Whole Foods signs lease

It's official, Whole Foods fans. The gourmet grocer has signed on to anchor a proposed shopping center in North Raleigh near the intersection of Six Forks and Strickland roads.

In recent weeks, more than 2,000 people signed an online petition at www.bringwholefoods.org urging Whole Foods to sign the lease. Now the 40,000-square-foot store is one step closer.

But the developers must still get rezoning permission from the city and site plan approval. If things move quickly, the Whole Foods could open in 2010.

-- Staff writer Sue Stock

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Farmers markets specializing in uber-local, organic foods had been bustling for years in Durham and Carrboro when the Moore Square Farmers Market opened downtown three summers ago, offering similar products in Raleigh for the first time.

But [last] Wednesday, as it closed out its third year, the Raleigh market was still a small collection of vendors that hasn't achieved the cachet of its neighbors to the west.

Meanwhile, new markets that have opened in the past year -- one at North Hills shopping center in Raleigh and another outside A Southern Season in Chapel Hill -- are thriving.

-- Staff writer Kristin Collins

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Kris Hixson, 33, is not allowed to hawk what he calls his "pro-Raleigh" T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers at the Raleigh Wide Open festival Sept. 5 and 6

His T-shirts and other merchandise take a wonkish dig at Raleigh's Queen City rival, putting the mathematical symbol for "greater than" to sly use: "Raleigh>Charlotte."

Out of applications from 250 vendors, Hixson's was the only one that was refused -- out of fear that powerful Queen City types might get offended, he says

-- Staff writer Leah Friedman

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Raleigh Rickshaw has joined with Greenway Transit to bring its pedicab service to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area.

Raleigh Rickshaw began pedaling downtown visitors to their destinations early last year and has expanded its fleet of pedicabs from five to 20.

Potential riders can arrange a pickup at Raleigh Rickshaw's Web site, www.raleighrickshaw.com or by calling 623-5555.

-- Staff writer Sue Stock