When Hildegard Ryals passed away Nov. 1, the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) lost a dear and valued friend.

Involved with TLC from its inception nearly 30 years ago, Hildegard kept TLC focused on conserving land in her beloved Durham, including 59 of her own acres in northern Durham County. However, she was never satisfied with mere contributions. Though her contributions of land, money, and time were generous and appreciated, her leadership was her greatest gift to TLC. Anyone who came in contact with her was inspired and sometimes cajoled to act.

We will miss her presence and participation. We will miss her kind words and reassuring belief that in the end the right thing will be done. With Hildegard as our guide, TLC has protected nearly 16,000 acres in Durham, Orange, Wake, Chatham, Johnston and Lee counties and will continue to make a positive, permanent impact in the Triangle for our water, forests and farms.

Jeff Masten

Director of conservation strategies

Triangle Land Conservancy

Friday’s old friend

My son Fuller provided a good story (and tribute to) Bill Friday. While a freshman, he introduced himself to Friday on an elevator. Nearly a year later, when their paths crossed again, Friday said, “Hello, Fuller.”

Boolie Sasser

Durham

Materially speaking

The Scrap Exchange is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit in The Green Gallery. This exhibit, titled “I AM SAVED!” features work by Kimberley Pierce Cartwright, a local artist who experiments with a wide variety of media, including fiber, wood, ceramics and paint. For this exhibit, Cartwright used discarded wood to create impressionable works of art.

Cartwright is inspired by a needful purpose to consume less of everything and to make use of the bounty of materials that can be repurposed in art making and everyday life. She explains, “As a reuse artist, I feel that every speck of material is precious.” All of the artwork in “I AM SAVED!” is made from reclaimed materials. Cartwright elaborates on the artwork’s message, stating that “the expressions are simple and the message is clear that discarded materials can live another life as objects of unusual beauty and uniqueness.”

“I AM SAVED!” will run in The Green Gallery through Dec. 15. The Green Gallery is located inside The Scrap Exchange creative reuse center, at 923 Franklin St. next to Golden Belt in Durham. The gallery is open to view anytime during regular retail store hours. Admission is free.

Ruth Warren

The Scrap Exchange

Jewish genealogy

More than 35 people attended the first meeting of the Triangle Jewish Genealogical Society (TJGS) on Oct. 21.

North Carolinians from as far away as Wilmington joined local residents from Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh to organize a group that will educate its members and the public on Jewish genealogy with programs and workshops. Membership is open to all. At the first meeting, I provided a presentation titled “Three Guides, Four Countries: A Daughter of Holocaust Survivors Visits Her Ancestral Villages.”

The next meeting will be Sunday, Dec. 9, from 2 to 4 pm at 6905 Fayetteville Road, Suite 204, in Durham. The program will be appropriate for all levels of expertise: beginner and advanced: “Fast, Cheap, and Local: A Guide to Genealogical Resources: Jewishgen, Avotanyu, GENI, Family Tree Maker, Facebook, Google and More!” Jarrett Ross of Sephardicgenealogy.blogspot.com will be the featured presenter.

First-time attendees may participate for free. Subsequent meetings are $15 or attendees can join the TGJS for $25 for an individual membership through December, 2013.

To register, contact me at 919-968-3742 or DebbieTheTeacher@gmail.com. Our Sunday, Jan. 20, meeting will feature a panel discussion on “What’s Comes Next: Sharing Your Genealogical Discoveries” and focus on different methods to engage children, grandchildren and others in family history.

Deborah Long

Chapel Hill

RTP and transit

Research Triangle Park’s upgrading its 1959 creation is eagerly anticipated. Modernization of that tech mecca will include housing, recreation and retail components. The entire region can only benefit once Orange and Durham counties unite to implement this multi-faceted plan. Further, our employment picture will improve as infrastructure and construction begins on the project.

Gov.-elect Pat McCrory can greatly assist this RTP effort by using his Charlotte experience to support rapid transit for connecting commuters with employers throughout our entire region. The LYNX rapid rail in Charlotte serves as an excellent model our regional planners can use to consider a similar method for moving people effectively.

Hopefully Wake County can consider its transit options during McCrory’s term, and begin to provide truly modern methods of moving its growing, mobile population. Our crowded roads need a break.

Bob Sexton

Raleigh

A remarkable story

I have just completed three weeks of being an election observer. We entered this election cycle with partisans on both side of the political spectrum fearing voter fraud, suppression or intimidation. While there were scattered reports around the state of incidents, there was also a remarkable story of the dedication of the various county boards of election, and the effort they made to make one-stop early voting and Election Day a success.

If you voted in North Carolina, you came face-to-face with a group of fine public servants and volunteers from the Board of Elections. For the past two and a half weeks these folks have faced a steady stream of voters under the glare of partisan observers. I’ve been at polling stations in four counties, and these folks have been courteous and helpful in each and every instance.

When voters became frustrated because they’d come to the wrong precinct or weren’t certain about the ballot or registration requirements, I heard the same patient voices in Orange, Durham, Wake and Cumberland counties. I saw people dedicated to doing right by the voters of our state.

Thank you to every last person who manned our precincts for upholding the election laws of North Carolina and helping us exercise our right to vote.

Andrew Silton

Chapel Hill