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Good morning neighbors,
After a slowdown in news last week, Alamance County started this week off with plenty of action. Two items on the Alamance County Board of Commissioners' Monday agenda took up most of a three-hour work session.
One was an application for an "intent-to-construct" permit related to a controversial Land-Clearing and Inert Debris (LCID) landfill at 4115 Clapp Mill Road in southwest Alamance County. All nine people who signed up for public comment voiced their opinion on the landfill – four in favor and five against. The county’s planning board approved the permit 6-1 on March 12, but the final decision is in the hands of county commissioners. At Monday’s meeting, commissioners delayed a vote until their next meeting on April 20.
The other item was a request from the Alamance-Burlington School System to enter into a five-year lease-purchase agreement with Apple for new tech to replace outdated Chromebooks. The school board approved the $2.1 million contract last month – which would be covered within the existing capital budget allocation rather than requiring an increase in funding – but the county has the final say. The contract covers items like iPads for students and Mac minis in classrooms.
ABSS Chief Technology Officer Dennis Frye presented the request, which resulted in a nearly hour-long questioning session. Ed Priola made an unsuccessful motion to postpone a vote until April 20. After some discussion, Pam Thompson made a new motion to approve the request. The vote passed 4-1, with Priola as the sole dissenter.
Now, I’m going to run it back a bit for some context on this week’s feature story…
Remember that Graham City Council meeting where they voted to relocate Sesquicentennial Park in February? While there, I had the pleasure of meeting Patsy Bailey Allard, whose mother, Pat Bailey, co-chaired the park's planning committee.
After the meeting, Patsy introduced me to her sister, Barbi, and their cousin, Susan. They started telling me all about this local tradition I hadn’t heard of before: Uncle Eli's Quilting Party. The gathering is believed to be the oldest continuously running quilting event in the country. Needless to say, I had to check it out. After all, this is The Alamance Fabric. Read on for more about the 95-year history and legacy of Uncle Eli's Quilting Party.
In other exciting community news, the City of Burlington has officially signed a proclamation recognizing Thursday, April 9, as Local News Day!
To celebrate the importance of local news, we are hosting a Local News Day Cafe at Sol Cafe in East Burlington. We are thrilled to be partnering with Elon News Network, News of Mebane and NC Health News for the event. Come grab a free cup of coffee, say hello, and let’s talk about the local news and information that matters most to you. Please RSVP!
It's hard to believe that The Fabric newsletter has been landing in your inbox every Tuesday for more than two months. Even if you can’t make it to the News Cafe, I’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts about the newsletter so far? Mind filling out this survey? We’d love to know how you think we’re doing.
See you soon, |
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Attendees share food and fellowship under a colorful backdrop of handmade quilts at Uncle Eli's Quilting Party
on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Eli Whitney, N.C. (Photo: Laura Brache/NC Local) |
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One day a year, the typically stark walls of the Eli Whitney Recreation Center are draped in colorful quilts with vibrant geometric patterns and patches of soft flowy florals.
Quilt blankets aren’t the only ones on display. Garments like coats, jackets and bags of every shape and size, each their own intricate designs, hang alongside the decorative textiles on metal and wooden frames.
Every year on the first Thursday of April, Uncle Eli’s Quilting Party is held at the former Eli Whitney School gymnasium.
Late historian and master quilter Erma Kirkpatrick believed the gathering was the oldest continuously running quilting event in the country.
In the 1920s, Ernest Peter Dixon, a local teacher and a Quaker, spearheaded the consolidation of five rural single-classroom schoolhouses in southeast Alamance County.
Before an actual school was built, students met in the only local building large enough to hold them: An unused cotton gin. Hence, the name Eli Whitney School, honoring the inventor of the cotton gin.
In an effort to get the newly joined rural communities to engage with each other, Dixon proposed a social gathering centered around the craft of quiltmaking.
And so, Uncle Eli’s Quilting Party was born.
Read the full story... |
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The Alamance Fabric and NC Local are powered by readers like you. |
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What's shaping Alamance |
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A round up of key local headlines (from our partners and other news organizations) that are defining life in Alamance right now. |
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In this segment, we spotlight neighbors shaping our community's future. This week's profile is from the For Alamance Community Narratives, a volunteer-led community initiative spearheaded by Impact Alamance* and The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Click the image below to read the original article. |
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Creating space for connection |
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In southern Alamance County, one couple’s effort to bring neighbors together is creating new spaces for connection, conversation and collective action. |
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By Linda Gupton
When Frankie Blackburn traveled to North Carolina with her daughter more than a decade ago to tour colleges, she didn’t expect the trip would spark her own return to the state.
While she’d graduated from high school in Raleigh and completed university and graduate-level studies at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, Frankie had spent most of her adult life raising her family in Silver Spring, Maryland.
But a desire to return to North Carolina never went away, and in 2014, she and her life partner Bill Traynor bought property in southern Alamance County and put down new roots here.
Frankie and Bill have both spent their careers working as strategic community builders, both in their home community and as consultants for organizations all around the country. They continue to offer strategic coaching related to community building and community change through their company, Trusted Space Partners.
“When we moved here, we saw a wonderful community all around us, but no networks to bring people together,” Frankie said. “So, we started inviting people to our place because we had a barn where people could gather.”
“We started with a lot of parties, going bowling, taking a group to a Sock Puppets game,” said Bill. “Many Friday evenings, we’d have happy hour with others around our fire pit."
That was the genesis of Neighbor Up, a community-building effort that connects southern Alamance County residents with one another while keeping them informed about events and opportunities in the area, as well as decisions being made by local government that affect their community.
Southern Alamance resident Annie Huth doesn’t engage with social media and appreciates having a locally produced source of information about ways to connect with neighbors and show up to support positive change.
“The newsletter lets me know what’s happening in local political news such as updates from our commissioners’ meetings, and to know about gatherings or rallies where we can advocate together,” she added.
“Neighbor Up has offered a warm and welcoming invitation to deepen my relationship with the Saxapahaw community,” said resident Mary Harwood. “I read the newsletter faithfully and even if I don’t show up for some activities, I still mark my calendar and feel both inspired by and invited to stretch my social wings!”
“Neighbor Up is our very own resourceful, thoughtful, accountable and loving form of community AI, without any of the ethical or moral issues,” added resident Tom Stern. “We are a better community because of it.”
While Neighbor Up has been a great start, Bill feels like there is lots more open space to experiment with community building in Alamance County.
“We don’t have to deconstruct what exists to experiment with new approaches. It’s hard to imagine positive change without first tilling the soil of community.” |
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*Note: The Alamance Fabric is funded by Impact Alamance. The Alamance Fabric is a brand of NC Local, where news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Read NC Local's full editorial independence policy here. |
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Whether you’re searching for family-friendly fun, a way to support local creators, or to get civically involved, here are a few ideas: |
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Burlington City Council
Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Burlington Municipal Building - City Council Chamber
425 S. Lexington Ave., Burlington, NC 27215
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Graham Recreation Commission
Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Graham Historical Museum
135 W. Elm St., Graham, NC 27253
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Alamance County News Café
Thursday, April 9 at 10 a.m.
Sol Café at the Dream Center
1423 N. Church St., Burlington, NC 27217
Join reporters from The Alamance Fabric, Elon News Network, News of Mebane and NC Health News to celebrate Local News Day!
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Let's Grow Together: Free Garden Workshop
Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m.
Celo Faucette Community Garden
817 Sharpe Rd., Burlington, NC 27217
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Green Level Town Council
Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m.
Green Level Town Hall
2510 Green Level Church Rd., Burlington, NC 27217
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5th Annual Haw River Island Ramble & 6K
Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 a.m.
Saxapahaw Island Loop
5550 Church Rd., Graham, NC 27253
Registration required; ends April 10
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Haw River Town Council Meeting
Monday, April 13 at 6 p.m.
Haw River Town Building
403 E. Main St., Haw River, NC 27258
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