What: Wake County Public Libraries’ annual storytelling festival, now in its 26th year, featuring two days of storytelling.

When and where: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Historic Oak View County Park, 4028 Carya Drive, Raleigh; 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday at Marbles Kids Museum, 201 E. Hargett St., downtown Raleigh

Who goes: All ages.

What to know before you go: The festival’s main event is the afternoonlong program at Historic Oak View County Park. It features continuous storytelling on the park’s spacious lawn for five hours.

Willa Brigham, host of the TV show “Smart Start Kids,” which airs on WRAL-TV on Saturday mornings, is the featured teller. But others also will be there to entertain kids of all ages.

For the hearing-impaired, there will be American Sign Language-interpreted stories from noon to 2 p.m. And tellers will offer some special stories for the youngest listeners. So if you’ve got young children in tow, be sure to check the program when you get there to find out where they are.

A hay ride shuttle with more storytelling will take you the short distance from the parking lot to the festival. Food will be sold on site, but feel free to bring a picnic, blankets and chairs to spread out and enjoy the stories. The event is free and open to the public. It will take place rain or shine.

If you can’t make it Saturday, or don’t get enough storytelling then, you can find Brigham performing at Marbles at 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday.

For more information about the storytelling festival, call Wake County Public Libraries at 250-1200 or go to www.wakegov.com/libraries/events/storytelling.

Read More:News & Observer

Fallout from U.S. economy feared
RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley has told state agency leaders to cut their budgets by 2 percent in case the national economic downturn takes a toll on the state’s revenues.
So far the state’s finances are faring well considering the economic crisis facing the nation. But top advisers to Easley said Thursday that cutting back now would make it easier to react if the state’s sluggish revenues worsen.

“Given the problems with the national economy and given the volatility in the markets, it would be irresponsible to just think everything would be fine,” said Dan Gerlach, a senior budget adviser to Easley, who has a few months left in office. “It is the fiscally responsible action to make sure that the next administration has sufficient reserves to manage the potential situation.”

The cut is actually a reversion, which means the state holds back 2 percent of current agency budgets. A 2 percent reduction amounts to roughly $400 million from the $21.4 billion state budget that lawmakers passed in July. The total will probably be lower because public schools, college financial aid and Medicaid are exempt from the cuts.

The reductions could mean fewer classes for students at community colleges, which typically see a spike in enrollment during tough economic times.

Wake Tech President Steve Scott said full-time enrollment is up roughly 10 percent over the previous academic year. He said state officials gave him advance warning two months ago that budget reductions could be on the way. The college is looking to trim expenses and reach out to private donors for help. It also has received an additional $500,000 from the county to help with the opening of new facilities.

But Scott said that likely won’t be enough to prevent cuts in the spring semester.

“We went ahead and offered the classes in the fall with the assumption that we would have a million dollars more than it looks like we’re going to have come springtime,” Scott said. “So that could be exceptionally problematic, and we’ll have to turn people away. That is what it boils down to.”

Read More:News & Observer