to determine the fuel mix used to generate electricity in their area.

“We were thrilled when we learned local students were going to such great lengths to learn about energy consumption, energy conservation and the way in which electricity is generated,” said Poole. “We knew we had to get involved.”

Officials from Wake Electric met with students who recently completed the energy audit, and they were in awe of what the students learned through this assignment.

Bostic had no idea how much her students got out of the project until she heard them talking with Wake Electric officials. “I knew it was a good project, but to hear them talk about transforming their lives and how they had never thought about electricity before this project really hit home,” said Bostic.

“I never grew up thinking green or about how energy affects the environment,” said Hampton. “After this project, I am inspired to conserve electricity and to one day have an Energy Star home with Energy Star appliances.”

Hampton also praised Wake Electric’s Monitor & Manage program and how it puts electric consumption “in the faces of the customers” and how the customers can make a difference by “changing their personal energy habits.”

“That’s music to my ears,” said Poole of Wake Electric. “The energy usage data collected through the Monitor & Manage program will allow our members to make more informed decisions about energy usage, and it’s thrilling for these students to use the online program firsthand and understand the power behind this exciting new technology.”

Hampton took it one step further saying, “As an energy company, I think it’s important for you to keep informing everyone about energy usage. Hopefully other electric companies will follow suit and maybe it will even expand around the world.”

During their meeting with the students, Wake Electric officials also learned that Bostic was a Wake Electric member herself.

“Now that I know the Monitor & Manager program is available, I will use it myself at home on a personal level, especially as the seasons change and when monitoring my thermostat settings,” said Bostic. “It will help me see if my family can stand the thermostat to be one degree higher because at my home, that seems to have the greatest impact on my electric bill.”

Bostic also commented on how she liked the variety of graphs available through the Monitor & Manage program and how she could view energy usage by month, day or hour.

“On the old paper bill, I could only compare my electric usage month to month over a 12-month period, but through the Monitor & Manage program, I can get that information every single day.”

Bostic even spoke to the students who may become Wake Electric members themselves one day.

“Kids are dependent on real-time information and technology because it plays such an important and large role in their everyday lives,” said Bostic. “The Monitor & Manage program is a great tool to reach the younger generation because they like immediate feedback and real-time information.”

The project also encouraged students to think about further ways people can manage their electric consumption. During the interview with Wake Electric, Hampton said, “What if every person got a text message saying they spent $50 this week on energy? It would make people think, ‘Wow, I really need to watch my energy consumption next week and my goal is to just spend $20 worth.’  It would really make you think!”

To help members track their electric usage in this way, Wake Electric recently introduced the PowerUp with PrePay program, a pay-as-you-go billing option. Members participating in PowerUp are automatically notified via phone and email when their account gets low on funds and they can track through the Monitor & Manage program how much electricity they have used daily, weekly or monthly.

The co-op is in the process of upgrading existing electric meters to new electronic meters that use advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology that makes both the Monitor & Manage program and the PowerUp program possible.

The energy usage data collected through the Monitor & Manage program will be available to all residential members free of charge by the end of 2012, allowing them to make more informed decisions about energy usage. Currently, Wake Electric has upgraded more than 15,000 meters.

Aguilar extends his hitting streak to five games with a 2-for-4 showing. The first baseman has four home runs in his last six games.

Rayl (3-3) scattered two hits in the start for the Mudcats (13-13). The lefty walked two and struck out three. A Lake Worth, Fla., native,
Rayl has allowed one run or less in three of his last four starts.

Dale Dickerson notched his first save with a scoreless ninth.

Cody Martin (3-3) was equally impressive for the Hillcats (14-11). The right-hander tossed seven innings, scattering three hits. His only mistake proved costly when Aguilar snuck his first home run of the day just inside the left field foul pole. The solo shot broke a scoreless tie in the seventh.

With one on, two out, Aguilar crushed a two-run blast over the right field fence in the ninth to put Carolina further ahead, 3-0.

Trey Haley breezed through two innings in relief, facing the minimum.

The Mudcats return home against the Frederick Keys May 4-6. Friday night’s game is set for a 7:15 p.m. start. Tickets are available through the box office by calling (919) 269-2287 or visiting carolinamudcats.com.

The Friends are seeking volunteers to help us set up, organize, assist during the sale and pack up unsold books for return to storage. They can use help on any of the following days:

• Thursday, May 3rd – 1;00 to 4:00PM – start setting up books on tables.
• Friday, May 4th – 9:00 to noon & 1:00 to 4:00PM – sort/set up books. 
• Saturday, May 5th – 8:00 to noon & noon to 4:00PM – assist with the sale. 
• Sunday, May 6th – 1:00 to 4:00PM – start packing up unsold books. 
• Monday, May 7th – 9:00 to noon & 1:00 to 4:00PM – complete packing, take down tables and minor clean up. 

Your assistance for one or more of these time frames will be greatly appreciated by the Friends of the Library. The true benefactors of this event are all of the families who use the library throughout the year. If you are able to volunteer your time, please respond to this e-mail so that I can start to put a schedule together and know how many people will be available on each day. Once again, thank you for your past support and I hope to see everyone again this year for another successful book sale. If you have frieds or neighbors who may be interested in helping, please feel free to invite them also. If you have any other questions, you can also call me at 562-7101.

The Raleigh City Council voted on May 1 to end the lawn watering restrictions that have been in place since the 2007 drought, which saw Falls Lake – Raleigh’s main water source – dip to its lowest levels since the lake was created by an earthen dam in the late 1970s.

Wake Forest residents whose homes are connected to the public water supply have received their water from the City of Raleigh since the two municipalities merged their water systems in 2005. Water use rules and rates are set by the Raleigh City Council.

The restrictions, which ended Tuesday, used to limit hose-end sprinklers to twice a day for three days per week, and in-ground sprinklers to once a day for three days per week.

The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners took the restrictions further than the City of Raleigh and voted unanimously in May 2008. The Board revisited the issue last year and the vote was 5-4 to uphold the ban. No new in-ground sprinklers are allowed under the current regulations.

Carolina (11-13) left the field last night with a 4-1 lead over Lynchburg (14-9) when heavy fog reduced visibility enough to halt play. The team picked up where they left off as back-to-back walks allowed Carlos Moncrief to drive in a run with a hit. The single increased the Mudcats advantage to 5-1. Lynchburg retaliated with a run in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Tommy La Stella.

J.D. Reichenbach (1-0) tossed the fifth and sixth innings to earn his first victory of the year. Shawn Armstrong, a product of East Carolina University, pitched three shutout innings to record his first save.

The loss went to Lynchburg’s starter, Dimasther Delgado (0-1). The left-hander allowed three runs on five hits in four innings of work.

Tyler Cannon paced the Mudcats’ offense in the first game with three hits, including two doubles. Delvi Cid drove in two with a two-out single in the second frame.

Lynchburg got a complete game start from J.R. Graham (3-0) in the night cap. Graham allowed two runs, scattered four hits and struck out six over seven innings.

Brett Brach (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings of work.

Jesus Aguilar launched his third home run of the year, a solo blast over the right-center wall, to lead off the second inning.

Game three of the series between Carolina and Lynchburg is Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. The Mudcats return home against the Frederick Keys May 4-6. Tickets are available through the box office by calling (919) 269-2287 or visiting carolinamudcats.com.

Izzo, 16, is a student at Cardinal Gibbons High School and is the daughter of John and Kathy Izzo. Boudah, 17, is a student at Heritage High School and is the son of Daniel and Pamela Boudah.

Izzo and Boudah will join nearly 1,500 high school students from across the U.S. to learn about electric cooperatives, American history and the United States government. Youth Tour participants will also visit the historic sites of the nation’s capital, as well as spend time with their congressional leaders. Youth Tour winners also create podcasts and digital photo projects while learning about issues in renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change legislation that face their communities and the nation. The trip will be from June 16-22, 2012.

For more information on the Rural Electric Youth Tour, visitwww.wemc.com/youthtours.aspx.

The Youth Tour is funded through voluntary member and employee donations through the Operation RoundUp program at Wake Electric.

Applications are available in the town clerk’s office at town hall and on the Town’s website. Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, June 1, and should be mailed or delivered to Town Clerk Deeda Harris, Town of Wake Forest, 301 S. Brooks Street., Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Only high school students (grades 9 – 12) are eligible to serve on the YAB. The YAB is comprised of between nine and fifteen members – minimum of one can live outside the corporate Town limits. YAB members serve one-year terms, but may be re-appointed.

The YAB researches issues of importance to young people in the community, makes presentations about its findings to the board of commissioners, and holds informational and/or special events for area youth.

The YAB meets on the third Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Ground Floor Meeting Room at Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. The first meeting of the newly appointed YAB will be Aug. 18, and the year for the YAB will coincide with the school year – August through July.

The board of commissioners will announce the official appointments to the YAB during its regular meeting on July 17.

For more information, contact Town Clerk Deeda Harris at (919) 435-9410 or dharris@wakeforestnc.gov.

On the 1 year anniversary of the day they met Tom and Violet get engaged. They don’t originally intend to have a super long engagement but life sometimes has other plans. That’s the premise of The Five-Year Engagement. The movie stars Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother fame, and Emily Blunt who was in The Adjustment Bureau.

This movie is a comedy and yes there are some good laughs in it but that doesn’t change all the issues with this movie. First I like Jason Segel on TV but he cannot carry a film. The man just is not a lead role kind of guy. He does better as a wing man. Sooner or later people will stop expecting him to headline films. The star of this where most of the laughter in the theater came from was from Chris Pratt who played Bright on Everwood.  Chris Pratt is Tom’s best friend and a rude, crude guy who steals all the best lines. Every scene he’s in is comedy gold, even the scenes later with Violet and her sister Suzie played by MadMen’s Alison Brie having a fight in the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster (C is for condom) are quite funny. Anyone moment where the funny bits don’t involve Jason Segel. I found myself mildly entertained but it was very apparently that all the high points of which there are few were from the supporting cast, The pickle guy from the sandwich shop, Violet’s coworkers int he psych department, the SAHD with a hunting fetish, it’s all from everyone but the male lead. In the scenes with just Tom and Violet even the ones that you are expected to laugh at fall flat.

I give this movie a wait for cable. The funny parts are laugh out loud funny but just too far between to make this a good comedy. This is a movie where you when the trailer doesn’t excite you know it’s not going to be worth it. Although the slide show of Tom’s past loves bit is pretty funny. The movie is rated R. there’s a lot of cursing, sexual innuendo, and some violence.