Success tastes very sweet — just ask members of the latest graduating class of Central Carolina Community College’s Adult High School and General Educational Development programs.

I have been a reader of the Chatlist for about eight years. I also own a small business here in Pittsboro. I don't understand why some people are so afraid of anything changing in town. When the Piggly Wiggly opened after Lowe's Foods left, many people seemed to believe that life was coming to an end. Life didn't end, and I love the Piggly Wiggly and the friendly staff there.

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate is always the theme for the Council on Aging's 24th Annual Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake Bake-Off and this year will be no different. This mouth-watering event has been challenging the top bakers in Chatham County for over two decades and is sure to please once again. With a panel of judges awarding prizes for the best tasting, most creative and most original cake and cheesecake, this is one event not to be missed.

On December 23rd, three years ago, we buried our 35 year old son, Jesse, a resident of Silk Hope, at the little community cemetery on 64, just outside of Siler City. At the time, we were visitors from Virginia, grief-stricken, but still needing some Christmas presents for his children and our other grandchildren in Durham. The Wal Mart is nearby.

Landowners in the unincorporated areas of Chatham County who paid their 2011 county property taxes and annual solid waste fees by the Jan. 5, 2012 deadline should look for their new 2012 Solid Waste and Recycling decals in the mail near the end of January.

Sustainable has become the new king’s clothing in the American marketplace of mentality. The buzzword was invented by the people whose minds were shaped by the 1950's sales concept that“new”was better. Decades of marketing influence have led unsuspecting citizens to believe the maxim. Credence in the performance of old, former, dependable methods and products has almost disappeared.The sales job is almost complete.

The Third Annual Shamrock Run for Hope, hosted by the Pittsboro Relay for Life is scheduled for March 17, 2012. This 5K & 10K run in Pittsboro is followed by a breakfast for participants (included in registration, all others for $5).

Ebenezer United Methodist Church will host the First Annual Chatham County Charity Rook Tournament On Friday, January 13 and Saturday January 14.

Clean Jordan Lake has been awarded a $4,150 grant from the Biogen Idec Foundation to launch its Adopt-A-Shoreline Program. The funds will be used to attract participation from various community organizations and to post attractive signs at adopted shoreline sections to recognize their effort.

Despite the influx of new vehicles into the small- and budget-car marketplace, the Honda Fit remains on top in Consumer Reports list of best value small cars. The Fit also reemerged as the best overall value among some 200 different vehicles that were analyzed. Overwhelmingly, the best values come from Japanese automakers, including most of the top models in each category. Of the 48 best values in Consumer Reports lists, 34 are from Japanese brands. Six models come from European brands (mostly Volkswagen), five come from American ones (mostly Ford), and three are from South Korean automakers.

Chatham County Schools congratulates its newest group of teachers to earn National Board Certification. These thirteen teachers join numerous colleagues across the school district who over the years have achieved the advanced teaching credential through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

Here's a summary of December 1 - 31, 2011's felonious and serious arrests by the Chatham County Sheriff's department.

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, January 3 at the Agricultural Building auditorium in Pittsboro, NC at 6 p.m.

Related:
Official Chatham County, NC

With the forecast of sub-freezing temperatures for several days, the Chatham County urges its water customers to protect their water pipes from freezing. Frozen pipes can burst and cause substantial damage if a large amount of water is released in a home or business.

With the arrival of 2012, Chatham County residents can expect to receive their 2012 property tax listing notices in the next few days. The Chatham County Tax Office mailed annual listing notices to residents this week, according to Tax Assessor Tina Stone. Any Chatham County property owners not receiving their listing forms by Friday, January 6, should contact the Tax Office immediately at 919-542-8250.

Residents can enjoy learning about the beautiful trees in the White Pines Natural Area in Chatham County on January 7, 2012, during a Winter Tree Hike sponsored by the Grand Trees of Chatham. The hike is slated from 1 to 3 pm.

Chatham County recycling programs are wrapping up operating on a special holiday schedule as the New Year begins. The free Christmas tree recycling begins this week.

Chatham County sheriff's deputies arrested six men last week who they believe have operated a break-in ring in the western part of the county. Major Gary Blakenship said a long-term investigation revealed that the men conspired together to break into homes and businesses and then sell the stolen property.

I'm a Siler City gal, and my mom is a small business owner. Her fabric store has been in business since 1988. When we learned Wal-Mart was coming to Siler City, at first, she panicked. She thought, OMG, I'll lose all my business. Then, she took a step back and evaluated her business versus Wal-Mart. Then, she thought of ways she and Wal-Mart could actually complement each other.

I think we have a lot to be proud of in regards to the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation. While we are experiencing one of the worst recessions in recent history, the EDC developed a strategic plan that helped them identify industries to target, reorganized the board to make it less political, engaged all of the three municipalities in joint meetings so for the first time we can all work together on moving the county forward in a more productive way.